The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-05-09
Woman Who Won Battle of RulI Run.

In Harper'S, William Beymer
tells the true story Of Mrs. G%reenhow, a
Washington woman of gentle birth who
acted as a spy for the co%nfederacy and
gave the information which resulted
In the confederate victory at Bull Run.
Washington lay ringed about with
camps of new formed regiments, drill
ing feverishly. Already the press and
public had raised the cry 'On to Rich
mond.' When would they start? Where
would they first strike? 1t was on
those two points that the confederate
plan of campaign hinged. 1t was Mrs.
who gave the information.
To General Beauregard at Manassas,
where he anxiously awaited tidings of
the federal advance, there came about
the 10th Of July the first message from
Mrs. Greenhow. The message told of
the intended advance Of the enemy
across the Potomac and on to Manas-
sas via Fairfax court house and Cen
treviile. 1t was brought into the con-
federate ines by a young lady of
Washington, Miss Duval- who, dis
guised as a market girl, carried the
message to a house near Fairfax court
house, occupied by the wife and daugh-
tiers Southern born) of an officer in
the federal army. General Beauregard
at once commenced his preparations
for receiving the attack and sent one of
his aides to President Davis to COM
80 tAiAcl tiolicI civ ~ olS-
the immediate concentration of the
scattered confederate forces.
But still the federal start was de-
layed and the precise date was as in
definite as ever 1t was during this
period of uncertainty that G. Donellan,
who, before joining the confederates,
had been a clerk in the department of
the interior, volunteered to return to
Washington for information. He was
armed with the two words trust bear
err in Colonel Jordan's cipher, and was
sent across the Potomac with instruc-
lions to report to Mrs. Greenhow. He
arrived at the very moment hat she
most needed a messenger. Hastily
writing in cipher her all-important dis
patch, order issued for Mcdowell to
move on Manassas tonight she gave
1t to Donella1l, who was taken by her
agents in a buggy, with relays Of
horses, down the eastern shore Of the
Potomac to a ferry near Dumfries,
where he was ferried across. Cavalry
couriers delivered the dispatch into
General B~eauregard's hands that night,
July 16.
"And the source Of Mrs. G%reenhow's
information? She has made the state
ment that she received a copy of the
order to Mcdowell Allan Pinkerton
was not wrong when he said that she
not used her powers in rain
among the officers Of the army
AT midday of the 18th there came
Colonel Jordan's reply:
"'Yours was received at 8 o'clock at
night. Let them come; we are ready
for them. We rely Upon you for pre-
else information. Be particular as to
descriptioHoand destination Of forces,
quantity of artillery. etc.
"She was ready with fresh informa-
tion. and the messenger was sent back
with the news hat the federals in
tended to cut the Manassas Gap rail-
road to prevent Johnson. at Winches-
ter, from reinforcing Beauregard. Aft
er that there was nothing to be done
but await the result Of the inevitable
battle. She had done her best. What
thai best was worth she learned when
she received from Colonel Jordan the
treasured message:
"'Our president and our general di-
rect me to hank you. We rely upon
you for further information. The con-
federacy owes you a debt
When the details of the battle be-
came known, and she learned how the
last Of Johnson's $500 men (marched
to General Beauregard's aid because Of
her dispatches), had arrived at 3
o'clock or the day of the battle anG
had turned the wavering federal army
into a mob Of panic stricken fugitives,
she felt that the 'confederacy owed her
a debt indeed"