The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-05-19

CROSSED THE POTOMAC AT NIGHT.
the old capitol prison, before they
ever reached their destination. 1t was
by this method that the Vaccinations
of the Knights of the Golden Circle
and other secret societies in the in
terest of the confederacy were watched.
When Stanton was made secretary
of War, Col. Wood was at once called
to the war department, where a COM
prehensive commission was given him
in iStanton's own handwriting, to have
full charge of the prison without in
reference from the military author
tiles, except in a general way. Wood
organized about 40 of his friends early
in April, 1861, into a company of
scouts. He always asserted that he.
with ten of his scouts. was the first
armed party of federals that invaded
southern territory. He often crossed
the Potomac at night with ten or
dozen of these scouts. loaded down
with firearms and ammunition, for the
purpose of annoying the confederate
pickets stationed along the Potomac
around Arlington Heights, by keeping
up fusillade sufficient to make them
think whole regiment was coming.
Probably the most notable feat that
Col. Wood performed was the exchange
of civilian prisoners of the federals
and confederates at Richmond, Va,
and Salisbury, N. c. Many prisoners
of southern sympathies, natives of
Washington, Maryland and Virginia,
had been confined for long terms in
the old capitol prison and Carroll place,
while the same was true of outspoken
federal symDathizers in Richmond and
confederate prisoners were placed
aboard the steamer John A. Warner,
under a small guard of the famous
Pennsylvania bucktails, with Col.
Wood in charge.
Although John A. Warner was
stopped for a time by the United
States military authorities on the
ground that Col. Wood had no author
ity to proceed with his prisoners, he
soon took matters into his own hands,
armed the prisoners, cowed the guards,
and, getting steam up, proceeded to-
ward Richmond, in spite of all orders.
When Col. Wood was at Salisbury a
general telegraphed to Stanton COM
planning of Woods actions, and stat
ing that he would not obey orders.
Stanton telegraphed back IF he does
not obey orders. shoot him on the
spot" quoting Dix's famous flag or
ders in a sarcastic way.
Wood made several trips to Rich
mond during the civil war. either on
secret service or for Lincoln.
He always said he was the only per-
son who knew the whole of the inside
history of the Booth conspiracy against
Lincoln. AT first it consisted only of a
crazy plan to kidnap Lincoln and take
him to Richmond. This plan was con-
cocted at a meeting place in board
ing house on the corner of f and
Ninth streets, northwest; here, in
which Col Wood rented a room for a
number of months, where he OCCASION
ally slept or employed some one else
to do so, in order to keep watch upon
the proceedings. One of the maddest
of the crowd that met here was one
Payne, a Mosby guerrilla, who had
been captured and brought to Wash
ington.
Payne took the oath of allegiance to
the United States and quit the guer-
rilla business. so he was discharged
from the old Capitol prison with ex-
change, and remained in Washington
Their plans for the. capture of Lincoln
were always known in advance, and
their designs were thwarted.
According to Col. Woods narrative,
the nlot to assassinate Lincoln was
not &c hours old when Booth carried
it out. He believed that Booth grew
tired of the kidnapping plans, and sud q.
denly hit uron assassination.
Wood obtained the confessions Of
Mrs. Sarratt and Payne He always
maintained that Mrs. Sarratt was inno-
cent Of any part in the conspiracy.