Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-07-18
WOMAN SOLDIER
DYING HERE
Was Spy and Nurse
In Southern
Army.
MRS. O|ETz' STRANGE LIFE
Of Thrilling Events-.-C Captur-
ed by Union Troops
Knew Jesse James.

Mrs. A. w. Dietz, formerly Miss
Georgia T. Read, a cousin of Attorney
Benjamin M. Read, and at one time
a wealthy southern girl, later a spy
in the Confederate Army, under Gen
erals Lee, Price and Boone, is dying
of paralysis in a little adobe house
in the rear Of the home OF David Con
zales, 302 Palace Avenue.
She is in an unconscious condition
and her physicians say, her death is
only question of hours. With 1t, will
end career, which for romance, ad-
venture and the wild scenes Of fear
ful war, is seldom found outside the
covers of a lurid novel. Details OF
the woman's life are lacking. Before
she became dangerously Ill and semi
unconscious, three months ago, she
frequently told her husband and
daughter of incidents in her career
but few of them are now recalled con
nectedly. AS nearly as can be ascer.
tanned her history is about as follows:
Miss Georgia T. Read (Mrs. Detz),
was born in Indiana, just across the
river from Louisville, Kentucky. Her
mother died when she was only six
years old. With her father she moved
to New Orleans, where he established
large wholesale drug business. Her
father became wealthy and the young
girl was member of the best social
circle of the Crescent City When
General Butler, with his northern
troops, occupied New Orleans, the
drug store owned by her father was
confiscated and all of his property de-
stroyed. The girl, thus suddenly made
poor, taught In private families for
a living. Her brother and father en-
tered the southern army, the latter
as a chaplain and hospital attend
ant
Brother Fell in His First Battle.
The brother was killed in the first
battle In which. he took part, as; a
color sergeant OF a Louisiana regi
nlent.
4 The girl, then just entering woman
hood, promptly enlisted as a nurse in
a hospital corps, it is believed, with
the troops of General Lee, in the Army
OF Virginia. She was present at the
battle of Gettysburg and other his
toric fights between the north and
south. The work of a nurse was too
conflning for the brave southern girl
and she became a spy for the south
ern generals. Disguised as a soldier
with her hair cropped close to he,
head, or dressed as the widow of a
fictitious soldier, with her face veiled
in crepe, she many times, entered the
Union lines and secured information
OF the greatest value to the South
She served at various times with the
troops of General Boone and Genera
Price. It was while with the latte,
general on a raid through Kansas an(
Missouri that she was betrayed by {
relative in Westport Landing, nov
Kansas City, Missouri, and was can
tured by the Union troops. She wa,
sent to st. Louis with other prisoner!
and placed under guard there unit
the close of the war.
Met Mosby and Jesse James,
While In Missouri. she met and be
came well acquainted with Col
onel Mosby, the great guerilla leader
and Jesse James and the Younge
boys, outlaws.
Upon the conclusion of civil strife
she again became a teacher at Fred
ericktown, Missouri. Upon her refus
al to take the oath Of allegiance to tn,
United States, she was ordered t,
leave the state and went to Illinoi
where she continued teaching. In 1856
she met and married A. w. Dietz,
wealthy miller, who owned large floul
Ing mills near Lincoln Nebraska. Fir
destroyed the mills.
Mr.. Dietz was left to make a livin
for himself and wife as best he nigh,
He secured employment as a mile
at various towns, travelling with hi
wife over considerable portion Of tn
United States.
Learned Of Relations Here.
About three years ago, Mrs. Diet
through correspondence, found tina
she was cousin Of Attorney Benz,
min N. Read in this city. She an
her husband came to Santa Fe for tn
benefit Of her health which howeve
grew gradually worse. Since her res
dence here, Mrs. Dietz has made man
friends who never tired of listenin
to her stories Of the days when sll
feared neither man nor bullet in th
cause which she believed to be rigl
and which she espoused with all hi
heart. She was an interesting conve
sationalist, capable Of telling Of he
experience in a vivid manner and re
erences to the dark days Of civil wa
fare, we're always filled with humo
GUS happenings, which often gilded 0
er the tales Of blood and death.
Was Author Of Book on War.
Shortly after the war, she wrote
book on her life in the service Of Il
south and Of the war in general.
was never published, some one havir
stolen the copy before it reached II
publisher.
Among her other claims to distin
tion, Mrs. Dietz always proudly sa
that she was a direct descendent