Cañon City record., 1907-03-28
GENERAL WILLIAM J. PALMER
is A HERO OF THE CIv|LsWAR

/ met Captain Palmer at Antietam
when the battle was in progress, and
after complimenting him, as he well
deserved, for the great work he had
done, i earnestly cautioned him
against attempting to repeat his ex-
periments IL Lee should be driven
into Virginia. He was young man of
very few words, and made no re-
sponse to any admonition beyond
thanking me for my kind expressions
of confidence. When Lee retreated
across the Potomac, Captain Palmer
preceded him the same night, entered
his lines again and brought important
reports which, as ] believe, led to the
battle of Shepherdstown that was sue
'cessfully fought by General Fftz John
Porter. He then passed beyond my
Jurisdiction, and became known to
some of the leading officers OF Nc
Clellan's army as the scout or spy
who had given Mcclellan most reli-
able and important information
For several nights he entered Lees
lines and reported in the morning.
Finally. he was missed at the usual
time his report was expected. When
the second day passed without any
word from him, great anxiety was
felt for his safety, and every effort
was made that could be made, without
exposing him to the discovery of
identity, to learn of his whereabouts,
but without success.
When he had been missing a week
It was evident that he had been cap
tured, and. upon being advised OF II
from the headquarters OF McClellans
army | hastened TO Philadelphia TO
confer with President j. Edgar
Thompson of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road company. whose secretary Cap
tain Palmer had been until he entered
the service. and who was greatly in
terested in him personally.
A conference with President
Thompson and Vice President Scott
resulted in the purpose to endeavor
TO save Palmer from being Identified
by his captors, and 1t was finally de-
cided that ] should go to the offices
of the North American, the Press, and
the Inquirer. the leading morning
journals of the city, and write up for
the publication the next morning dis
played dispatches announcing the ar
rival in Washington OF Capt w. ].
Palmer. who had been scouting in
Virginia for some days and who had
brought most important information
of the movements and purposes of the
enemy.
Some details OF his reported facts
were given to make the story plaus-
ible, to which was added that state
ment that he had brought momentous
Information that could not be given
to the public. but that would doubt
less lead to early military movements
against the enemy. The dispatches
were all accepted by the publishers.
as all felt a special interest in Cap
tain Paimer's fate. and the publica-
ton doubtless saved him from being
gibbeted as a spy, but he managed to
maintain doubt as to his Identity.
His execution was delayed from
time to time to ascertain who he was.
The dispatches published in the Phila-
dolphin papers, all of which reached
the enemy's lines within forty-eight
hours, If not sooner, entirely misled
the confederates as to Captain Palmer
and the failure TO identify him saved
him, until he finally effected his own
exchange by quietly taking the place
of a dead prisoner In the ranks and
responding to his name when the roll
was called for the men who were to
be sent TO the north.
He is better known TO the world to-
lay as President Palmer. of Colorado
Springs, lately of the Denver and Rio
Grande railway, and one OF the fortu-
nate and potential railroad magnates
of the land.
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