Norwich bulletin., 1921-11-05

a safer costume than my correspondent uniform Shortly afterwafd I was more than glad that I had taken his advice, for I ran, head-on, into a party of MoSoy's guerillas, and was able to convince them that I was a southern messenger to sym patfIizers in Washington. They offered 10 gnide me to an easy ford on the Kappa hammock and I could do nothing but &C., cept As we neared the place, my eia- tion at having deceived them vanished, for they were taking me to a ford guarded by a man that knew was a. Northern correspondent. The inevitable happened 1; I was recognized and had to cut for it. l spurred into the river, missed the ford and was forced to swim my horse across with the bullets spaashing all around me q got through, though, without a scratch, only to be held up by Confeder- ate cavalry at Manassas Junctitns l had abandoned the horse and was walk | ing along the tracks of the Orange and 1 Alexandria railroad when they nabbed me- The guards were not strict. | waited untR dusk, crawled Between them, and ran A six-mile walk in the dark, | a challenge, and I was safely in the fed eral lines at Union Mills.
 1 Of the half dozen correspondents that I had made the attempt, I learned I was the only one that had got through. But my troubles had only begun. The near
 est public telegraph station was at Alex ardria, 90 miles away, and 1t would close at midnight This was at o'clock couldn't get horse or a handcar at any price, so over the military wire iron IUnfon Mills, I sent to my friend c. A Dana, second assistant secretary of war this message:
 am just in from the front Left IGrant at four o'clock this morning.
 Back came this:
 s' Where did you leave Grant"
 Tt was signed, not by Dana, but bl Stanton, Secretary of War. Then l req
 lized what 1t meant the government dit
 not know what had happened in the Wdi derness; I was first to a telegraph wit 1.-the biggest news of the day
 t T told Secretary Stanton that l woul' lteIl him all that knew f he would le
 me send 100 words to my paper over tn military wire.
 + "Again came the peremptory query 1 Where did you leave General Grant%
 l T replied that the news belong to tn Tribune and reiterated my terms. Stan tons next message was to the post com mander ordering him to arrest me as spy unless I told what I knewl Hungry, tired, and miserable I stretch | ed out upon bench in that cheerles
 station. I was virtually on parole pend
 ing orders from Washington as to wha was to be done with me Camp was sti E as death. I was just drowsing off Bhe I 1.-the telegraph sounder chattered again. Ell Its for you said the operator. M Lincoln wants to know if you will te = him where General Grant is Mir. Bncolnl The President himself
 Nevertheless, I repeated the terms I ha made to Secretary Stanton and they wei : fpronptly accepted with the request tha # in view of the importance of the news !, the country, give the Associated Press h brief summary of my dispatch to the TIT v bune.'
 '- T was no longer hungry, tired, and mi l. lerable. Nothing whatever was the matt f with me. Standing at the side of the c I orator at Union Mills, I dictated di d patch that occupied a haif-column in tl F. Tribune of the following morning. Wi r that knowledge that my article was 0 my papers hands. I started for Washin @ ton on a locomotive furnished by t $ President
 d 'HThe Cabinet was assembled at tI Il White House when I arrived at about ty
 in the morning As I entered the rool fe I suddenly realized how unkempt was T e appearance. became aware that my bu st ternut' coat was very wrinkled and ve o dusty; that the trousers far too k9ng T, trne, had been turned up and tied wi e coarse twine; that my hair vas wild
 disordered: and that my orogahs bo g heavy deposits of the sacred soip of VI y ginia. Gideon Wells, secretary of { ;o1 navy, and personal friend, introduc ,f me around. With the aid of a large WI y nlaI, I explained to the President and l ie aides what was happening in the Wilde 'a ness. Then l said that I had q persor D. message for the president an dthe cabir lo withdrew.
 5o Alone, the president seemed immen! ly tall. I had not noticed it until N, i9 stood over me while I staInmered C LII General Grants message. He could
 hear me clearly. and no wonder. Gras Ie ing me by the shoulders he bent over | 1Ts til his eyes were level with mine a
 made me repeat. it. I summoned eve lt effort to speak coIlectedly and said slo 11 Fly:
 n General Grant told me to tell ' a,i from him that, no matter what happe ,+ ltlere will be no turning back ba 'SThe presidents wonderful eyes gio a0 ed. I shall never forget this picture al him. Every other leader of the Army ce the Potomac had turned back, and I I if brought him word from one that wo,
 not. Eyuberant, he pulled me to hin ,:e and, he was so glad, he kissed me on