Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-03-03
J TOM MARSHALL CAPTURE !
One of the Adventures of Col. Baker In
the Civil War.

confederate scout by the name OF Mar
shall, known Familiarity as Tom Mar
shall, himself well know by his success
in penetrating the union lines, was COM
uniting depredations, and obtaining
information of our movements for the
use of the south. His exploits in this
capacity were of the most audacious
character, and every effort that had been
made toward his capture had signally
failed. Various ingenious plans had
been laid to circumvent him, but he had
baff1ed all such attempts by his own
cunning and courage. He would very
frequently come into the heart of Wash
ington in open daylight, leave some in
dubitable evidence of his presence, and
escape just in time to do so with safety;
having, in some mysterious manner,
gone back and forth through our lines
and so disguised himself that his iden-
tity had not for moment been sus-
pected.
Col. Baker, who had heard much Of
the doings of this scout, was one day
listening to a recital of one of his fear
less adventures of the day before in en-
tering Washington.
When the story was told Col. Baker
said:
eff Tom Marshall can get into Wash
ington and go back to Berk's Station I
can go to Berk's Station and bring Tom
Marshall with me to Washington"
Col. Baker got upon his horse and
rode down in Virginia. The army ex-
tended across Balls Cross Roads, and
some distance down the Leesburg rail-
road. Gen. Blenker's forces were at
the outskirts doing picket duty. Berk's
Station was 10 miles from Alexandria,
and it was from this place that Marshall
was known most frequently to come.
His house was only a short distance out
into the confederate country. The
southerners were running the cars as
far as Berk's Station, and had tele-
graph office there in the depot. Col.
Baker passed ON horseback through
federal pickets with no very great diff
ficulty, and rode on to grove of pines
within about two miles of Berk's Sta
ton, and between the pickets Of the
two armies. He then put on confed-
crate Jacket and slouched hat which
partly concealed his face. he was eff
fectually disguised, and had the general
appearance of a confederate soldier
He tied his horse TO a tree in a dense
forest of pines, and walked deliberately
into the village. He strolled leisurely
into the railroad depot and listened to
the conversation of the people around
about. There were about 1900 south
ern troops in the vicinity, and numbers
of these were lounging about the place.
The colonel entered into conversation
with one of the confederates, who said
his name was 10, and went with the SOL
der upstairs to the telegraph office,
which was in the second story of the
building. The room was full ofsouthern
officers and soldiers, and the colonel
was not noticed except as one OF them.
He had been there about half an hour,
when, happening to be near the tele-
graph apparatus, which was in one cor
ner of the room, he heard the operator
call out:
"Where is Capt. Ritchie?"
The captain came forward, and the
operator handed him a dispatch. He
glanced over it a moment, and then
called the attention of the soldiers pres
ent while he read it to them. They
pressed forward to hear it-Col. Baker
among the rest. 1t was dispatch from
the provost marshal at Manassas, stat
ing that information had been received
that a northern spy had passed through
the lines and was supposed to be at or
near Berk's Station. A full, though not
very accurate description of Col. Baker
was given, and every effort VIZ urged
for his capture.
"Wen get Tom Marshall out" said
one of the soldiers, land he can find
the Yankee if anybody cam"
Col. Baker took his cue from this.
He caught 10 by the shoulder and
looked as though he thought OF some
thing important.
"Pil bet anything" said he, chat 1
know where that fellow is. AS I was
cut near the line 1 saw man sneaking
among the pines who answers this de-
scription. didn't think anything of it
at the time, but now 1 call it to mind,
that must be the very spy they are
watching for"
Lets 90 after him." said 10.
"He must be pretty well armed" said
Col. Baker. Suppose we get Tom Mar
shall to go along with us"
That's just the ida-a," said 10.
Col. Baker went part of the way to
Marshalrs house and sent 10 on to call
him out. Marshall was at home, and
had heard from some soldiers who had
just stopped at his house that search
was being made for spy. When 10
told him that there was man outside
who had seen the Yankee his spirit OF
adventure took possession of him, and
buckling ON the belt containing his six
shooter he came out and met Col.
Baker.
The latter greeted him as though he
knew him, and gave him minute part1c-
ulars of where he had seen the supected
person he had mentioned to 10, and ex-
planned wherein the description coin
cided. he was careful to color the de-
scription a little differently from that
which was read at the station, lest Mar
shall might notice that his informant
answered it rather closely.
They took their way across the t1elds'
nearly in the direction of Col. Bakers
horse-Marshal very vigilant to all
that was going on about him, and Col.
Baker, though apparently watchful for
the Yankee spy, busily occupied with
plans for Marshall's capture.
Marshall was a stalwart man nearly
six feet high, weighing perhaps $50
r------~-- a 100
NEu