The National tribune., 1900-01-18
GEN. GRANTS SPIES.
One of His Trusted Staff Officers
Writes Interestingly of Them.
By EX-SENATOR HARMON W. BROWN.


Many histories of the civil war hav
been written-good, bad, and Indifferent
What has been known as history In many
cases was only camp rumors, prejudice
and malice combined, and now read a.
authentic history. Famous commanders
have written of their campaigns, and the
details of battles, marches, and sieges have
been given by hundreds of writers. Thus
In the aggregate, we have much valuable
information bearing on that great struggle
for supremacy. One feature of the civil
war, or what might be termed branch
of the army service, was the Secret Service
or, to apply name that has no redeemlng
sound, the spy system.
This branch of the service has no his.
torian except in isolated cases for some
particular raid or district. l mean. such a
history as would detail the service and the
great events OF the four years of strife.
One reason this history was not written was
because so few men lived to write it that
had any knowledge of the service. Many
newspaper articles have appeared, but
many Of them were only creations and
fictitious. I illustrate the fact that
few men lived to write this history that had
knowledge of the facts connected with the
service by saying that the well-known
reticence of the great soldier, Gen. Grant,
prevented any one from writing the history
of his Secret Service. and with his death
IDo ONLY source Ol was ClNocu
He could not write such. a history, and
would not be expected to do so; but if such
a work had been published, the thousands
of readers would think romance and fiction
had been outdone. Many persons who
were in his employ, or under his direction,
could have given their own particular
experience; but to mention names, places,
and facts would i'll many instances have
been hazardous, even after the return OF
peace.
Having been assigned to duty at Gen.
Grants headquarters shortly after he had
been promoted TO the command of the
Western Department, and as part of my
duties was connected with his Secret Serv-
ice, / had the opportunity to know and
learn much of the service, and the persons
connected Herewith.
So closely guarded was this branch of
the service by Gen. Grant, that only one
person Of his large staff knew the men
engaged, and that was Gen. Rawlins, the
Chief of Staff and confidant. | can not
recall a single instance in which he refers
to this branch of the service in any report
or communication to the War Department,
or to the President. | translated many
letters TO Secretary Stanton, and to corps
commanders. but he never referred to the
source of his information when giving
them his views and upon what he based
his orders
Often when officers or civilians were
pltSellb Nutu ii spy, fS We MAY Cttil IIitIl,
was in the Generals room or tent. no recog-
milton took place between the General and
the visitor. Many times / have been
present when the Secret Service men would
be brought in under arrest, and while l
knew them, would not under any circum-
stances recognize them. After diSmissing
the officer or guard, the General would
be mot at home to anybody until the spy
would be disposed of. The p1an he most
depended upon had no equal in the service
end his periodical visits and messages
sent through his assistants were anxiously
awaited.
Many times he could not get away from
certain places without creating suspicion,
and had to resort to other means, and
employ help to carry information. Some
times simple request by a negro, not I'M
derstood by the bearer, would be inter-
preted to mean valuable information.
The arrest Of spy in Gen. Grants service
by the Colonel of a Kansas cavalry regi
ment, after hard chase, entitled the Colo
mel to the thanks he received, and was told
that this was the man that Gen. Grant had
been looking for. When some weeks later
to headquarters, he wondered how the
spy had escaped, but the General told
him his Provost-Marshal would attend tc
him. The Colonel related to his fellow
officers how the Commanding General had
complimented him. Two days later I
ANuO WIN tiIc SpS W tIt
and saluted the Colonel, as the spy was
ordered beyond our lines; but the Colonel
did not penetrate the disguise. The next
visit to headquarters brought the sketch
OF Vlcksburg and Jackson intrenchments
and other details, but not drawn to scale
or written out
1t required some time to translate an
arrange the mass of apparently trifiing
stuff. The condition of the railroads. |
engines, and cars, the time required tomove |
troops from certain points, etc, were among |
the many things investigated. In this |
connection, and on this particular trip, the |
spy met the Superintendent Of one of the |
railroads, and explained his mission to |
examine the road and equipment, and report |
to authorities at Richmond. Many read
ers of history remember one Of the greatest |
cavalry raids ever made-that by Gen.
Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana,
destroying everything in reach. Gen. |
Grant was moving on Vicksburg, and |
this raidwas Of greathelp TO him; and, long
before, the spy had furnished information
concerning the railroads that would supply
vicksburg with troops. Some time after
the events mentioned, the Railroad Super
intendent, being III Gen. Grants service,
met the spy at headquarters, and the ex-
preston on his face indicated more than
surprise. Norecognition took place. but as
soon as the spy had departed with {. pass to
d.
the railroad man told the General that a
Confederate spy had Just departed and /
was assured that he would be oyerhauled
at the picket line.
Previously three men had volunteered
TO go to Vicksburg and get plans of de-
Tense, number of troops, and other details;
but they never returned; where they went,
or how they fared, was never known. Per
hapS their graves are marked unknown"
The spy in question carried medicines to
the Confederate soldiers in Eicksburg, and
the men never doubted the story that he
told them that friends in Memphis had sent
them, but he did not know their names.
While in their camp his eyes We're always
open, and when we captured the Gibraltar
OF the West, his measurements and loca-
lions were proven wonderfully correct.
Yet he never knew that they had been
verified by. another man and almost at
the same time.
While occupying Judge Lamar's house
az oxford, Miss, the house being left in
charge Of negro servants, was one night
lying upon the floor with two or three
candles near, trying 10 read some papers
Just received. In the next yard head
quarters guards We're walking hack
and forth, and the General peacefully
sleeping after a hard days ride The
hour was about midnight, when | heard
q challenge, and a reply that some member
Of the staff be called. / went 10 the gate
and recognized the voice of a cavalry Off
Ger, and gave him my name. la the dark
ness could not recognize q prisoner, but
upon invitation to come into my room, the
gaard and prisoner walked in, and at once
recognized Gen. Grants spy. ] told the
OFFICER that would go at once and put the
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