APPOINTED DETECTIVE--I VISIT LOUISVILLE--SECESH ACQUAINTANCES--SEEKING
EMPLOYMENT--PEDDLING--REBEL SPIES--ACTING AS CLERK--TRAPPING
SPIES--START FOR VICKSBURG--PRO-SLAVERY TROOPS--CRUELTY TO
NEGROES--VISITING HOSPITALS--TOUCHING SCENES--AN ARMLESS
SOLDIER--PATIENT SUFFERING--TRIUMPHANT DEATH--RALLY ROUND THE
FLAG--WESTERN CHAPLAINS--SOLDIERS' TESTIMONY--EFFECT OF PRAYER IN
BATTLE--CARRYING THE WOUNDED.
Being prohibited from further explorations in that region outside of our
lines, I was appointed to act as detective inside of the lines, as there
were many spies in our midst who were daily giving information to the
enemy, and had baffled all attempts at discovery.
I forthwith dressed in citizen's clothes and proceeded to Louisville, and
there mingled freely with the citizens, visited the different places of
public resort, and made many secesh acquaintances.
At length I found a merchant who was the most bitter in his denunciations
of the Yankees that it has ever been my lot to meet, and I thought he
would be a pretty good person to assist me in my undertakings. Stepping
into his store one morning I inquired if he was in need of a clerk. He
replied that he would require help in a few days, as one of his clerks was
going to leave.
Then came the interrogatory process--Who was I, where did I come from, and
what had brought me to that city? Well, I was a foreigner, and wishing to
see a little of this great American war, I had come "down South;" and now
that I was here, finding myself scarce of money, I would like to find some
employment. This was literally true. I was a foreigner, and very often
scarce of money, and really wished him to employ me.
He finally told me that I might come in the course of a week; but that did
not suit my purpose, so I told him I would rather come at once, as I would
be learning considerable before the other clerk went away; adding that he
might give me just whatever he pleased for the first week's work. That
seemed to suit him and I was at once set to work.
After I had been there several days, I was asked how I would like to go
out to the nearest camp and sell some small articles to the soldiers. I
would like it much; so was sent accordingly with an assortment of pocket
knives, combs and suspenders. By the middle of the afternoon I had sold
out my stock in trade, returned to the store, and gave a good account of
myself and of the goods intrusted to my care.
My employer was pleased with my success and seemed interested in me, and
each day brought some new proof of his confidence. Things went on this way
for two weeks, in which time I had succeeded, by the good merchant's
assistance, in finding a clue to three rebel spies then within our lines.
I was often questioned by my employer with regard to my political
sentiments, but of course I did not know anything about politics--in fact
I hardly knew how to apply the terms Federal and Confederate, and often
misapplied them when talking in the store, and was frequently told that I
must not call the d--d Yankees, Confederates, and all due pains were taken
to instruct me, and give me a proper insight into the true state of
affairs, as seen by Southern secessionists.
At last I expressed a desire to enter the Confederate service, and asked
the merchant how I should manage to get through the Yankee lines if I
should decide to take such a step. After a long conversation, and much
planning, we at last decided that I should go through our lines the next
night with a person who was considered by our troops a thorough Union man,
as he had taken the oath of allegiance to the Federal Government--but who
was in reality a rebel spy.
That afternoon I was sent out again to dispose of some goods to the
soldiers, and while I was gone took the favorable opportunity of informing
the Provost Marshal of my intended escape the following night together
with my brother spy.
After telling him that I might not be able to leave the store again with
any more definite information without incurring suspicion, and that he
had better send some one to the store at a certain hour the next day to
purchase some trifle, so that I might inclose in the parcel the necessary
information, I went back to the store, and my clever employer told me that
I had better not trouble myself any more about anything, but get ready for
my journey. Having but little preparation to make, however, I soon
returned to the store.
Not long after a gentleman came in, to whom I was introduced, and was told
that this was the person who proposed to conduct me through the lines. He
was not announced in his true character, but I understood at once that
this gentlemanly personage was no less than the spy before referred to. He
questioned me pretty sharply, but I being "slow of speech," referred him
to the merchant, whose eloquence had convinced me of my duty to the
Southern confederacy.
My employer stood beside me and gave him a brief history of our
acquaintance and of his confidence in me; also of his own peculiar faculty
of impressing the truth upon unprejudiced minds.
The spy evidently took me for a poor green boy whom the merchant had
flattered into the idea of becoming a soldier, but who did not realize the
responsibility of my position, and I confirmed him in that opinion by
saying--"Well, I suppose if I don't like soldiering they will let me go
home again?"
The Provost Marshal himself came in during the day, and I had my document
ready informing him what time we would start and what direction we were to
take.
The night came, and we started about nine o'clock. As we walked along
toward the rebel lines the spy seemed to think that I was a true patriot
in the rebel cause, for he entertained me with a long conversation
concerning his exploits in the secret service; and of the other two who
were still in camp he said one of them was a sutler, and the other sold
photographs of our generals.
We were pursuing our way in the darkness, talking in a low, confidential
tone, when suddenly a number of cavalry dashed upon us and took us both
prisoners. As soon as we were captured we were searched, and documents
found on my companion which condemned him as a spy. We were then marched
back to Louisville and put under guard. The next morning he was taken care
of, and I was sent to General M.'s headquarters.
The next thing to be done was to find the other two spies. The sutler was
found and put under arrest, and his goods confiscated, but the dealer in
photographs had made his escape.
I never dared go back to Louisville again, for I had ample reason to
believe that my life would pay the penalty if I did.
About this time the Ninth Army Corps was ordered to Vicksburg, where
General Grant had already commenced his siege. While the troops waited at
the depot for transportation a little incident occurred which illustrates
the spirit of the Kentucky soldiers on the slavery question.
Two of our Kentucky regiments were stationed as guards at the depot, and
on this occasion were amusing themselves by throwing stones at every poor
negro who had occasion to pass within a stone's throw of them.
A Michigan regiment marched into the depot on its way to Vicksburg, and
along with it some smart, saucy darkies, in the capacity of servants. The
native soldiers began the same game with them, by throwing stones at and
abusing them; but the Michigan men informed them that "if they did not
stop that kind of business immediately they would find more work on hand
than they could attend to," as they considered their servants a necessary
part of their regiment, and would not permit them to be abused or insulted
any more than if they were white men.
This gave rise to a warm discussion between the troops, and ended in the
Kentuckians forbidding and prohibiting the different regiments from taking
a negro with them from the State under any circumstances. Of course this
incensed our patriotic troops, and in five minutes they were in line of
battle arrayed against their pro-slavery brethren in arms. But before
blood was shed the commander of the post was informed, and hastened to the
spot to prevent further mischief. When the case was fully made known to
him he could not settle the matter, for he was a Kentuckian by birth, and
his sympathies were with the native troops--yet he knew if he should
decide in their favor that a bloody fight would be the consequence, as the
troops still remained in line of battle awaiting the decision of the
commander. He finally told them that they must remain there until he
telegraphed to the headquarters of the department and received an answer.
Consequently the troops were detained two days waiting for the despatch
that would decide the contest. The men became tired of the fun and marched
back to camp.
In consequence of this affair the poor negroes fared worse than ever, and
the troops had no sooner gone back to camp than the Kentuckians swore they
would hang every "nigger" that came into their camp.
During the day I was passing through the depot, and saw a little black
urchin selling cakes and pies, who had no sooner made his appearance than
the guards took his basket away from him. The boy commenced to cry, when
four of the soldiers took hold of him, each one taking hold of a hand or
foot, and pulled him almost limb from limb--just as I have seen cruel
schoolboys torture frogs. When they threw him on the ground he could
neither speak, cry, nor walk, but there he lay a little quivering,
convulsive heap of pain and misery.
The telegram came at last, and the troops were permitted to depart in
peace--taking with them their colored friends, to the chagrin of the
Kentucky guards.
Before reaching Vicksburg I visited several hospitals where the wounded
had been brought from those terrible battles preceding the siege of
Vicksburg, where thousands lay, with all conceivable sorts of wounds.
Several I saw without either arms or legs, having been torn and mangled by
shell so that it was impossible to save even a single limb--and yet they
lived, and would probably recover.
One handsome young man lay on one of the hospital boats who had lost both
arms--a most noble specimen of the patient, cheerful, suffering soldier.
Of this young man the Rev. Mr. Savage writes: "There he lay upon his cot,
armless, and knowing that this must be his condition through life; but yet
with a cheerful, happy countenance, and not a single word of complaint. I
ministered to his wants, and as I cut up fruit in mouthfuls, and put them
in his mouth, he would say, 'Well, now, how good that is! How kind of you!
The Lord will bless you for it. I don't see why you are so kind to me. As
if any one could be too kind to a man who had suffered such a loss in
defense of his country. His soul seemed to be resting peacefully upon
Jesus amid all his great sufferings. One thing touched me exceedingly: As
I spoke of his feelings, the tears coursed down his cheeks and lay upon
them. He had no hands with which even to wipe away the tears from his own
face; and as I took a handkerchief and tenderly performed this office,
that beautiful passage of scripture occurred to me with a force it never
did before: 'and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.'"
Near by lay another young man, an officer, mortally wounded--fast
breathing his life away--he seemed unconscious of his dying state. I asked
the nurse, in a low whisper, if he knew he was dying, but before the nurse
could reply, he looked up with a smile, and said: "Yes, yes, I know it.
Praise God! there is not a cloud between my soul and Jesus. I am
waiting--I--waiting--." These were his last words. A few moments more and
his tongue was silent in death.
But he's gone to rest in heaven above,
To sing his Saviour's praise.
One of the military agents at Nashville relates a most thrilling incident,
which he witnessed in a hospital at that place. He says:
"Last evening, when passing by the post hospital, my attention was
arrested by the singing, in rather a loud voice, of 'Rally round the
flag, boys,' by one of the patients inside. While listening to the
beautiful music of that popular song, I observed to a nurse standing in
the door-way, that the person singing must be in a very merry mood, and
could not be very sick. 'You are mistaken, sir,' said he; 'the poor fellow
engaged in singing that good old song is now grappling with death--has
been dying all day. I am his nurse,' he continued, 'and the scene so
affected me that I was obliged to leave the room. He is just about
breathing his last.'
"I stepped into the ward, and true enough, the brave man was near his end.
His eyes were already fixed in death. He was struggling with all his
remaining strength against the grim monster, while at the same time there
gushed forth from his patriotic soul incoherently the words: 'Rally round
the flag, boys,' which had so often cheered him through his weary march,
and braced him up when entering the field of blood in defense of his
country. Finally he sank away into his death-slumber, and joined his
Maker's command, that is marching onward to that far-off, better land. The
last audible sound that escaped his lips was, 'Rally boys, rally once
again!' As his eyes were closing, some dozen of his comrades joined in a
solemn, yet beautiful hymn, appropriate to the occasion. Take it
altogether, this was one of the most affecting scenes I have ever
witnessed in a hospital. It drew tears copiously from near one hundred of
us. It occurred in the large ward which occupies the entire body of the
church on Cherry street. The deceased was an Illinoisan, and had been
wounded in one of the recent skirmishes."
I noticed in the Western department that the chaplains were much more
faithful to their trust, and attentive to the sick and wounded, than the
chaplains in the Army of the Potomac--taking them as a class.
One man in speaking of his chaplain, said: "He is one of the best men in
the world; he has a temperance meeting once a week, a prayer meeting twice
a week, and other meetings as he is able to hold them; and then he labors
personally among the men. He also comforts the sick and dying. I saw him
with one of our comrades before he died, watching and praying with him;
and when he died, he closed his eyes and prepared him for the grave with
his own hands."
Another said: "Over at Frederickstown, as our lines were beginning to give
way, and many thought the day was lost, our chaplain stepped right out
from the ranks, between us and the enemy's lines, knelt down upon the
ground, and lifted up his voice in most earnest prayer to God for divine
help in that hour of need. I never felt so in all my life as I did at that
moment. An inspiration, as from God, seemed to seize us all; we rallied,
charged, drove the enemy before us, and gained the important victory at
Frederickstown, which perhaps has saved to us the State of Mississippi."
And yet another soldier gave testimony like the following, with regard to
a chaplain who had followed his regiment through every battle in which it
had participated. Said he: "He was with us day after day, and as soon as a
man fell wounded, he would take him up in his arms and carry him out where
the surgeon could take care of him; and the last day I saw him, his
clothes, from head to foot, were literally dripping with the blood of dead
and wounded men that he had carried from the battle-field."
This noble chaplain reminds me of a brave soldier in the Army of the
Potomac, who was in the hottest of the battle at Antietam, where the
bullets were sweeping like death-hail through the ranks. The line wavered;
there were strong symptoms of falling back on the part of his regiment.
This man rushed toward the color-bearer, who stood hesitating, seized the
standard and advanced with firm and rapid step several paces in front of
the foremost man; then thrusting down the flag-staff into the ground he
looked up at the banner, then at the wavering line, and said--"There,
boys, come up to that!"