The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-11-10

tWenty-One; ana the governor OF Ner-
mont offered reward of $4,000 for
the capture of the Confederates, dead
or alive But they all reached Canada
in safety, bringing with them the
$4,000. There, however, thirteen OF
them were arrested and prosecuted for
violation of the neutrality laws.
Among the eight men who escaped ar
rest was Colonel Young. But hearing
of the fate of his comrades, he deter
mined to share their peril, as he had
led them into danger, and as lawyer,
by profession, lie felt he could assist in
their defense; so he coolly walked into
Montreal and gave himself up. The
United States Government prosecuted
| the prisoners, now fourteen in number,
and the contention was made that the
raid was an act of private robbery and
the prisoners robbers.
This punishment, it was understood,
would be death by hanging. Colonel
Young, and those who spoke for the
| defense, maintained that the raid was
an act OF war, planned by the Confed-
crate Government, and the prisoners,
as soldiers of the Confederacy obeying
orders, could not be reached 10y any
such penalty. Now, indeed, was
needed the agency ofthe secret service.
IT was necessary to produce the evil
dence to prove the facts Colonel y oung
stated So from Canada to Richmond
and again from Richmond to Canada,
the trusted agents were put swiftly
and silently to work to get the all-im-
portant documents carried back and
forth. The Rev. Mr.. Stewart had the
direction of the matter Now in Can
ada and now in Virginia, he put the
wires in motion, and selected the in
struments for their delicate manipula-
| tion He went to Cedar Grove" to
consult with his friends there as to Sc
curing an agent in Maryland. The
Stuarts told him of a young girl i'll
Charles county whose only brother had
gone into the Confederate Army and
had been killed in battle in Virginia,
and who, living alone with her mother
on the border of the river, devoted all
her time and energies to working for
the Confederacy, as opportunities were
offered She was clear-headed and
loyal enough to dare all risks in the
achievement of her patriotic purposes,
| for she loved the SoXth and it's cause
| with all Confederate woman fervent
devotion. The ladies name was Miss
Olivia Floyd, and she lived at "Rose
Hill, an old colonial house near the
village of Port Tobacco.
Mr.. Stewart went to see her, and
gave her her Instructions This was
in the latter part of October, and Mr.
Stewart told Miss Floyd that in Decem-
ber messenger would be sent to her
from Canada, and his password would
be "Have you any land to sell?' To
this she was to reply" Il have" So in
December a stranger made his appear
ance at "Rose Hill," saying that be
was Canadian, and that his name was
Williams. Soon after he turned to
Miss Floyd with the words, ''Have you
any land TO sell?'' Then she knew this
was the messenger, so she replied, II
have" Mr.. Williams then said, "Y ou
are Miss Floyd, and | have something
i'll this cane for You" 1t vas large
policeman's cane VIII a whistle ut the
top, and Mr.. Williams told how, in the
stage, as he came along, Federal off
Ger who was travelling with him had
taken the cane in his hand, blowing on
the whistle. Locking the dools of the
room so as to be unseen by the SER
wants, piece of long wire was given
Mr.. Williams by Mrs. Floyd, at his re-
quest, and with this he took off the
ferule at the bottom of the cane. pro-
dCcing the papers that were to be sent
Oh to Richmond The weather was
then very cold AMI the Potomac was
frozen over. Miss Floyd had been in
structcd that she was to 90 to the cross
ing where Mr.. Grymes, the trusted
agent of Rev. Mr.. Stewart, lived, and
on no account trust her precious papers
with any other person. This was
distance tf 10 miles from Rose HILL"
So she concealed her documents in her
hair. which, as was then the fashion.
was covered hy curly net, and mount
ing her horse rode the 10 miles on a
bitter cold evening, finding, when she
arrived. to Der great relief, that the
man was to cross the river that very
night. She delivered the papers into
ais hand and rode home, nearly frozen.
Mr. W ,liams remained at Rose Hill"
to wait ior the answer from Richmoad,
and two weeks passed away before it
came.
In the meantime another messenger
arrived from Montreal, bringing more
documents. These were written on
white silk with invisible ink, and could
only be read by holding them to the
fire. The gentleman who brought
them had them sewed in the back of