The National tribune., 1900-08-30
AUGUST

same as my Subjects" did long ago in
Portsmouth, Va. But who shall explain?
| The following morning l had an inter-
view with Maj Drake in room of the
hotel, and he was utterly astoundcd at my
disclosures regarding his confidential clerk.
When | informed the Ma jor that his clerk
would visit me at my room the following
night, he suggested that two or three
armed soldiers should be placed in the
bushes on the edge of the garden, immc>
diatcly under the rear window of my room,
some eight or ten feet away, and if he
showed that he had become suspicious Of
me or seemed to exhibit n threatening or
| ugly disposition toward me. that | should
| Immediately place the lighted candle in
! the window. and that would he signal
! for the soldiers to rush to my room ana
arrest him then and there: but the Ma jor
thought it would be best to effect his ar
rest as he was escaping from the post, so
that the drawings Of the fort and sur
rounding country might be found on his
| person. and this suggestion was carried
out. The Major informed me that every
road was guarded, but TIE footpath that
led over Il narrow bridge near the Quarter
masters stables had not heretofore been
guarded, but would lie, and | was directed
to learn from the spy the route he would
take and the tiYe when he would make
his exit from the post.
LAST INTERVIEW WITH THE SPY.
That night the spy promptly arrived at
my room, and at once carefully locked the
door and seated himself at Tie table with
me. In whisper he said TO me: Now,
let me see your drawings of The fort and
post and | will exhibit mine From a
small valiSc / at once produced my sketch,
when we placed it upon the table in front
of us for examination. L had only the
sketch of Fort Piano. the surrounding
roads, the railway and the gap at the
southern end of Piano Mountain leading
toward Moorciicld, in West Virginia.
Merton was much pleased with my
sketch, and remarked that it was much
like his, but that / had given the New
Creek Valley road, which he had neglect
ed to place in his sketch, and he added,
You had best give me your sketch to take
with me, and | want to say To you now
that | shall leave the post for the South
tomorrow night at about 8 o'clock. /
have every arrangement made, and have
n key which / fashioned to fit the Quar-
termasters stables. | have had it in my
possession some two weeks, have tried it
at night, and unlocked the stable door
and locked it again.
I'VE understand each other perfectly"
he added: ''and, now, when do you expect
to leave!"
/ replied that / should go in a few days
to Cumberland. now that the road was
again open, it having been closed for sew.
cral weeks owing to the rebel invasion of
Maryland. He replied: "Hou had best 90
soon, as / am perfectly satisfied that
you have been suspected during the past
few days. j overheard part of n convcr-
sation to that effect between the Major
and another officer; besides. the Major has
intimated to me that you were suspected,
from several circumstances, of being
Confederate spy, and you have been
watched for several days" l replied that
/ had good reason to rely on his statement,
and would act at once.
What route are you going tomorrow
night?" / asked.
He replied, with the utmost readiness:
Il shall take the horse from the Quarter
masters stable and pass over the foot
bridge just beyond, then take the fOot-path
to the right on the full run, as there is no
guard on the path; they are all on the
other roads, as | know"
He further informed me that he should
make his way to the Shenandoah Valley
near Harrisonburg. / asked him if he
knew Gen. Imboden, and he replied that
he did
When he left the room I gave him my
drawing of the fort. l may add that his
pencil sketch of the post was much su-
perior to mine in artistic excellence; it
was clear to me that the spy was me-
chanical draughtsman among his other ac-
complishments.
After he had gone stepped to the win
dow overlooking the garden and soon dis
covered the three gittering bayonets just
above the rose bushes that bordered the
path leading past my window. l had had
no occasion to call them by movement
of my candle.
The next morning early the Major
called, and after locking the door / de-
tailed to him everything in connection with
myself and the spy, whereat the Major
was more astOunded than ever, and said
that he thought he now could account for
many strange happenings on the border
since Meerton's arrival there, and it was
impossible for him to escape. \ special
guard would be at once placed on the foot
path beyond the narrow bridge, scattered
along near the path. and he would be cap
tured alive if possible. Such orders had
been given.
A DASH FOR LIFE.
The next morning Maj Drake rushed
into my room and announced the capture
of the spy by 4 squad OF some half-dozen
soldiers on the footpath nearly 100 yards
beyond the little bridge. The Major in
formed me that the stable door was pur-
posely unlocked. and at about . o'clock
at mSnt tile nal1-uOZen soldiers stationed
just on the edge of the footpath heard
faint noise toward the little bridge. The
spy had carefully walked his horse over
the foot bridge, and had then come flying
with the speed of an arrow directly toward
them, and when he was about 40 yards
from them four of the soldiers sprang into
the path, covered him with their rifles and
loudly called to him to halt, while the 9th
er two covered him with their rifles from
the edge Of the bushes lining the foot
path.
The spy still continued in his wild
flight, and for the moment seemed deter
mined to take his chances with the sol
diers, and perhaps ride them down in his
mad flight. The captOrs of the spy de-
tailed to me the closing picturesque and
rather dramatic scene. The stars were
shining only as the spy flew toward them,
and they all had him covered, and though |
they were loudly calling to him to halt. |
halt. he dashed on at full speed up in front
of their very faces, when the soldiers, with |
their loud shouts and their glittering bayo- |
nets in the starlight, frightened the horse |
so that he first SHE'D suddenly and sharply |
and the spy nearly lost his balance, as the |
horse then reared on his hind legs with |
his fore feet literally mingling with the |
soldiers guns and bayonet-points. A graph |
ic scene, indeed, and told by the soldiers |
in n dramatic aGd graphic manner. aided |
by the Sergeant i'm command Of tho Sn,,I