Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-04-06

ment that Is certain to last with me
as long as | last myself. One thing
that was considered necessary to get
in the military division TO which | was
assigned was n supply OF brass but
ons and | was detailed to make a
journey TO Baltimore and secure Il
quantity of them. ! also had some
matters to attend to in this city, and
so Washington became my first Objcc.
tive point.
Il had with me passes and creden
tials from Gen. Gustavus A. Smith and
Col. Luther Stuart, and, with a whole
lot of Virginia State money in my
pockets. and accompanied by the late
Billy Bailey and Boil Morgan, both
Washington men. started on what we
all felt to be Il rather RISKY expedition.
We were going to Leonardtown, Md. a
favorite crossing place for 'Confeds'
in those days, and from there get to
Washington by the easiest practicable
route.
My first mishap was Mt n little
place known as Jacksons Creek, on
the Virginia side, where Il little North
Carolina captain in command of a
company on guard there arrested me
on the charge of robbing Il jewelry
store in Richmond, Va. couldn't
explain things to his satisfaction.
though | showed my passes, and was
marched back and carried before
Gen. Lee. He understood the situa-
ton. and l was released, while the
.u,,,D,,ol- .,,l1;o, th.,rb ln u-nr prniS-
ed for his zeal. was admonished for
his lack (, judgment in not perceiving
from my credentials and explanations
that | was Il loyal Confederate soldier
bound on a somewhat important mis-
sion.
In the meantime Bailey and Nor,
gan had taken n steamer on the Ioto-
mae and got away. My time came
when, with a number Of others, l
boarded a tub and started for Leon
ardtown. There was a Massachusetts
captain in command of the tug, n he
began a search of the passengers, sus-
pecting disloyalists might be on board.
by some means l escaped being search
ed. How that happened l could never
satisfactorily explain to myself, but so
it was. and l landed with my Virginia
State cash, passes and credentials. and
got to Washington. Very few of the
people who knew me were aware Of
the fact that I had gone South, and
l wandered about in an apparently I'M
concerned manner. One Of my first
strolls was in the neighborhood Of the
old Capitol prison. l glanced at one
Of the upper windows, and who should
l see there but the men who were to
have been my fellow travelers-Bailey
and Morgan. I made no sign of rec
ognition that could be detected, but l
could not help grinning, and they smil-
ed back.
1T got out, however. that I was here
on Il mission from the South, and an
old friend of my father and myself.
the late William f. Howard, one OF
Washington's most estimable citizens,
gave me a warning that agents Of the
War Department were after me.
THE authorities were after one
Drew, however, and my father was ar
rested. He was taken to Col. Bakers
office and put through a sort Of third
degree process.
I'm the meantime some Of my friends
arranged with Jim Humphrey. who
kept a livery stable on c street, in the
rear of the National Hotel, to furnish
a carriage, and 1 hastened to the depot
and boarded a train for Baltimore.
There l met a man named Riley, who
was going South. I had secured my
brass buttons, and Riley and myself
started with them for Leonardtown,
where we purchased a sloop o $25
and hired a man to take us across the
Potomac. We started out in a terrific
gale. 1t wasn't long before n of those
vigilant gunboats that were constantly
p~atrolling the Potomac caught sight Of
us, though we carried nc light, and
the night was as dark as a pocket.
The gupboat opened fire, and kept up
Il long time. but we were not hit. l
thought the old slooD would 60 to the
bottom at any minute, but luck was
with us. and we landed on h Vir-
ginia side and left the 0 a to herself.
we got into the interior without de.
ay."-WashingtOn Post.