Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-29


accustomed to think of him in any
other connection. During that brief
period we see him under many lights
now he is 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 10 a woman OF low degree the
life of her son. who has been sentenced
to be shot for desertion; at one mo-
ment he is urging the generals TO move
their armies against the enemy; the
next he is sending out an individual
a girl in her teens perhaps-to bring
him information of the Confederates.
1t is this last named field that CON
meets Mr.. Lincoln especially with the
romance In adventures OF the war.
A secret service bureau was organ
lied. with headquarters at the capital.
| by Allan Pinkerton. 1t was his bust
ness to provide and equip spies. but 1t
was Mr. Lincoln who laid out their
work for them. He told them what
! information he needed. and it 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 is. considering the
| Importance of the information obtain
i ed-was a young woman. Kate Beaie
had lived in Richmond, the capital of
the Confederacy, and during her resi-
| dence there had naturally become ia
miliar with the place and. taken on the
accent peculiar to Virginia. Moreover.
she was supposed to sympathize with
the southern cause. She was at the
time of Mr. Lincoln's incumbency the
only support of an invalid mother and
found it difficult 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 to the federal govern |
ment. True. if. she were caught in |
such work she was liable to suffer |
death or at least be kept in a southern |
prison till the end of the war. leaving |
her mother without either support or
attendance. She went to Allan Pin
kerton and told him of the advantages |
she possessed for secret service work |
at Richmond and found him a 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
il she chose deceive those in Washing
ton, for her plan was to offer her serv-
ices to the Confederate government to
go 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 1t was difficult to tell
who could be trusted.
Pinkerton pretended to trust Miss
Beale. but before employing her sent
decoys to her to try to draw from her
betrayal in case she intended to
work for the Confederacy instead of
the Union. She stood all these tests.
and at last Pinkerton. becoming salts
fed 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 room. in which she
found Mr.. Lincoln alone. He had
very simple but very important work
for her.
Mr.. Pinkerton informs me-" he said.
that you are familiar with Richmond.
I am anxious to learn what provisions
they have there on which to subsist in
case our armies surround and cut Off
their lines of supplies. 1t will he your
part to take notice of their depots. to
see how we'll filed they are and if nee
essary. or you can do so without too
much risk. learn what they have
from officials. My object is TO dis
cover whether they are in condition to
stand siege or must surrender I'm case
General Grant. who is south of them
1T Petersburg. captures the place. cut =
ting off their only communications
Miss Beale understood perfactiy what
was required of her and is value If
executed. Mr. Lincoln sent her OF
With a God bless You and bring you
pack safely from your perilo4s work"
Citizens We're occasionally passing tc
md fro between the Zines. and Miss
3eale. having President IiHcoin's PASS.
lad no trouble in getting TO Rich
nond. She pretended 20 he bitter
gainst the Federal government and Sc
'uring the acquaintance or the wife Of /.
he officer in charge of the commissary .
department. of the Confederate capital !
vas introduced to him as a person who ,
vas anxious to serve the Confederate !
ause- She asked the commissary how !
he could aid in the matter of getting r
upplies into the Confederacy from the I
lorth. She was taken to President r
Davis for reply and held confer e
nee with him and the commissary t
eneral in the executive mansion. u
There were but two ways by which 3
rpplies could be introduced into the T.
'onfederacy from the outside-hIock-
de running and InntImE vessel or