The Meeker herald., 1914-07-11
A Wor1lan's
Exploit
She Was Sent 0st ~ = Sss
~ Rrssidsna Laaesaa
~ r. \. mitchell

-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The life OF President Lincoln u -
thoroughly identified with tho four
years Of war-the last four years OF
his earthly exIstence-that We are not
accustomed to think Of him in any
other connection. During that brief
period We rec him under many lights
now he II endeavoring by wise diplo-
macy to prevent foreign governments
from Intervening between the north
and the south to insure the separation
Of the states and ON the same day
Gives to q woman Of low degree the
life Of her son, who has been sentenced
to be shot for desertion; at ono mo
ment he II urging the generals to move
their armies against the enemy; the
next he ID sending out an individual
q girl In heS teens perhaps-to bring
him information Of the Confederates.
It IL this last named neld that CON
meets Mr.. Lincoln especially with the
romance In adventurss Of the war.
A secret service bureau was organ
ised. with headquarters at the capital
BY Allan Pinkerton. It was his busl-
ness to provide and equip spies. but It
was Mr.. Lincoln who laid ont thedf
work for them. He told them what
Information he needed. and II was
their part to get It for him. The risk
they ran was very great. and their pay
when they worked for pay--was pro
portionately large.
Possibly the most successful Of Mr..
LIncoln's spies--that II. considering the
importance Of the information obtain.
sd-was . young woman. Kate Beale
had lived in Richmond. the capital Of
the Confederacy. aud during her resi-
dsnce there had naturally become II.
miliar with the place and taken on the
accent peculiar to Virginia. Moreover
she was supposed to sympathise with
the southern cause. She was At the
time Of Mr.. Llncoln's incumbency the
only support Of an invalid mother and
found It dificult to provide the neces-
sary supplies.
1t occurred to Miss Beale that she
might put her knowledge Of Richmond
TO advantage BY going there and bring
ing information 10 the federal govern
msnt. True. II she were caught in
Guch wosk shs was liable to suffer
dsath Of at lsast b kspt In . southeen
pgieea tiN ths saA cf IL was. IoAving
hse mother without ssthee support Of
attenAanea NJ went b A1lan Pin-
ksrson ard told him Of the advantages
she possesssd for secret service WORK
ct Richmond and found him . willing
listener.
But Pinkerton before employing her
must make sure Of her fidelity to the
Union cause. She proposed to deceive
her friends In Richmond, but she might
II she chose deceive thoss In Washing-
ton. for her plan was to offer her serv-
Ices to the Confederate government to
20 to Washington and bring back In
formation for President Davis. WASH
ington was full Of southerners ready to
convey information to the Confederate
government and II was difhcult to tell
who could be trusted.
Pinkerton pretended to trust Miss
Beale. but before employing her sent
0ecoys to her TO try to draw from her
q betrayal In case she intended to
work for the Confederacy instead Of
the Union. She stood all these tests.
and at last Pinkerton. becoming sat1s-
ned that she was to be trusted. sent
her to President lincoln. This was in
the spring Of '65, when the war was
drawing to close.
On arriving at the White House she
was admitted to a room. In which she
found Mr.. Lincoln alone. He had q
very simple but very Important work
for her.
'Mr. Pinkerton informs me-" he said.
that you are familiar with Richmond
/ am anxious to learn what provisions
they have there on which to subsist in
case our armies surround and cut OF
their lines Of supplies. It will be your
part to take notice Of their depots, to
see how well Oiled they are and II nee
esaary. or yOu can do 20 without too
much risk, learn what they have
from ofllcials. Ny object is to dis
cover whether they arc in condition to
stand Eege or must surrender In case
General Grant. who In south OF them
at Petersburg captures the place, cut
ding OF their only COMMUNICATIONS
southward."
Miss Beale understood perfectly what
was required Of her and its value II
executed. Mr.. Lincoln sent her off
with God bless you and bring you
back safely from your periious work. -
Citisens were occasionally passing to
and fro between the lines. and Miss
Bsale. having President Lncoln's pass.
had no trouble in getting to Rich
nond. She pretended to be bitter
against the Federal government and re
curing the acquaintance Of the wife Of
tho ofllcer In charge Of the commissary
department Of the Confederate capital
was introduced to him ~ Q pesson who
was anxious to serve the Confederate
raura HhA nakad the cnlmmfnanrv hOV