Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-05-14

Der 1885,. a colOred man knocked al
the door and asked to see Miss Wright
There we're two Miss Wrights in Win
chester, and the colored man stated
that he wanted to see Miss Rebecca-
After looking carefully about him, the
colored man asked permission to
speak to Miss Wright alone. The re-
quest was granted; they entered an
other room, and the man closed the
door. The little Quakeress was fright
ened, but was Immediately assured
that her visitor was from General
Sheridan; and the colored man said
that it would be better for her mother
not to know the message Then.
taking a roll of tinfoil from his mouth,
he handed it to the young lady. She
slowly unrolled it, and found therein
a letter from Gen. Sheridan, written
on tissue paper. The cOlOred man
said he had carried it in his mouth,
with instructions to swallow it if mo-
Tested by the Confederates. The man
then left, saying that he would re-
turn at 3 o'clock. The letter follows:
.I learn from Gen. Crook that you
are a loyal young lady, and still love
the old flag. Can you inform me of
the position of Gen. Early's forces.
y,
and the strength of any or all of
them? His probable or reported in
tentions? Have any more troops ar
rived from Richmond. or are any more
coming, or reported to be coming?
Il am, very respectfully, your
obedient servant,
"P. H. SHERIDAN,
"Major-Genera1 Commanding
you can trust the bearer
Miss Wright consulted with he1
mother, and they concluded to run the
risk-the risk of death. She says:
only few evenings previous, con-
valescent Confederate officer had
spent the evening with us. We talked
of the war, and he voluntarily told
US all about the purposes of Gen.
Early. the number and disposition OF
his troops, and the salient fact that
several thousand of Early's troops had
been called elsewhere. These facts
1 sent by the colored man, and Sheri-
dan saw that it was time to make the
attack. On the following Monday
morning 1 was awakened by the boom
ing of cannon, and the battle was on
By noon our streets were filled with
troops, houses were blazing all around
and in the evening there was a clat
tering of sabers on our steps. When
I opened the door two officers en-
tered, one of them introducing him
self as Gen. Sheridan. He thanked
me most earnestly for the information
1 had furnished him. At my desk he
wrote a brief account of the battle
then rode away, after assuring me
that his victory that day was due tc
the information 1 had sent him in the
tinfoil covered note.
In 1867, when the watch and chain
came accompanied by that very hear
ty letter from the famous soldier
Miss Wright felt safe in telling hen
friends what service She had rendered
But no sooner did it become known
in Winchester than the ultra charac
tiers of her own sex ostracised her
position and was appointed in the
government service; and she has
ever since made her home in the ma
tional capital.
Mrs Bonsal is a quiet Quakeress
with sweet face, intelligent eyes
beautiful hair, and must have been G
conspicuously handsome young lady
when she rendered such hazardous
service; risking her life and that OF
her mother for the Union cause. The
unpretentious heroine of course holds
a life position, the Endorsements OF
Grant and Sheridan being all-sufh
cient.-Smith D. Fay in Los Angeles
Times.