The National tribune., 1907-11-07
CAPTURING A SPY.
He Died Game, Refusing to Peach on His
AccOmpiices.

Editor National Tribune: During the
Winter of 1863-64, while Steeles army
lay at Little Rock, Ark, it was usual
to send out squads of cavalry-2O or
80 men-commanded by a Lieutenant.
to the outposts to stay week or 10
days before being relieved. While out
on these expeditions the hardtack and
| sow bosom would get very common,
and so on one occasion comrade and
myself prevailed on our Lieutenant to
| let us go out in the country beyond
and try to get something in the vege-
table or fowl line for a change. He
consented. and we went out and gath
cred a supply (each had a Sack), and
were returning to camp, when we saw
man riding thru the woods some
distance away. From the direction in
which he was going we surmised that
he had gone around the picket post.
| handed my sack to my comrade, and
told him that 1 believed I would take
that fellow in. He had gone down into
a depression by this time. and evil
IDENTITY had not seen us. l turned my
horse and put him on the run, and by
was less than 100 yards from him, and
commanded him to halt. He stopped,
turned around, rode toward me, and
when he came up handed me pass.
looked at it, and saw that it was
genuine, with Gen. Steele's name at
tached. 1 asked him why he went
around the picket post He got a little
confused at this. and did not give a
satisfactory answer. I then told him
that I would take him back to the
picket post, and the Lieutenant (Sling
erland by name) could do as he pleased
about passing him out. When We got
to the post the Lieutenant came out
to the road, took the pass, glanced ait
| it, turned to us and said. 'Take this
man to Steele's headquarters as quick
as you can get him there" We took
him to headquarters, and when Steele
saw him he said, AHA. my man. I was
looking for you. l didn't think you
would escape my hellhounds." There
was some private mark on that pass
that the officers of the OUTPOST un-
derstood. Sewed up in the leg-fenders
of his saddle were found complete maps
of our army, all the forts and number
of guns. Steele ordered US to take him
to our regimental guard house. 1 had
seen this man frequently around our
/ Whiteman) all the forepart of the
Winter. He seemed to stop there part
of the time. We also had Capt. White
man in the regiment, brother to the
sutler. When this fellow had been
confined in our guard house two or
three weeks Capt. Whiteman came to
me and asked me if I wasn't on guard
at the guard house. I told him that
I was. and he said, 'Take that fellow
out and give him chance to run. They
will keep him and fatten him up two
or three months and then turn him
loose, and there is no doubt but he is
rebel spy" He didn't tell me to pop
him. but that is what he intended me
to do. I took him out in the night, and
! told him they were going to hang him,
and that he had better run, but he
wouldn't do it, and 1 was very glad
afterward that he didn't, as they hanged
him in short time. He was only 10
years old, and they offered to liberate
i him If he would tell who helped him
draw the plats. It has always been my
opinion that Bill Whiteman. our sutler,
was the man, and that Capt. Whiteman
knew it, and for this reason wanted
him killed. fearing he would squeal on
his brother. My recollection is that the
spy's name was Dodd, tho I am not
sure but am sure that he died game.
On April 25 following this incident
was taken prisoner at Marks Mills.
Ark, and after we were taken a rebel
officer rode up and asked if there were
any of the 7th Mo. Cav. in the squad.
Some fool said "Yes" Chere is always
a fool on such occasfons). The rebel
said. I'VE are going to hang every son
of them. They caught one of our men
up at Little Rock last Winter and hung
him." If he had known that 1 was the
man who captured him there would
probably have been something doing,
and I would have been the center of
attraction. Needless to say / made my
self about as small as I could and felt
about the size of a jack snipe. / will
not dwell on the horrors of our prison
j life. We were first taken to Camp
Ford, Tex, $50 were taken to another
prison near Austin, and what was left
of my crowd of PAT were exchanged in
December at Galveston, Tex, and
brought to New Orleans. Quite a num-
ber were SO nearly starved that they
died after being exchanged-George w.
Beale. Co. M, 7th Mo. Cav; also Co. l.,
1st Mo. Cav, Butte Falls, Ore.
/ InfOrmation Wanted.
i A. w. Chapman, Box 263. Green
wich, N. Y, wants to hear from any