Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1914-02-27
. WOnlan'S
Exploit
She Was Sent Out as a Spy
by Prssideat Lincoln
ny r. a. mitchell

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The life Of President Lincoln IL so
thoroughly Identified with the four
years Of war the Iast four years OF
Ms earthly existence that we are not
accustomed to think VI HIN IN any
other connection. During that brief
period we see him under many lights
now he Is eiideasoriug BY Nise dipIo-
macy TO prevent fure,gu .sveralneRts
from Intervening between the north
sud the south TO Insure the separation
4 the states and on the sane day
Ives TO woman ~ low degree the
life OF her son. who has been srnt~nced
10 ie shot FOR deseriion. al one mo
ment he Is urging the generals To move
their srInics against the enemy. the
next he is sending out An iniiiy ldaai--
girl III her teens perhaps to hiring
iiIn Information Of the Co.ifsderrtts.
II is this last named rsld timi con
meets Mr.. Lincoln especially with the
romanee In adventures ~ tlle war
4 secret ~ervi-e hurran .as orgun-
led with headquarters at the capital.
iy Allan vnkertou. II WINS his htsi-
ness to provide ind equip spies. tut It
was MIR. Iinrnln who laid mt their
work for tilsni fir tnld tii,m xhat
information ne nredrd and !; was
their part to ret II for hin. The risk
they ran WIS ve:s Erssi ard their pay
when they worked far pay was pro
pcrtionatcly large.
Possibly the most sucee-srul of Mr..
i4incoIn's spies that Is. considering the
imp3rfane,. af the information uhtsln.
ed was II young woman. Kate iieale
had lived In Richmond the capital OF
tue Confederacy. and during her resi-
dence these had naturally become "a.
miliar with the place aud taken on tho
accent peculiar to Virginia Moreover.
she was supposed 10 sympHthlye with
the southern cause. She was At the
time Of Mr. F.iueoln~ incum,-u the
only support of an invalid mother and
found it dltilcult TO provide the neces-
sary supplies
It occurs to Nle. B+ale that she
might pui tvi AHowEl,p " Redmond
to adyant' 81" bs z ing th re and -riag.
ing Inform :,n Il, the I'D ri govern
ment True. II she wvsr caught IN
such work she was lllhlr TO srfer
death or Mt leass b. kept In southern
prison till the end Of the war tea wing
her mother without either support or
attendance She went 10 Allan Pin
kerton and told hlm OF the advantages
she possessed for secret service work
at 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 those in Washing
ton. for her plan was to offer her sery-
Ices to the Confederate government to
go to Washington and bring back in
formation for President Davis Wash
lngton was full OF southerners ready to
convey information to the Confederate
government and Il 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
a betrayal in case she intended to
work for the Confedericy instead OF
the Union She stood all these tests.
and at last Pinkerton. becoming satis-
fed that she was to be trusted. sent
her to President fIncoln. This was in
the spring of 65. when the war was
drawing TO n close
On arriving ut the white House she
was admitted to room. In which she
found Mr. Lincoln alone. He had a
very simple but very important work
for her
"Mr. Pinkerten 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 arinies surround and cut Oft
their lines or supplies. II viii be YOUR
part to take notice Of their dppots, to
see how well iiIied they are and II nee
essary. or you can do so without too
much risk. iearn what they have
from officials. My object Is to dis
cover whether they are In condition to
stand II siege or must surrender In case
General Grant. who IL south of them
at Petersburg. captures the place. cut
ting of their only communications
southward
Miss Beale understood perfectly what
was required OF her and its vaiue IL
executed. Mr.. Lincoln sent her OF
with Il God bless you and bring you
back safely from your perilons work"
Citizens were occasionally passing to
and fro between the lines. and Miss
Beale. having President fIncoln's pass.
had no trouble in getting Ia Rich
mond She pretended to he bitter
against the Federal government and Sc
curing the acquaintance of the wife OF
the officer in charge Of the commlssary
department ~ the Confederate capital
was introduced to him as a person who
was anxious To serve the Confederate
cause. She asked the conmissary how
she could aid in the mrtter of getting
supplies into the Confpderacy from the
north. She was taken to President
Davis for reply and held confer
ence with him and the commissary
general IN the executive mansion
There were but two ways by which
supplies could be introduced into the
Confederacy from the outside block