The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-08-03
CHAPTER XIX.
CONCLUSION

CHAPTER XIX.
CONCLUSION.
The wooing and winning Of Miss
Adele Eldridge by Captain Ledyard
Oakman would form delightful story
OF itself, but it is not our purpose to
dwell upon it.. In due time he found
the necessary pretext for journeying
southwark, and when he presented him
self at the hCme of General Arthur FL
drldge he was warmly welcomed by the
old veteran, his stepson, Captain Tren-
holm, the latter's mother and lastly by
the young lady herself
Ope 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 a 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.
It is fact which may not be general
~ 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 nv
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 has
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 her
neighborhood he detached Lieutenant
Oakman and one of his scouts to COM
municate with Miss Hartman and
bring back whatever she might have to
send to him.
Previous to the visit of the officer,
Sam Borland. the scout, appr;sed her of
the situation, so that she was expecting
the visit Of the lieutenant The two
knew each other when they met, and it
will be conceded that they played their
parts we'll The woman was so bitter in
her sentiments that she was rebuked by
Mrs. Eldridge and her daughter. She re-
fused to remain under the same roof
with the Union officer, which was a
convenient arrangement. since it gave
her the opportunity she needed to carry
out her farreaching schemes. She made
her home with Mrs. Benware and her
sister. they being the only two persons
in that section whom she trusted with
her secret. Thus located only few
miles distant, she was able to meet
Oakman now and then secretly and
maintain perfect understanding with
him. .-.. s.. -,-.
Her well known sympathies enabled
her to gain the confidence of several of
the Confederate leaders, from whom she
obtained valuable information. She
proved her nerve by riding a consider
able distance to their headquarters, and
through arts intuitive with her sex she
wove together in the form Of drawings
and memoranda on the sheet of paper
that which Lieutenant Oakman declared
General Sherman would pay fortune
to obtain. -.' ...-@-
The chief difficulty with the female
spy was to get the paper to the Union
commander. It was imprudent for her
to undertake its delivery, and the visit
OF Oakman to that section. therefore,
was to secure it from her,
1t will be understood that when he
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 been
discovered, 1t inevitably would have
been traced to her. despite every effort
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 late
q HERMANN Lieutenant Oakman passed