Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-07-10
others were looking at 1t closely.


For some minutes there was con-
versation on my slate concerning why
l had no pass in the Confederate lines,
whence L came, and where L was going.
1 could see it was all done to disarm me
of any fear l had
An officer came forward and said:
This poor mute looks tired. It's a
shame to keep him here Then turning
to me he smilingly said, Are you hun
gry?"
1t was a pretty ruse, but I simply
stared at his epaulets.
Then he tried to make me pale, and it
was a frightful test.
l was given a seat while Gen. Smith
turned to other business, apparently for
getful of me. The other officers sat near
me and smoked and chatted. Presently
they began talking about some new or
ders that had been issued to hang every
federal spy Immediately upon conviction.
They talked about how two spies that
had been hanged two days previously
had acted as they squirmed in death,
and how the officers were looking for
more spies to hang ON the same spot. Ny
brain was in a whrl Everything swan
before my eyes, but 1 sat with my face
rules of camp on the tent wall before
me.
More whispering followed. I wrote on
my slate: 81 am hungry and tired. Why
do you keep me here?'
A Colonel wrote: I'VE think you are
deceiving us. If you are it will be death
to you" He watched my face is l read
the lines.
time getting living in this war. 1 am
with the confeds with all my soul. Please
may l go?"
In an hour I was taken to shanty-
like affair and locked in. A young man
in federal uniform was lying on the
floor when 1 entered. He rose, and look
ing at me, said, MY goodness, gracious,
have they got you, too?"
1 looked vacantly at him. I wrote
that L was mute.
Then the stranger laughed and said:
"Oh, it. won't do you any good to keep
that trick up longer. We're going to die
together as Union SPIES and why not
be resigned to it? l was caught day be-
fore yesterday, and I've been sentenced
to be hanged. Now they'll wait for you
to go with me. Ha, ha, We'll show the
rebs how Yankee boys can die game,
won't we?"
1t was a trying moment, and l did
want to open my heart and mouth to
such a jolly federal man., while my case
seemed pretty hopeless 1 could not tell
what opinion the men at Gen. Smiths
headquarters had formed of my actions.
1 wrote on my slate that l was a mute,
and that it was useless to try to COM
municate with me except by signs or
writing. But the stranger talked right
along, and tried to appeal to my love
for the Union cause He would suddenly
fling very natural question at me-
Along in the middle of the night when
I was purposely breathing deep and reg
ularly, 1 heard someone enter. 1t was
pitch dark. 1 was all attention, but still
/ breathing deep. 1 heard pistol drawn
from his holster. Crash, bang! The
weapon was fired an inch above my face.
1t seemed as if lightning had struck me.
AT the same moment dark lantern
was flashed in my face and my coun-
tenance studied.
l slowly opened my eyes at the light
and rolled over as if to go to sleep.
The pseudo Union soldier went out
with the Confederates. 1 could hear
them whispering about me and what
reason there was to suspect me a spy.
At o'clock next morning I was led to
| the cook tent and given a meal My
! satchel was restored TO me- A colonel
came and shook me by the hand. He
| looked over my few remaining soaps, ETC.,
and bought 8. little. Then turning to me,
he asked: How much are these?" I be-
| lieve my lower jaw did move. / was
caught off my guard for trice. But I
never spoke, and the colonel was not
| looking at my face.
| He wrote me a pass in the lines about
| Jackson, and just as he handed 1t to me
/ he turned and said: Let me see that
/ again. My hand almost moved to obey
! such an agreeable gentleman. but in
stead 1 folded the paAr and started on
| my way out of caz knowing that I
| was watched covert " scores of eyes.
| reached the G Gulf at dawn on
May IL. I was Il for the informa-
| ton had ga Nv army, and a
month later eutenant in my
| company.
| OF the a. pt as spies at
| that time red and three
i were ha1 vas shot dead
by q se Jef1ords. in
San Ers