The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-11-17
WITHIN THE ENEMY's LINES
Gen. William J. Palmer's Close Call
When Serving the Union
as Spy.

Gen. William ]. Palmer, who recently
gave to the people of Colorado Springs
beautiful park, has had one of the
stormiest careers of any man living.
When the civil war broke out young
Palmer was the secretary of ]. Edgar
Thompson, president of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad. This company was the
rival of the Baltimore & Ohio for east
and west traffic, and it's spirit was 80
intensely patriotic that its whole staff,
except Mr.. Thompson, who was a
Quaker, entered the army. Thomas A
Scott, vice president, became assist
ant secretary of war, in charge OF
railroad transportation, and young
Palmer, who was born on the border.
became one of the most daring and
efficient spies in the service of the
north. The administration staff Of the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad, on the
other hand, was actively engaged on
the confederate side, and so many oil
the officers went south that there was
not enough left to run the road. That
didn't matter very much, because II
was on debatable territory and was
run first by one army and then by
the other as military line. except the
Baltimore and Washington division,
which remained uninterruptedly in
the possession of the union forces
from the time Of its recapture by Cen
Butler.
Gen. Palmer's experiences as q SOY
were brought to an end by his cap.
ture and sentence to death. He
escaped before he could be executed
and then raised cavalry regiment al
Germantown and went into the field
and became brigadier general.
After the war he became treasurer
OF the Kansas Pacific railroad, and
later president Of the Denver & Ric
Grande railroad, the great three foot
gauge line that passed through the
Royal gorge, climbed Marshall pass
and connected Denver with Salt Lake
City. II has since been reconstructed
at standard gauge.
II IL with Gen. Palmer's war ex
periences that this sketch is con
cerned, and this story Of 1t is told b,
Col. A. X. Mcclure, the veteran Jour
nalist and prothonotary Of the su
preme court Of Pennsylvania, who, al
assistant adjutant general, was II
command Of the military forces on tn,
border.
Every night Capt. Palmer, who wa,
on duty at the Potomac river, entered
the enemy's line and brought back In
formation of Lees movements preiim
mary to crossing the river to NEE
Mcclellan at Antietam. He was 40
companied by William W. Breson, al
expert telegrapher, who carried his in
strument with him, and by attaching
1t to the first wires they struck afte
emerging from the rebel lines, ant
sometimes within them, communicate,
their news, which I forwarded at ono,
to Mcclellan.
"All the news that Mcclellan re
ceived from the front of Lees arm,
came in this way from Palmer. TIL,
bold young fellow kept in touch will
Lees army and followed it back t.
Virginia after Antietam. Finally h,
was missed at time his usual repor
was expected, and when ten days ha,
elapsed without word from him
FASTENED to Philadelphia to confe
with Mr.. Thompson.
I'VE were satisfied that Palmer hai
been captured, and in order to proven
his Identification, it was arranged tina
I should write up for the Philadelphi,
Press and Inquirer, for publication tn
next morning, displayed dispatches an
nouncing the arrival in Washington
of Capt William ]. Palmer, who hat
been scouting in Virginia and who ha,
brought most important information
of the purposes and movements of thu
enemy
Some details were given to max,
the story plausible, to which wa,
added the statement that he hat
brought momentous information tina