Evening star., 1898-11-05
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sonal "reminiscences of that exciting time.
He was with Burnside's army, opposite
Fredericksburg, in March, 1863, when that
great hest of 10000 men was encamped
down in Virginia, wondering what 1t was
going to do and where 1t was going to
do it. The mistake. or whatever it was,
of Burnside at that town in the preceding
December was regarded by the authorities
at Washington requiring some activity
on the part of his army, and DR.. TinGall.
who was then on few days detail at
the headquarters of the Sd Division of the
I'd Corps, one day received from corps
headquarters. for PRONUNCIATION, an order
the substance of which was that the army
should be prepared to move at once with
eight days rations and eighty ROUNDS of
cartridges to be carried by each man.
The order had hardly been received when
one of the attaches of the headquarters.
who had been down to the village Of Fal-
mouth, just opposite Fredericksburg, came
into the office ten. and in a thick voice,
which was not acquired in a temperance
society, inquired: What's in the wind
about eight days rations and eighty
rounds of cartridges?" The doctor was
thunderstruck at the inquiry, he was
sure that one but the principal officers
of the army and those in their immediate
confidence were 1egitimately in possession
OF the Information. He expressed surprise
at the inquiry. and was informed by his
questioner that, while he was down at the
river opposite Fredericksburg few min
rtes before, one of the confederate pick us
had shouted tauntingly over to him, Hell
10, Yank! What are you going to do with
them eight days rations and eighty rounds
of cartridges? ?"
How the information got to the confed-
crates was the nine days wonder of the
time The march was begun and ended
before the great army had fully got in mo-
ton The part which did start floundered
in the rain and mire for a day or two and
then returned to it's camp from the ad-
venture which is known in military annals
as the Mud March"
After the battle of Gettysburg" said DIR.
Tindall to a Star reporter, while the army
of the Potomac was following the army
of Lee in the neighborhood of Frederick,
Md, a detachment of our cavalry advance
saw two men. whom they overlook One
of them proved to be a man in middle life,
of more than average size, and the other
his son. The elder they recognized as
man who had constantly followed the
army. and in camp was known TO most of
the soldiers as a dealer in off-cClor cards
and yellower literature. If they had had
presence of mind enough to greet the cav
alrymen familiarly it is probable they
would not have attracted special attention.
as it would have baen taken as a matter
of course that they had strayed from the
army and lost their way. out they foolishly
tried to run away or conceal themselves,
and were taken into custody.
Their confused attempts to account for
their presence there led to a search Of their
persons, and the discovery upoE the older
OF a mask, IN the Dottom OF winch were
plans and descriptions Of our military stu
alton and resources. They were both
promptly tried by drum-head court-martial.
end as promptly hanged to the nearest ap-
pie tree about a mile or so southwest of
Frederick City. The whole army on it's
way to the Potomac was taken past their
dangling bodies. Thus another illustration
was added to the OLD adage that the wick
ed fee where no man pursueth'
1T transpired at the court martial,
through the confession of the old mar per-
haps, that the information which the con-
federate picket had shouted across the
river had been telegraphed across the river
by the old man. who had a telegraph in
strument in cellar of an old mill in Fal-
mouth and a cable to the opposite shora.
He was familiar at headquarters as else
where in the army. and had no trouble in
getting his information.