Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-12-28
THE FIELD or BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES or
THE WAR.
The Veterans Of the Rebellion Tell of
Whistiing Bullets, Bright Bayonets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Batties.
Camp Fire, Festive Enss, Etc, F,c.

Camp Fire, Festive Enss, Etc, Esc.
n the opening of Congress in
a 1863 there appeared In Wash
ington p young and beautiful
woman. s;"the letters of Introduction
Which she brought to the leading peo-
PIE opened to her the doors of he high
est circles. Her beauty and charming
manners soon made her one of the
leaders OF Washington society. One Of
the men who were attracted to her.
and who was seen at every gathering
at which Miss Elliot tfor thus was she
namedD made her appearance, was a
young Englishman who had been
drawn to Washington by our civil war.
lie had the eltree of the best clubs.
ana report said that he was the second
son of Lord Neville, In he peerage of
England. He professed to be a friend
OF the Northern cause and 10 favor of
the national government. He. as well
as Miss Elliot. was quite intimate with
the family of the Secretary of the
Treasury and with the chiefs of the
other departments. At this time the
credit of the government was being
sustained by gold shipped from San
francisco. The dates of the sailing of
the ships which should convey this
money was known only to the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury. The line of Pa
cific Mail steamships at that time run
ming between San Francisco, Panama,
and New York were the old-style side
paddles. These ships had been fitted
up to carry the gold for the United
States Government by putting on the
port-side OF the ship. on the guard
after the wheel, a steel safe with the
bottom set on center pivot. The en-
tire safe was cased with woodwork,
like the other parts of the steamer, so
that 1t did not differ In appearance
from the rest Of the wood flnishings.
When the government contemplated
a shipment OF gold, the sub-treasurer
at San Francisco was written to and
the steamer was prepared for ship
ment at the United States branch mint
at San francisco by packing sums of
twenty thousand dollars In separate
boxes, screwing on the head. and seal
ing with wax each screw In the box,
which was then stamped with a gov
eminent seal. On Sunday before the
sailing of the steamer, a picked set of
workmen from the mint were selected
and the boxes of gold were loaded on
to drays before daylight and driven to
the steamer, and there placed in the
safe by the mint workmen. This was
done so quietly and at such unusual
hours that 1t was known only to a few
men and the officers of the mail steam
ship company. When the gold was all
stored in the safe. the treasurer
locked it. The American consul at Pan
anna, upon the arrival of the steamer,
unlocked the safe. and the boxes of
gold were taken across the Isthmus on
the cars by night, placed on board the
steamer at Aspinwall, and locked in the
safe on that ship by the consul there;
thus no one on either steamer had any
means of opening the safe while the
gold was in transit. AS | have re-
marked, the weight of the safe was
hung on center pivots to keep the bot
tom of the safe in place; there were also
sde-bolts fixed so that they could be
pulled out at any desired time, the
method of which was known only TO
the captains of the steamers. This ar
rangement had been provided In case
that If any Of the Confederate cruisers
attacked the Pacific Mail steamers. the
Southern Confederacy should not have
the benefit of the United States gold for
the captain Of the steamer had instruc-
tons that If attacked he was to pull the
bolt and let the millions go to the bot
tom of the sea.
BY reason of the intimate relations
which Miss Elliot and Neville held with
the family of the Secretary of the
Treasury. they had become cognizant
OF these facts; and Neville soon after
left Washington for San Francisco In
order to make preparation to capture
the next large shipment of government
gold from the Pacific Mail steamer
which should be designated by the Sec
rotary of the Treasury to carry it. Miss
Elliot remained in Washington In order
to get and send to Neville the date of
the shipment, which she in her artfully
artless manner intended to learn from
the Secretary of the Treasury, who had
become completely fascinated bv her
beauty and child like, winning WAYS.
AS soon as Neville had perfected his
plans for Selling the steamer, a schoor-
er was purchased in Callao, and arms
and guns sufficient for two vessels
which had been shipped from England.
were taken on board The schooner
then sailed for the Santa Cruz Islands
Off Santa Barbara, and there waited
for another schooner, the Chapman.
which had been purchased at San
Francisco. Sire was ostensibly fitted
out for coasting voyage, and she
took on board men enough to man two
vessels. Both schooners were TO fv
the Confederate flag under letters of
marque. The schooner from Callao
was named the Vesta, and was fitted
up with a pivot gun, all made a for
midable privateersman.
Neville had worked out his plans so
successfully that he wrote to Miss FL
liot that he could be ready for action
within two weeks after her arrival in
San Francisco. Upon receipt of this
intelligence. Miss Elliot left Washing
ton and sailed on the mall steamer
from New York, and arrived In San
Francisco in due course. Here they
awaited the sailing of the vessel which
had been designated TO carry a ship
ment of gold to the government. Upon
this ship, the John l.. Stephens, Miss
Eliot, Neville, and eight of their con-
federates took passage.
Thus far there had been no hitch In
Neville's plans. Now trouble COM
menced. The schooner Chapman had
been for two weeks ready for her
coastiDg voyage, and. as she did not go
to sea, the United States officers be- |
came suspicious of her and placed a
erything occurring on board. They |
also searched the vessel, but found e. /
erything correct, ard would have dis |
missed the watch had not n we'll |
known Southerner. while intoxicated, !,
Dragged of what they were going to |
do. This was reported TO the revenue |
officers. and extra precautions were |
taken. At the time Miss Elliot arrived |
in San Francisco. Neville gave orders |
for the captain to take the men who |
had been engaged in San Francisco |
weeks before, and who were then at |
6i,arr n