The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-03-01
Mo Nv
She Sod Butter and
Eggs, but Carried
a Revolver
By GEORGE ARNOLD WELSH

In the summer of 1868, when the
Army of the Cumberland was at Muir
freesboro. Tenn, preparatory to the
mova on Tullahoma. the general com.
mand,ng called for volunteers for Sc
cret service One young man who re-
ported was entirely devoid of beard
and had ruddy cheeks and blue eyes.
You could 80 anywhere as girl"
said the general. and as long as your
sex is not suspected you would be
safer in skirts than in trousers"
MY hair is too Short" said the
youngster.
ut is long enough to cut square
around your neck. and that's the way
girls up to eighteen about here wear
their hair Would you like to try it?'
Il wouldn't mind, general"
"WelI. wanl you to go down to
Tullahoma and learn what you can.
Bring me back statement of the de-
lenses. the guns on them. their caliber
and the number and condition of
BragG's army encamped in and about
the town"
/ The next morning a Tennessee coun-
try girl left the Union picket line at
MurfreesborO with a basket on her
arm. taking the direct turnpike TO Tul.
lahema s. @ing at farm, She
bought supply of eggs and butter,
which she put into her basket, and on
reaching the vedettes of the Confed-
crate army told them that she came
from farm up the road and was 60
ing into Tullahoma to make a little
money by supplying the soldiers with
her farm produce.
Molly Atkins-this was the name the
farm girl gave herself-had no diff
Guilty passing into Tullahoma. What
troubled her was that so eager were
the soldiers on the picket line to buy
her goods that the supply was ex-
hausted before she entered the town.
However. she bad plenty of money
and went about among the shops buy
ing such supplies as farmers needed
which they could not raise themselves.
Having retilled her basket. she cast
about for place to lodge. for she had
no idea of leaving Tullahoma for sew
eral days. Passing Il house occupied
for General Rragg's headquarters, 1t
occurred TO her that if she could find
a lodging near it she might elicit IN
formation by keeping an eye on what
was going on there. So she knocked
at the doors of several houses on the
9 al h..
a family who was willing to take in
country girl for few days who had
come TO town to make some purchases.
She was given n room In the third
story. or. rather. the peak of the roof.
from which she could look right down
on General BraEg's headquarters.
Officers and messengers were COM
ing and going. citizens were applying
for passes. while a sentinel paced back
and forth before the house, every few
minutes stopping and facing to salute
an officer passing in or out. Molly
couldn't see anything TO be derived
from this. so she sailed forth to visit
the camps and the defenses of the
town. Having picked up all the infor-
nation available In this way. she re-
turned to her lodging and. gathering
up her purchases. went over TO head
quarters to ask for a pass to leave
Tullahoma An aid-de-camp. a young
man about twenty-five years old. was
in charge of the granting of passes
and. seeing a pretty girl come in, was
quite beside himself with admiration.
Molly showed him the articles she had
purchased telling him that they had
been bought with money derived from
the sale of butter and eggs. He was
convinced that she was what she rep
resented herself TO be. but he had ex-
plicit orders from his general that he
should grant no passes to persons going
northward. and he dare not disobey.
Molly appeared disappointed. and when
the aid looked al her sympathetically
cast her blue eyes down at the floor
How far beyond the picket line do
you liver" asked the aid.
Not very far" Molly replied.
81 tell you what you do. Meet me
just within the picket post on the Muir
freesboro road tomorrow morning at
10 O'Clock. and I'll see what | can do
for you cant write you a pass, for
that's contrary to orders, but | may
be able to get you home. You see,
might 30 with you and satisfy myself
that you are what you purport to be,
that you wouldn't carry information
and all that In this case it wouldn't
be any harm for me TO leave you at
home. and ! ~ 1T be acting con
trary to my ords.
Molly thanked the young man, look
ing very demure and modest, and with
drew. The following morning on dress
ing she examined a revolver she had
carried strapped to her waist under her
skirts. and, since she would very likely
have need for it. she tried to think OF
a place on her person where 1t would
be concealed and yet be easily grasped.
Fortunately in those days there was
usually a pocket in a woman's dress.
and Molly. having made search, dis
covered one She slipped her revolver
into it.
Shortly before 10 o'clock she started
up toward the picket post. Hearing
the sound OF horses hoofs behind her,
she did not look around. but presently
heard the aid bid her good morning
go to the picket post" he said, "and
pretend you didn't know you must