The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1910-01-28
The Wise
Judge
A Story of How President
Lincoln Rectifed an
Injustice.
By JOHN Y
Cnnxrieht 1910. by American Press
By JOHN JOYCE.

In 1868 l was with the cavalry In
the Army Of the Potomac. 1 confess l
never made a good soldier. l was too
fond Of an irregular life. l could never
be disciplined. When the command
was asleep l would be off on some adj
venture. There was a southern girl
south Of us, her home being most of
the time within the southern lines,
who captivated my youthful fancy, and
l was constantly absent without leave
visiting her.
On one occasion | would surely have
been captured by some Confederates
who called at the house had she not
put me upstairs in nj of the bedrooms.
There, l found some citizens clothing
and, putting it on, went down and
mingled with the soldiers.
I gained some very important tnfor-
nation from them about the enemy's
movements, for / passed myself off for.
a redhot Confederate. They belonged
to Jubal Early's command and told me
that they were the advance Of his
force, intending to sweep around in
u rear. 5.t..
As soon as they had gone l rode
away to my general and told him what
I had heard. He sent out orders with
a view to defeat their purpose. then
said to me:
"I've been wondering for some time
where l could get a man like you. l
want some n for secret service work.
I can get plenty of hired spies, but
dare not trust them. They will take
my money to bring me information
and take the C~onfederates' money to
bring them information. But from
what you have told Inc you're just the
man for secret service work. Most
men have a dread Of being caught in
citizens clothes, with the penalty of
swinging. You don't seem to mind the
risk at all. Now, l wish you to go
down on our left and find out what
the enemy is about down there. l
have reports that there is no force in
that region at all, and I have reports
that the enemy is concentrating there.
Can't You go at onceT
Eyes. general" I said. "Shall I re-
port your orders to my captain"
"You were absent without leave on
this little expedition. weren't you?"
Eyes. generals"
Swell, you can continue, absent with
out leave. If you report to your cap
tain the men will know that some
thing is up in your case and talk it
over. 1 don't like any talk at all about
secret service work. Besides. If you
do well l. shall make a regular secret
service nan of you. attaching you to
these headquarters"
won't my comrades think l have
deserted? I've always been in trou-
bic with my caiptain-my own fault.
Of course, because, being Of a rowing
disposition. I always objected to regu-
lar duties"
THAT'S just what I wish them to
think Of you. 1t will keep them from
thinking anything else"
"But. general. If l should come back
into our lines and not find you to
vOuch for me-
"I'l fix that"
He sat at a table and scratched off
an order attaching'me to his headquar-
tiers and handed it to me.
"There." he said. do what you like
with that. But don't get caught with
It on you in the enemy's lines or it will
hang you"
I took the paper. put it in the lining
of my hat and, with a godspeed from
my commander, rode away into the
darkness.
The first thing for me to do was to
get citizens clothes. I could do this
and zee my girl again at the. same
time. So I rode straight to the house
where she lived with her mother. a
widow, and a family Of younger chill.
dren. I awakened the household and
told the girl that I wanted the cloth
ing I had found upstairs and which
she had told me belonged to a brother
Of her mothers who lived with them.
but who was. now in General Jackson's
army. Both mother and daughter were
rebels and wouldn't have given me the
clothes had I not told them a cock and
bull story about C%onfederates being
after me. AS soon as I was rugged out
as a Virginia farmer, leaving my horse
in their barn and my uniform in the
garrett Of the house, l marched away
on foot in a southwesterly direction to-
ward the region l was to look into.
! had no soone reached 1t than I
saw indications Of an important move
IN the part Of the C~onfederates. The
location a swarming with troops,
Ny object was to return at once and
report the fact to the general. but
there were several things about me to
lead them to suspect me. / couldn't
talk like a southerner, didn't look or
act like a southerner and told contra
dictory stories about my a%ntecedents.
Seeing-that they were uncertain about
me, I told them that what l most
wished for was to fight for Dixie. So
they enlisted me. and I thought / was
all right. was &c fearful Of being
accused OF desertion on my return that
i kept the generals order concealed
under the fhln leather strip inside and
over the sole of my boot, but al soon
as i was suspected hid Il under a
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