Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-12-14
PLAYING
THE SPY
Copyright, 1904, by t. G. Mcclure. !

LOSPJ AbAS, AvVx, Ny L ~. 4nCIluTSl
While Sheridan and Early were fac
ing each other in the Shenandoah val
ley Federal soldier named Sid Davis
was sent into the lines of the latter to
secure information. He took with him
peddlers pack and claimed to be a
civilian and a resident Of Virginia, and
his excuse for not being in the Confed-
crate army was that he was physically
incapacitated by heart disease. On
penetrating the enemy's lines he was
taken before General Early, who ques-
toned him at length and seemed salts
fed with his answers. AS he left the
tent however, he encountered private
soldier who was lying in wait for him
and who shook fist in his face and
said:
'Say, Yank, yo' fooled the gineral,
but yO' can't play it over me. YO' are
a dodgasted Yankee spy, and I'll prove
it before yo' leave campv'
The Confederate was a rough speci-
men of the soldier, having a saber cut
across his face and an aggressive man
ner of speech, but why he should dis
play such malevolence toward a stran-
ger Sid could not make out.
"Are you drunk, or what that you
call me a Yankee spy?" clustered Sid
as three or four Of the mans comrades
came up and seemed inclined to make
trouble.
mo, I'm not drunk, and 1 saw yo' in
the Union camp at Charlestown last
spring when l was a prisoner of war
there" was the answer.
Nonsense, man If you have got
any charges to make against me, go to
tie general. If he is satisfied that am
all right, it's not for you to kick"
81 say yo are Yankee spy, and 1
say I'll prove it and have yo' hungw
growled the man as he and his COM
rades sauntered off.
Sid picked up his pack and found a
place to lodge and next morning began
peddling his goods through the camps.
The rest Of his adventures is told in his
own language:
"By haggling with customers over
prices, and by hanging to the goods as
long as possible, l made them last me
two days. In that time l had made
close figures on every branch of Early's
command, and had also got good idea
of the strength of his position. l had
secured all l came for and was ready
to return and report, but officers stop
ped me by the dozen to send messages
to friends in Washington or ask that I
make purchases for them. Twas hand
ed upwards of $1,000 in Confederate
money, and, though would have no
chance to return it, it was no gain to
me. The whole sum would not have
purchased bottle of ginger ale of a
Union suffer-
GAS to the man with the saber cut, l
had seen him two or three times during
the two days, and / knew that he was
trying his best to work up suspicion
against me. Some Of the soldiers asked
me few questions, but most of them
were satisfied that was what claim
ed to be. | learned that the man went
to General Early and stated his case,
but as l was not sent for the general
could not have taken much stock in
what he said.
II had intended to creep out of the
Confederate lines in the darkness of
night, but observing that the camp
sentinels and pickets had been doubled
and having met with such good luck in
playing my role decided to go to the
general and ask for a regular pass.
did not find him, but his adjutant
general promptly handed me the paper,
and just at sunset on the second day
left by the same road had entered.
had no writing of any sort about me,
and if stopped and searched there was