The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-03-09

visited him whenever opportunity Of
fered, and this was a good excuse for
me to get out of camp. l got permits
sion from my captain to go, and in
hunting up the Seventh Virginia /
took care to miss it and cover the whole
front and have look at guns and for
tificaIions. ! found Winslow at last,
bat his greeting was far from cordial.
The two mad evidently quarreled about
something on which was not posted.
He was 50 sulky aud unfriendly that
was about 10 cut my visit short when
he gave me a searching look and ex-
claimed:
why, you are not John Wakefield
at allr'
"Then who am u" 1 asked, with a
laugh.
II don't know, but you are certainly
not my cousin John. You look like
him, but you are not he"
1t was queer that he alone should
have suspected me, but something in
my speech, walk or look warned him
that was counterfeit. 1 laughed at
him in good natured way, hoped l
would find him in a better humor
when / called again and started for my
regiment, but had not gone quarter
of mile when | was overtaken, put
under arrest and an hour later was once
more in the presence of General Ma
hone.
am sure that the general had doubt
ed me from the first. Indeed, after the
war he told me as much and added
that he was not quite satisfied even
when my captain so thoroughly identi-
fled me. / was followed to his tent by
Winslow, who boldly proclaimed that
was not John Wakefield.
Then ali the officers and half a dozen
men Of the company, including my
terminate, were sent for, and the gen
eral heartily entered upon the work OF |
trapping me. Ny life was the stake |
being played for, and, though l was
terribly anxious as TO the outcome. as
you may believe, believe displayed |
all the coolness and nerve which my |
best friend could have hoped for.
Every officer and every man prompt
ly identified me ssIohn Wakefield, but |
to Offset this Winslow said that his !
cousin had a scar on the neck, which /,
could not be found on me. / denied I
the scar, and then my captain was re-
quested to ask me certain questions 1
which the general suggested or wrote l
out In reply 1 gave the christian 4
name of father, mother and sister, as
well as number of uncles, aunts and |
cousins. / gave the names of many /
streets in Montgomery, Ala, the names
of many families, the situation of the
statehouse, the Exchange hotel, police !
station, etc. L told the part taken by !
my regiment in various battles and /
skirmishes, and related funny Incl
dent connected with nay enlistment |
which Captain Thorn clearly remem-
bered.
l had pumped John Wakefield so
thoroughly and so plainly remembered |
everything, that believe passed the |
examination fully as well as or better /
than he could. General Malone had !
only one peg to hang hope on after /
putting me through my PAGES for full |
two hours. My terminate was sure 1 |
was John Wakefield, and yet was bit |
strange since my return to the COM |
pany. L oid not use tobacco any longer, !
and he had not heard me swear, though |
| had been addicted to both vices before |
my capture. / claimed that had re-
solved to let tobacco alone, as it was af-
fecting my health, and had quit swear |
ing in gratitude over my escape.
The general was satisfied, aud yet |
unsatisfied. He acknowledged that my |
officers and comrades ought to know |
me after being together for a year, but !
added that there was no great hurry to \
dispose of the case, and sent me to the l
guardhOuse. At the end Of two days L |
was escorted back to his headquarters, 1
and he played his last card la his tent |
was a soldier dressed in Federal uni |
form, whom / took to be a deserter. |
There were also two men dressed as !
civilians, but believe they were Con-
feoerate soldiers temporarily disguised. |
The general had two letters and a tele-
gram before him, and as I stood at at
tention he looked up and said:
"Wcll, my Yankee lad, you are pretty /
sharp, and have stuck by your story,
but you might as well make a clean
breast of it now. You see this deserter
from your lines, these citizens from
Montgomery, these written proofs that
You are not John Wakefield?"
"Who do you want me to be-" L
asked.
AZ want your right name and the
story Of how you got into our lines. |
You are a spy, and hanging is the pen
atty, but, owing to your youth, We may
decide to treat you as prisoner of war"
| declared that / was John Wake
field, and asked him to remember that /
all my company had fully identified
me, and expressed my Willingness to
face any new proofs he might have to
the contrary. He leaned back in his
chair and looked me straight in the
eyes for moment, and knew he was
beaten man. He did not call up the
men or read the letters, as they had
been prepared" for the occasion, and
could not have helped him out After
what seemed fully ten minutes to me
he quietly said:
''Well, perhaps a mistake has been
made. You can return to your regi-
mentv
Ny two arraignments before General
Malone made me an object Of curiosity
and gossip iu my company, and when
returned it was to find all the men
anxious to quiz me, and two or three OF
them seemingly suspicious. The cap /
tain called me into his tent and ques-
toned and cross-questioned me until he
declared that nobody but a fool coul1
have taken me for any one else. put
the men off by pretending to be angry,