Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-06-11


sympathizers.
Having made mp my mind that there
was no hope of the southern people
accepting any terms that the Federal
government would offer, l left my
boarding house, giving out that | was
going to my home, a plantation ON the
James river. intending to go there with
a view to striking Fortress Monroe, in
possession of the United States forces.
From there | could easily proceed
north by sea in a government trans
port.
l succeeded in finding a steamboat
carrying freight that was going down
the river from Richmond as far as the
boat could proceed without encounter
ing any Federal force. l took passage
ON her. finding n few other passengers.
1t was on this boat that | received my
first and only scare. Up to this time
no one l had met seemed to have the
slightest suspicion of my sex Being
suspected was not the cause of my
trouble on the boat, but that | was too
attractive to a man.
On the guard as we left Richmond,
standing rear me-. was a young fellow,
a typical southerner, who from his
glances | Judged was quite struck with
my appearance. When / went into
the cabin he followed me and in order
to scrape an acquaintance offered mt
some books to read. Thinking that it
might be more dangerous to repulse
him than to accept his attentions, |
accepted a novel and in order to get
rid of further devotion pretended to be
absorbed in 1t. This did not serve,
for, though he was considerable, defer
entail and all that. he insisted in tax
ing advantage of every opportunity TO
converse with me. Ninally | concluded
to favor him and permitted him to do
so. Since he seemed to be smitten
with me, there was surely no reason
to fear that he would suspect m of
being a man and my true errand. At
last, remarking that the air in the cab
in was sitting. he insisted on my going
out OF the guard with him.
We sat together, passing along the
yellow stream, with its banks nearly
as bare as when the settlement of
jamestown found the peninsula a will
derness. My companion at first said
he was opposed to secession, but on
my asserting that any man who did
not stand by the south was a traitor to
his country he veered around and adj
mitted thai he was in the Confederate
service. To draw him out l pretended
not to believe his last statement, and
he confessed that be was a lieutenant
in a Virginia regiment.
"Then why are you not in uniform?"
l asked, with feigned suspicion of the
truth of his statement.
This was too much for him. He
confessed that he was going to Fortress
Monroe on secret service. He was the
bearer Of dispatches to prominent
southern sympathizers in the north
and intended sailing on any vessel he
could find to take him there.
This confirmed Mr.. Pinkerton's story
that the routes between the north and
south were full of Confederate spies.
| was seized with the fear that one of
them had suspected me and had made
my acquaintance with a view to trap
ping Lit 4 HCtNU0 hiSoOtA W III IN
and gave every evidence of my appre-
citation of one who was about to risk SO
much for the Confederate cause.
1t was hard for me to believe that
one bent on such an errand would thus
give himself away to a stranger, yet,
on the other hand, he was still in Con
federate territory talking to one who
professed to be wrapped up in the sue
cess of the south. AT any rate, I
should soon know whether he was de-
ceiyed by me or was playing a game
to trap me.
l thought it best to leave the boat at
a landing some distance above the end
of, her route. | babe my friend good
by with my best wishes for his sue
cess and. going ashore, hired a man
to drive me in his buggy toward the
point | wished to reach. In one way
or another l got as far as a Federal
outpost and asked To be taken to the
commander.
l had kept sewed up in my clothing
an order, signed "A. Lincoln" to all
in the Federal service to give me aid
and comfort and showed 1t to the gem
eral commanding. l was at once pro-
vided with mans clothing, and an ord
nance officer furnished me with a re-
volver. / wished this weapon in case
l should meet my admirer with whom
I had Travelled. | did not wish to give
him away, but | wanted to get the dis
patches he carried, SO l could give
them to President Lincoln. l had not
been at the fort two hours before l
saw the young man passing across the
parade. l approached and accosted
him. He did not recognize me at once,
but as soon as it broke in upon his
brain that he had given himself away
to a man thinking him to be a girl he
turned CHASTITY pale.
Don't fear anything for yourself"
l said. 81 have just come off the same
h0of with Won in mOra rponnpfq fAan