The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-06-12
SOL r. S
DOU BILE
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1915. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate,

through Lees lines at Petersburg and
the beginning Of the end came a por,
ton of my regiment captured seven
Confederates and brought them into
camp. Ny own company was part
Of the Federal force, but as | was ON
detached duty that week | was not
with them The first ! knew of the
capture was when | heard the story
i that had deserted to the Confederates
and been recaptured and would be
shot 4 visited company headquarters
to ascertain what the talk meant and
/ there met with a strange reception.
was there, wearing blue uniform, and
| yet | was in the guardhouse half q
| mile away wearing the butternut.
had been on duty at division head
quarters, and vet / had been captured
on the advance lines. was at once
placed under arrest, and it was an
hour or more before the mystery was
solved. Then 1t was found that one Of
the Confederate prisoners was my
double and that his name was Wake.
field.
| had not yet recovered from my
surprise when the suggestion was
made that / 60 into the Confederate
camp as a spy on the strength of the
wonderful resemblance. / was given
three days in which to pump Wake
field He was a ready talker and had
good memory. When I was quite
ready I took his suit of clothes com.
plete and he was given another. Then
I was taken down to the front and
made bolt for 1t. In other words, one
of the Confederate prisoners escaped
and dashed across the space which
separated the opposing lines. Not half
a dozen men were let into the secret,
and as ran was fired upon by half
a regiment
] ran at full speed straight for ths
Confederate lines, and on dashing over
a breastwork | found myself in the
midst Of Louisiana brigade of infan.
try. A colonel questioned me as to my
name, regiment when captured, etc,
and / answered so promptly that sup.
posed everything all right 1t wasn't,
however. Federal spies had played
the game before, and Confederate wit
had become sharpened. was sent to
the headquarters OF General Malone,
who was subsequently celebrated In
Virginia and national politics. He
asked me the same questions which
the colonel had put to me and many
others LII addition. saw that he was
suspicious, and, Drawing all at one
stroke. l requested that my captain be-
sent for. The Alabama regiment to
which ! was supposed to belong was
tationed two miles away, and it was
about 8 O'Clock before the captain ar
rived Previous TO his appearance !
had been asked his name, which gave
correctly, and had also described his
person. When he reached headquar.
tiers I was sent for, and as | stood be
fore him and two or three headquar.
tiers officers General Malone asked:
Captain Thorn. this man claims to
belong TO your company. Is he men,
Der or not?"
Yes. sir" was the prompt reply.
whats his name?
John Wakefield. sir"
when was he captured?
-Four days ago along with several
other men"
That settled il. There were about
forty men in Company u. They all
gathered around me as appeared and
gave me a welcome. My orders were
10 ascertain Lees strength on a line
about four miles long How ! was To
this after entering the Con-
federate lines was left for me 10 de-
.ide Wakefield told me that be had
,ousin in the Seventh Virginia. young
'oldier named John winslow. | got
permission of my captain to visit him.
Ind in hunting up the Seventh Virginia
took care to miss ii and cover the
whole front and have a look at guns
nd fortifications found winslew at
asst, but his greeting was far from
ordial The two had evidently quar-.
eled about something on which | was
'ot posted he was SO sulky and un.
friendly that I was about 10 cut my
isit short when he gave me a search
az look and exclaimed:
why, you are not Jehn Wakefield
{ snr
I laughed at him in good nstured
ray. hoped would find him in better
umor when I called again and started
or my regiment. but | had not gone
quarter of 9 mile when ] was over
lken and put under arrest and an
our later uas once more in the pres
nee OF General Malone. I was fol
wed to his tent by winslow. who
oidly proclaimed that wss not John
Wakefield. Then all the orscers and
alf dozen men 81 the cOmpany, in
uding nv terminate. were sent fer.
ID the general heartily entered upon
10 work Of trapping me.
I had pumped John Wakefield se
IOroughly. and 80 plainly remembers
-erythinr. that ! believe PASSED the
animation fully IS well as or better
sn be could
Ny two arm ignnents before General
q hone made me an object % curiosl
: and gossip 10 ny compsnv. ara
hen returned n was 20 hnd all the
IN anrisus b quiz ne and tvo ~
re - them seemingly suspicious
rs captain called ne into his test
d questioned snd cross cUestion-s
, uufn h. declared that nobody bus