The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-24

subjects Ward was also leader in gil the
| fun at the academy. He was first in
| everything even in mischief making.
| When he arrived to the command of a
company in his first class year he at once
became the idol of every cadet under his
command. His company always excellsd
| in everything, was always first in every
| thing even in discipline and this was
| solely due to the influence of this young
/ man.
But what was Ward doing in these first
1 days of excitementf Always prompt to
answer his correspondence, the many
| letters showered in upon him asking what
1 where in the game were not answered.
| Nothing was to be heard from him.
| Callers at the bureau of navigation who
asked to see Ward were told he was out
for few minutes but just where 1t was
not known. These callers came again
| and again but never saw Ward Some of
his more intimate friends became alarmed
about him and took all kinds OF ways TO
learn what he was doing without result
Was he sickS No one knew Officers
who had just Joined from Washington
were always asked first of all II they had
seen anything of WardP No they had not
and neither had anyone else 1t was very
strange and some people began to think
that he had dropped off the earth alto
gether.
Weeks and months went by without
any sign from him. His friends had al
most ceased to wonder, had almost for
gotten him SO swiftly were events crowd
along towards the last of August the
friends who had written him received the
following letter from Ward, dated Wash
ington and calculated to excite the curi-
osity still more as to what ne had been
doing. 81 have just returned from
long and dangerous mission" so these
letters read, land on my return tnd my
desk piled high with unanswered letters
dating back several months. l wish to
apologize for my seeming discourtesy in
not answering these letters before but
my mail was not forwarded to me and
my absence from this country was neces-
sarily kept secret even from my most IN
innate friends. This secrecy was impera-
tive as not only my safety but that OF
many other people depended upon my alb
sence not being disclosed. will answer
all of these letters as soon as can nnd
time to do 60 "
This was like Ward and then his friends
knew that he had not been inactive wnlie
others were busily engaged. Where ne
had been, what he had done ana otner
questions of similar character were not
known even after the receipt OF this letter
for long time but the printed rep orr OF
the naval board now gives a pafGlai
though unsatisfactory answer to these IN
quiries.
Ward had been to Spain on secret
mission From him came to the depart
ment all of the information from the
very first regarding the movements ana
condition of the Spanish fleets. At Cadiz
the Spanish naval station Ward In as
guise daily held intercourse with Spanish
officials His life was in danger every
second be was in Spanish territory. An
unguarded movement or hastily spoken
word, suspicious act or anything wnlcn
would have led to the presence OF an
American officer within Spanish territory
being known would have resulted IN an
ignominious death. While his comrades
were winning fame and promotion az ths
front Ward was engaged in duty Wnlch
must of necessity be d secret TO ali COL
cerned. While his comrades faced shos
and shell and endured the tea1um OF
blockade Ward waking and sleeping was
always within the jaws of death. 6ut
notwithstan ding this he never for an IN
slant lost his nerve. His reports TO the
naval board were most complete IN every
detail. He travelled all over spain and
from him came all the information re-
garding Spanish plans and movements
which could have been desired. finally
when Spain became oo.hot for comfort,
when he began to be suspected ana was