The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-08-16
A GIRLS APRON.


war, and the famous Confederate spy
who dressed as a woman and was
known as Sue Mundy figures in her mar
rative:
You know, all of mothers folks were
Oonfederates, while fathers people be- /
longed to the other side !
On account of this little apron the
spy, Sue Mundy, was suspected by the
Union soldiers of being a man and a
spy. will tell you about 1t.
The apron, you will notice, is made
of alternating stripes of red and white
and forms, as you see, the flag of seces-
sion. This stain here is witness to the
first meeting of my father and mother.
My mothers father was an officer in
the Confederate army. He was killed
in the beginning of the war, leaving
grandmother with three children, all
girls They lived on farm not far
from Fairfield, KY, and were fairly
we'll off. At the time mother made this
apron she was about 10 or 16. Her old
est sister had just come home from
boarding school, bringing friend with
u6T. Liz ITl6uQ LII QuOS0AOA was AOnS
other than Sue Mundy, who had come
for the express purpose of spying on the
Yankees, who were encamped short
distance from town. If l remember
rightly, the camp was the headquarters
of General Buell..
Mother says Sue Mundy was one Of
the most effeminate men she ever saw.
He was unusually slender for man,
and had small, delicately formed hands
and feet, an oval face, large black eyes
and long, ripping, dark brown hair.
He was also the possessor of a good So
prano voice.
He came prepared with an extensive
wardrobe and carried off his part of a
fashionable and fascinating young lady
to perfection. OF course my mother and
Miss Sue in time made the acquaintance
Of some of the officers stationed near
our town, one of whom became very
much infatuated with Miss Sue, and
baskets of fruit and flowers came al
most daily bearing his card
OF course, owing to the troubled
times, there was dearth of parties and
balls For amusement my aunt and
Miss Sue were in the habit of attending
the dancing class to which my mother
and her younger sister went one evening
of each week.
One evening before going to dancing
school mother made this apron and
wore it over her white dress for the
benefit of the Yankees who were GER
tain to be present About the middle
of the evening mother and Miss Sue
went into the smaller room for drink
Of water. A man bearing the bars of
sergeant on his arm was just raising
the dipper to his lips when mother said
mischievously
"a health to jeff Davis''
AS quick as a fash came the retort.
"Yes, miss, here's a health to your
apron while the contents of the Dip
per were dashed over that offending ar
ticle of attire.
At this insult to the southern colors
Miss Sue forgot that Drawn did not en-
ter into the make up of the young la
dies Of those days and gave the young
officer right handed blow which sent
him like log TO the floor, from which
he did not rise at once. When he did, it
was with graceful bow to his late as
sailant and an apology for his rudeness
to mother
After this the Yankees put their
heads together, and, remembering the
information which had gone to the
"Johnnies" concerning their forces,
Miss Sues aptitude at sketching and
on top of it all the knock out of the
young officer, they were convinced that
Miss Sue was not what she pretended to
be. A watch was kept on her move
ments
By the time of the next dancing les
son a plan was made for the escape of
Miss Sue from quarters that were be-
ginning to be rather warm for her.
Mother and my aunt went as usual to
the dancing class, and to all inquiries
concerning Miss Sue they replied that
she was at home with headache. In
reality that interesting young person
was booted and spurred and waiting
for the appointed time to dash by the
pickets and start on his 40 mile ride to
Louisville.
Near the end of the lesson there was
the sound of hurried footsteps on the
stairs and in a moment Sue Mundy
came hurriedly into the room. For some
reason there were no Yankees present.
In few words he told of how he had
tried to pass the pickets, had been fired
ON and had jumped from his horse and
hid in the bushes by the roadside and
saw the Yankees go by in hot pursuit
of his frightened horse, which was
making straight for the farm from
which it had been bought few days
before. Sue Mundy then waited till
their hoof beats grew faint, and then
under cover of the darkness he made
his way to the dancing school, Finding
the coast clear, he had come up, know
ing that all the dancing people were
southern sympathizers and would do all
they could for him.
They quickly formed their plans, the
only thing they could have done under
the circumstances. They had him lie
down under one of the benches at the
far end of the room, while two or three
of the girls sat directly over him and
spread their voluminous skirts SO as e
completely hide his recumbent figure.
In short time several Yankees came
In and stood talking near the door.
There was nothing in the appearance of
the room to indicate that there was
spy concealed. Two sets of young
folks were going through the stately
measures of the lancers, with the little
/ - vb@ kko
at the piano, nodding and calling the
figures to them. Down at the end Of
the room was group Of girls laughing
and talking. The music came to stop
and the dancers crowded around the
girls at the far end of the room. The
Yankees left, as the lesson was over.
Then Sue Mundy came from his hiding
place. Several of the girls took off
skirt apiece and rugged him out. With
cloak and fascinator he passed the Yam
KEGS at the foot of the stairs, got in
safety to the home of friend and in
the early morning eluded the pickets
and started on his ride for Louisville,
where he was captured and hanged as
spy.
1t was, believe, some time after
ward that this apron again met with an
adventure. One day two ragged, foot
sore Confederates came to grandmoth-
er's seeking food and shelter. They had
been cut off from their company, which
had passed through the adjacent coun-
try few days before. OF course they
were fed and were lodged in an out
| house.
They had not been long concealed
when grandmother got word that a
squad of cavalry who had been securing
the country for stragglers were headed
for her place. 1t was too late for the