The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1913-07-03

day remnant OF n Grand
~ Army post. a few old fellows
| whose hair aud boards were
white as snow. had got together to
confer upon the morrow's decoration
OF the graves OF their comrades who
had gone before them to the eternal
camping grounds. Having perfected
their arrangements. they fell to swap
ping yarns about episodes that had oc.
Cured half century before, They
had told their stories many time. but
each listened to the other with much
OF the original interest and n respect
that had grown with years. This is
one OF the stories that were told
Along about '62-or was II 'G32-may.
De Il was ~ tmy memory about those
days is getting miyed,, commanded
General B's headquarters escort. we
being cncamped Just back OF the tents
OF the general aud his stan. One morn
Ing an officer OF picket post sent to
headquarters country pumpkin who
had driven his COW right up 10 our
line The general asked him why he
bucked up against an army with no
better support than COW. and he said
he had had his COW In pasture down
below and didn't know our men were
there, He was questioned about the
Confederate forces In the region from
whence he had come. but he was so
stupid that II was impossible TO get
anything out OF him. Az TO numbers,
II was always IA heap o. horse sogers."
or ''right smart o. cannons." or "a hull
regiment o walkln' men" The general
soon gave over questioning him and
issued orders that he be permitted TO
drive his COW on homeward.
Two or three days later. while talk
Ing with one OF the aids. he told me
that circular order had been sent out
from general headquarters for all COM
manders TO look out for spy who had
frst appeared driving COW. pretend
Ing TO have got confused without the
picket line A few hours later man In
Federal uniform had been picked up
by the provost guard for being absent
from his command without pass.
While Inquiries were being made about
him he had given the guard the slip
and had disappeared. At our head
quarters we wondered II the country
man we had passed and this straggler
were not one and the same man..
While we were talking about II
telegram came In from the left or our
command stating that man who was
trying TO steal through our picket line
TO go south had been fred on. but had
disappeared In wood thick with tan
gled underground. The officer or the
post sent sergeant with twelve men
into the wood. who deployed to cover
the ground and swept out every i've
thing there. A man was seen run
ming TO a small village. or. rather,
clump OF houses, half a mile distant
and before he could be captured had
disappeared among a group OF few
men, more women and lot OF chill
dren. When our men got there they
couldn't tell which OF the men they
had chased. The sergeant sent pri-
yate TO report the matter to the OH
Ger OF the picket post while the others
surrounded the people SO that none or
them should get away. The officer re-
ported the situa tion TO the general, aud
the general sent for me.
After going over all this that I've
been telling you the general told me
TO go over with part OF the escort ana
exercise my ingenuity 10 discover the
man who had tried 10 steal through
the picket line. "A spy" he said. mas
been moving about our
camps collecting Information and Is
irving TO get south with II ! rely on
YOU TO find out which one OF these peo-
ple is the man we want They are all
probably devoted TO the Confederate
cause aud will use every effort to con-
ceal his Identity would suggest that
Won threaten to shoot every one OF
them unless they give up the spy"
Taking a couple OF men. ! rode over
10 the place where the supposed spy