The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-05-02
CHAPTER XIX.

6ne reader Will grasp Gno nelgnG, lengbn,
breadth and depth of that statement.
CHAPTER XIX.
CONCLUSION
The wooing and winning of Miss
Adele Eldridge by Captain Ledyard
Oakman would form a delightful story
of itself, but it is not our purpose to
dwell upon it. In due time he found
the necessary pretext for journsying
southwark, and when he presented him
self at the home of General Arthur FL
bridge he was warmly welcomed by the
old veteran, his stepson, Captain Tren-
holm, the latter's mother and lastly by
the young lady herself.
One piece of good fortune was in the
hands of the ex-Union officer. He pos
sessed abundant means. His southern
friends, like the vast majority in that
section, were impoverished by the war.
Oakman could not offer them pecuniary
help, but he did persuade Captain Tren-
holm to join him in business venture
in which the knowledge and experience
of the ex-Confederate formed fair
offset to the capital invested by Oak
man. Then, too, valuable iron deposit
was located on the plantation of Gener-
al Eldridge, which, being developed, the
soldier, before he was aware, found him
self in comfortable circumstances. And
then the wedding followed in due
course.
| But several years passed before the
happy husband dared to tell the happy
wife the secret of that first visit of his
to the old plantation in Georgia.
1t is a fact which may not be general
ly known that among the most valuable
spies in the south were numbers Of
northern women who went thither and
engaged in teaching when it became
clear that war would soon break out be-
tween the sections.
This statement was made to me by
General Sherman himself, and in my
sketch of that great Union leader ]
have given typical incident as it fell
from his lips. One of the most daring
and valuable female spies was Marian
Hartman, from New England. As hai
been stated elsewhere, she secured an
engagement as governess and compan.
ion in the family Of General Eldridge,
with the real purpose Of gathering In
formation for the Union armies. Gen.
eral Sherman knew her exact location,
and when he started on his march from
Atlanta to the sea and approached he,
neighborhood he detached Lieutenant
Oakman and one of his scouts to com.
municate with Miss Hartman and
bring back whatever she might have te
send to him.
Previous to the visit Of the officer
Sam Borland, the scout, appf;sed her oi
the situation, SO that she was expecting
the visit of the lieutenant. The two
knew each other when they met, and il
will be conceded that they played theil
parts we'll The woman was SO bitter IL
her sentiments that she was rebuked BY
Mrs. Eldridge and her daughter. She re
fused to remain under the same rooi
with the Union officer, which was &
convenient arrangement, since 1t gave
her the opportunity she needed to carry
out her farreaching schemes. She made
her home with Mrs Benware and hel
sister, they being the only two persons
in that section whom she trusted witt
her secret. Thus located only few
miles distant, she was able to NEE
Oakman now and then secretly ani
maintain perfect understanding will
him.
Her well known sympathies enabled
her to gain the confidence of several O.
the Confederate leaders, from whom sh,
l &c
proved her nerve by riding consider
able distance to their headquarters, ant
through arts intuitive with her sex sh,
wove together in the form of drawingl
and memoranda on the sheet Of papel
that which Lieutenant Oakman declared
General Sherman would pay fortun,
to obtain.
The chief difficulty with the femal.
spy was to get the paper to the UnioI
commander. 1t was imprudent for hel
to undertake it's delivery, and the visit
of Oakman to that secticn, therefore
was to secure it from her.
1t will be understood that when b,
was captured in the home of Mrs. Ben
ware the call was close one, not only
for himself, but for Miss Hartman
Had the all important document beer
discovered, it inevitably would hav'
been traced to her, despite every effor
of the young man, and it often happens
in time of war that the sex Of q spy
does not render her an ''immune."
The legerdemain used ON that occa
sion would have done credit to the lat,
Hermann. Lieutenant Oakman passet
L The document to Miss Hartman, ant
she, in the most natural manner con
ceivable, stood just behind and at hi
side, denouncing him in scathing terms
And the feat was accomplished unde
the eyes Of the squad of irregular guer
rillas, eagerly seeking an excuse for tax