Democratic messenger., 1910-02-19
y
The Wise
Judge
a Story of How President
Lincoln Rcctifed an
Injustice.
By JOHN JOYCE.
Copyright. Ei0. by American Press
Association
By JOHN JOYCE.

In lSt3 was with the cavalry In
the Army Of lie Potomac confess !
never made good soldier | was too
fond of an irregular life. 1 could never
be disciplined When the command
was asleep would he Oh on some nd
venture. There was a southern girl
south of Us. her home being most OF
the time within the southern lines,
who capivaitd my youthful fancy. ana
| was constantly absent without leave
visiting her
GA one occasion ! would surely have
bcea captured hy some Confederates
who called 1t the house had she not
p4t NE upstairs in one of the bedrooms.
There | found some citizens clothing
and. putting il on. went down and
mingled with the soldiers
gained some very important infor-
nation from them about the enemy's
movements. for passed myself on for
redbot Confederate. They belonged
to Jubal lEnrly's command and told me
that they were the advance Of his
force. intending TO sweep around In
our rear
~ soon aS they had gone rode
away to riy general and told him what
| had heard he sent ont orders with
view 10 defeat their purpose. then
said to me:
i've been wondering for some time
where could get man like you. |
want some one for secret service work
| can eel plenty of hired spies but |
dare not trust them They will take
my money 10 bring me Information
ana take the Coufcderates' money TO
bring them Information. But from
what sou have told me you're Just the
iaan for secret service work Most
men have u dread ~ being caught in
citizens clothes. with the penalty Of
swinging. You don't seem 10 mind the
risk ~ all Now. wish you TO 20
down on our left and find out what
the enemy is about down there
have reports that there Is no force In
that region at ALL aud | have reports
that the enemy Is concentrating there
Can't you go at once"
Yes. general / said "Shall | re-
port your orders to my captaInf"
You were absent without leave on
this little expedition. weren't yOu:"
Yes. general"
We'll. you can continue absent with
ont leave II you report To your cap
tain the men VIII know that some
thing Is up In your case and talk IL
over I don't Ike any talk at all about
secret service work Resides. II you
do well stall make regular secret
scrviee man ~ you. attaching you to
lhcsc headuuaricrs
Won't my comrades think have
deserted: I've always been in trou.
ble with my caiptain- my own fault
~ course because, being of rowing
disposition. I always Objected 10 regii-
lar duties"
That's Just what | wish them TO
think Of you II VIII keep them from
thinking ANYTHING else"
But. general. II ! should come back
into our tines and not find you TO
vouch for me-
I'm fix that
lie sat at table and scratched or
an order attaching me 10 his headquar
fers and handed It to me
There" he said. do what you like /
with that Rui don't get caught with
II on YOU In the enemv's lines or II win |
hang you"
took the paper. put II IN the lining |
~ my hat and. with n godspeed from
my commander. rode away into the |
darkness.
The first thing for me to do was to
get citizens clothes could do this |
and see my girl again AZ the same
time So rode straight to the house |
whore she lived with her mother. a
widow, and n family ~ younger chill
dren awakened the household and
told the girl that wanted the cloth
Ing | had fonnd upstairs and which
she had told me belonged % a brother
~ her mothers who lived with them.
but who WIS now IN General Jackson's
army Both mother and daughter We're
rebels and wouldn't have given me the
clothes had not told them cock and
bull story about Coufederates being
after me As soon as ! was rugged out
as Virginia farmer leaving my horse
In their barn and my uniform In the
garret of the house. | marched away
on foot In soutllwcstcrly direction to-
ward the region ! was to look into.
! had no sooner reached II than |
saw indications of an important move
on the part ~ the Confederates. The
location was swarming with troops.
My object was 10 return nj once and
report the fact 10 the general. brit
there were several things about me 10
lead them to suspect me. ] couldn't
talk like a southcrner. di at look or
act like n southerner and told contra
dictory stories about my antecedents
Seeing that they were uncertain about
me- | told them that what most
wished for was 20 fight for Dixie. So
they enlisted me. and thought | was
all right. was so fearful of being
accused of desertion on my return that
kept the generals order concealed
uufar fha tbf, antbar ~ rim inside mud