The Elbert County tribune., 1907-04-25
General William j. Palmer
Colorado's Foremost Citizen

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, earnestly cautioned him against
attempting to repeat his experiments
II Lee should be driven into Virginia.
He was a young man of very few
words, and made no response to any
admonition beyond thanking me for
my kind expressions of confidence.
When Lee retreated across the Po-
tomac, Captain Palmer preceded him
the same night, entered his lines again
and brought important reports which,
as | believe, led to the battle of Shep-
herdstown that was successfully fought
by General t'itz John Porter He then
passed beyond my jurisdiction, and be-
came known to some of the leading
officers of McClellan's army as the
scout or spy who had given Mcclellan
most reliable and important informa-
ton.
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
ior his safety, and every effort was
made that could be made, without ex-
posing him to the discovery of iden-
tlty, to learn of his whereabouts, but
without success.
When he had been missing a week
1t was evident that he had been cap
tured. and. upon being advised of it
from. the headquarters of McClellans
army | hastened to Philadelphia to
ccnfer with President j. Edgar Thomp-
son of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany, whose secretary Captain Palmer
had been until he entered the service,
and who was greatly interested in him
personally.
conference with President Thomp-
son and Vice President Scott resulted
in the purpose to endeavor to save
Palmer from being identified by his
captors. and it was finally decided that
| should go to the offices of the North
the leading morning journals of the
city, and write up for the publication
the next morning displayed dispatches
announcing the arrival in Washington
of Captain w. ]. Palmer. who had
been scouting in Virginia for some
days and who had brought most i'm
portant information of the movements
and purposes of the enemy
Some details of his reported facts
We're 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 doubtless
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 Palmer's fate, and the publication
doubtless saved him from being glib
beted as 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 Philadel-
phia papers. all of which reached the
enemy's lines within forty-eight hours,
if not sooner entirely misled the Con
federates, as to Captain Palmer and the
failure to identify him saved him, un-
til he finally effected his own exchange
by quietly taking the place of dead
prisoner in the ranks and responding
to his name when the roll was called
for the men who We're to be sent to
the north.
He is better known to the world to-
day as President Palmer, of Colorado
Springs, lately of the Denver and Rio
Grande railway. and one of the fortun-
ate and potential railroad magnates of
the land.