_An Adventure in Pittsburg.--A Mob at Bay.--An
Explanation.--Good-feeling Restored._
Several influences operated in my mind to induce me to respond at once
to this letter, and some of them of a directly personal nature. I had
been acquainted with General McClellan for a long time before this, and
had been intimately associated with him while engaged upon various
important operations connected with the Illinois Central and the Ohio
and Mississippi Railroads, of the latter of which he was then president.
From the friendship and esteem I entertained for him growing out of my
relations with him in those matters, both as an individual and as an
executive officer, I felt the more anxious to enter into his service,
now that he had assumed the command of a military department, and was
about to take an active part in the impending struggle.
At Philadelphia I ascertained that Timothy Webster had already departed
for Pittsburg, according to previous instructions, and hastily
telegraphing to the General that I would instantly respond to his letter
in person, I took the first train leading westward and was soon upon my
way.
Timothy Webster, meanwhile, had proceeded on his journey from
Perrysville, and arrived without accident or adventure in Philadelphia.
He immediately repaired to the office of Mr. Dunn, who informed him that
he had just received a dispatch for him from Chicago. Webster hastily
opened the message and found my directions for him to await my return at
the city of Pittsburg. Remaining in the Quaker City until the following
day, he took the western train and in due time arrived at his
destination. On inquiring at the telegraph office in Pittsburg he
received another message to the same effect as the first one, and he
therefore engaged quarters at a hotel, patiently awaiting my coming. On
the second day after his arrival in the Smoky City, which was Sunday, he
again went to the telegraph office, where he received information that I
would probably arrive there in the course of that day.
Returning to the hotel, Webster entered the bar-room, and while he was
being attended to two men came in, apparently engaged in excited
conversation. They advanced to the bar and requested drinks. The
excitement in the city, attendant upon the news from Baltimore, had not
abated in the least since Webster had passed through several days
before, and these two men were discussing the action of the government
in regard to this matter. One of them, an excitable, empty-headed
fellow, was cursing the President and General Scott, in very loud tones
and in unmeasured terms, for not burning the city of Baltimore to
ashes, and thus teaching the rebels a lesson they would be apt to
remember. The remonstrances of his friend seemed only to excite him
still more, and Webster, feeling desirous of avoiding any controversy at
that time, started to leave the saloon, when the angry disputant turned
to him, and arrogantly demanded his opinion of the matter.
"I think," said Webster, "that the President and General Scott
understand their duties much better than I can inform them, and I
suppose they do not wish to destroy the property of many who are true to
the government."
"That is all nonsense," replied the other, sharply, "there is not a
single Union man in the whole city."
"I think you are mistaken," said Webster, coolly. "I am sure there are
thousands of them there."
This answer seemed to infuriate the man, and striding up to Webster, he
asked, with an air of impertinence:
"Are you a Southern man?"
"No, sir, I was born in New York," was the reply.
"What is your name?" impudently demanded the fellow.
"You will find my name upon the register of the hotel, if you desire it,
and as I do not wish to have any further controversy with you, I bid you
good morning," replied Webster, still remaining cool and unruffled.
By this time a crowd of about twenty men had gathered about them, and
as Webster turned to leave the room, one of them demanded to know the
contents of the telegram he had just received.
This demand, added to the previous suggestion that Webster was a
Southern man, was sufficient to excite the entire crowd, who had been
living upon excitement for more than a week, and they began to press
around him in a threatening manner, one of them calling out:
"I believe he is a d--d spy; let us see what he has got!"
Webster broke loose from those nearest to him, and retreating backwards
toward the door, exclaimed, in a determined voice:
"Gentlemen, I am no spy, and if any of you attempt to trouble me
further, some of you will assuredly get hurt!"
At this the crowd grew boisterous and violent, and several called out,
"Hang him!" "Hang the spy!" while some of them made a rush toward where
he stood.
Drawing his revolver, Webster faced his angry assailants, who drew back
involuntarily when they saw that he was both well armed and undismayed.
"Gentlemen, we have had enough of this nonsense. You can talk about
hanging me, and perhaps there are enough of you to do it, but, by God,
the first one that attempts to put his hands upon me is a dead man!"
Matters began to look serious. It seemed evident that these excited
people were determined to resort to violence, and that there would be
bloodshed in consequence. Webster, whose relations with the government
were of so intensely loyal a character, was filled with regret at having
allowed himself to become a party to a conversation which would lead to
such serious consequences. He was resolved, however, to maintain his
position. To show signs of weakness, therefore, would be dangerous, if
not fatal, to him, and he stood bravely in front of the angry mob, who
had drawn back at the sight of the revolver which was leveled so
menacingly at them.
Only for a moment, however, did the crowd stand awed and irresolute--one
moment of silence, in which every man appeared to be deciding for
himself his course of action. Then one tall, stalwart man stepped from
their midst, and waving his hand toward his companions, he cried out:
"Come on, he is only one against twenty, and we will take him dead, or
alive!"
The crowd took a few steps in advance, and Webster had braced himself to
receive their attack, when suddenly, close beside him stood a form, and
a loud voice called out:
"Stop, gentlemen, where you are! This man is no traitor, and I will
defend him with my life!" and the muzzles of two revolvers ranged
themselves beside that presented by the suspected, but undismayed
detective.
[Illustration: "_Stop, Gentlemen, where you are._" P. 146.]
Involuntarily the crowd stood still at this unexpected arrival of
reinforcements, and Webster, who had recognized the voice, looked up in
surprise and relief at this unlooked-for, though timely, assistance.
I had arrived just in the nick of time, and I was resolved to defend my
undaunted operative to the last.
At this moment the proprietor of the hotel entered the saloon, and in a
calm voice and quiet manner attempted to subdue the angry feelings of
the bystanders.
"Gentlemen," said he, "there need be no trouble about this matter; Mr.
Webster can fully explain his position, and I think the best plan would
be for you all to repair to the office of the mayor, where any
explanation can be given."
"I am perfectly willing to do that," said I; "I know this man, and will
answer for him under any circumstances; we will accompany you to the
office of the mayor at once, and I think I can convince him that he is
no spy."
This proposition was eagerly accepted by some, and reluctantly by
others, and finally the entire party marched out of the hotel on their
way to the office of the chief magistrate of the city; Webster and
myself walking together.
The crowd increased as we went on, and frequent calls were still made to
"hang the traitor," but no further attempts were made to molest us, and
we reached the office without any event of a troublesome nature
occurring.
The noise of the crowd attracted the attention of the chief of police,
who, during the temporary absence of the mayor, was in charge of affairs
of this nature, and he came to the door to ascertain the occasion of the
tumult.
As the crowd, with Webster and myself in the van, reached the steps
which led up to the municipal office, I at once recognized the chief of
police, having been connected with him some time before in the detection
of some burglars from the city of Pittsburg, and that officer was not
slow to identify me as the detective, who had frequently enabled him to
secure the desperate criminals whom the law had at various times
pursued.
As we reached the platform where the officer was standing, I stretched
forth my hand, which the chief cordially grasped.
"Why, Mr. Pinkerton, what are you doing here?" inquired the chief, with
some surprise.
"I have come to defend one of my men, whom these people insist upon
hanging as a rebel spy, but who is loyal to the core," I answered,
laughingly.
"I will take care of that," replied the chief, "and your word is
sufficient for me," at the same time extending his disengaged hand and
warmly greeting Webster, who stood beside me.
As the crowd noticed the evident acquaintance and good-feeling that
existed between the reputed spy and their chief of police, they drew
back instinctively, while some of them looked as if they were not
insensible to a feeling of shame. The chief realized the state of
affairs at once, and turning to the now crestfallen and subdued
gathering, he addressed them:
"Gentlemen, I will be responsible for the loyalty and integrity of these
gentlemen, and you will instantly disperse."
The leaders of this assault on Webster looked terribly ashamed of
themselves when they found how ridiculously they had been acting, and as
the door of the chief's office closed on our retreating figures, they
slowly and silently retired.
In an hour afterwards, when Webster and I returned to the hotel, we
found the gentlemen who a short time before were anxious to hang him,
awaiting our arrival, and we received from them their heartfelt
apologies for their hasty and inconsiderate conduct, all of which were
received with a spirit of good nature that won the regards of all
present, and when the time of our departure arrived, they accompanied us
to the depot in a body, and cheered us lustily as the train slowly moved
away.
Thus an adventure, which promised to be very serious in its results,
terminated in a manner satisfactory to all, and Webster and myself,
instead of being lynched by a Pittsburg mob, departed in safety on our
journey, and arrived in Cincinnati upon the following day, prepared to
receive from General McClellan such instructions as were deemed
necessary by him for the furtherance of the cause in which he was
engaged.
[Illustration: BETRAYED BY HIS BOOTS.]