Between the Lines Part 25

I will not tell you who the powerful interests were; suffice it to say they were Confederates, doing good work for the Confederacy all the while. Yet they had the entree of the departments at Was.h.i.+ngton, having very powerful influence there. There were no other parties in the United States so strongly allied. Through their medium many strange things were manipulated. I will not mention their names, for they are all dead now.

I consider Langley's arrest one of the most important.

Of all the newspapers the "Tribune" was the very best to conjure with.

Any person who could show credentials from that paper would undoubtedly be welcome anywhere on our lines.

Langley knew that I would visit the "Tribune," hence his efforts in his statement to account for why he had not served them.

FILE XXIX.

Patrick Scally, an honest deserter from the Confederate service--A sketch of the defences of Richmond.

The following statement is interesting as showing how a poor, ignorant, drunken man was hurried off with Gilmor and Bradley T. Johnson, in July, '64, when they retreated from north of Baltimore.

I feel sure the whiskey was paid for by Judge Grason, or Mr. c.o.c.key, or some of the other disloyals spoken of in Mr. Kremer's and my own former reports. They undoubtedly gave him the horse, also:

Baltimore, Md., Dec. 23, 1864.

Statement of Patrick Scally:

"I was born in Ireland. I lived in Texas, Baltimore County, for five years before I went South; my father and mother live there. I am a laborer.

I went South on the tenth of last July, that is, I joined Gilmor's command at Texas. I joined Company C, Second Maryland Battalion. They gave me a horse, carbine and sabre. The second day after I joined them I was in the fight in front of Was.h.i.+ngton, but did not like the fighting much.

I was drunk when I joined them and didn't know what I was doing.

I deserted from them on the 1st day of August between Hanc.o.c.k and c.u.mberland, and went to work for a farmer named McLean, a good Union man; he didn't know that I was a deserter. I worked for him about two weeks. I then went to c.u.mberland, and then went to Pittsburg and there worked for Wood, Matthews & Co., nearly four months. I was afraid, while at work for Mr.

McLean, that the Rebels would catch me and shoot me.

I didn't report at Pittsburg because I didn't know there was any necessity for so doing; the people in Pittsburg did not know that I had been with the Rebels. I was only with the Rebels three weeks, they never gave me a uniform; they once paid me ten dollars in Confederate money.

I was sworn into the Rebel service the same day that I enlisted, while I was drunk. I wore the same citizens clothes that I wore from home, while with the Rebels. I would have deserted the next morning after I joined them if I could, but could not get any chance.

I left Pittsburg last Sunday night, got home to Texas yesterday evening. My father told me I would have to come here and take the oath and if I did not I would be arrested as a spy. I knew I had to give myself up before. I came in town this morning and gave myself up.

I cannot read or write. I have heard the newspapers read, but not often. I never heard of the President's Proclamation, don't know what it is."

his (Signed) PATRICK X SCALLY.

mark

Below is a sketch of the fortifications bounding Richmond on the east and north. The information came to me from Dr. A's brother, who had just arrived from Richmond. The source of information being so reliable, a copy was made and forwarded to General Grant. The date of its transmission I have not.

When General Grant made the a.s.sault on Richmond, on the east and north, on Sept. 26, 1864, the colored troops under General Birney encountered this ditch.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

I quote from reports:

"On Sep. 28th a movement was made by General Grant on the North of the James. It was predicated on the belief that only a small force of the enemy occupied the works on the North side of the river."

"General Birney was ordered by a rapid movement at daylight, to capture the enemy's work in front of Deep Bottom, and gain possession of the New Market road leading to Richmond."

"Two Regiments only, of the Colored Division, reached one of the Rebel forts, where they found a ditch ten feet wide and eight feet deep between them and the parapet.

More than a hundred of these brave fellows jumped into the ditch and a.s.sisted some of their comrades to mount the parapet by allowing them to climb up on their shoulders, about a dozen succeeded in mounting the parapet by this means. But this force which had bravely pushed on, was far too small to capture the fort, and was, therefore, compelled to retire, leaving their comrades in the ditch of the fort.

But these were unable to make good their escape, as it would have been certain death to leave the ditch and return to the troops, and were afterwards compelled to surrender.

About 800 men were lost in this a.s.sault in killed, wounded, and prisoners."

I regret not having the date upon which my information was forwarded to General Grant, but it evidently was not in his hand by September 28th.

[Ill.u.s.tration: COLONEL HARRY GILMOR]

FILE x.x.x.

Confederate Colonel Harry Gilmor, the raider, telling how he did not "come back" as a conquering hero; of the sword he never received; of his capture, etc.--The arrest and conviction of the fair donor.

Colonel Harry Gilmor, who commanded a regiment of cavalry in the Confederate service, was a Baltimorean. He was the beau ideal of its "blue blood" ladies, or many of them; he was their hero who was to ultimately capture the Monumental City, who was to march down Charles Street Avenue as conquerors only return. He had earnestly tried to produce the closing scene of his drama in July, but failed; when, to cheer him to renew his efforts, they proposed to present him with a magnificent sabre. They purchased the best to be found from Messrs.

Schuyler, Hartley & Graham, arms dealers, then in Maiden Lane, New York (now on Broadway), paying for it one hundred and twenty-five dollars in gold.

I was told the dainty creatures were so anxious for the safe custody of their token of war, that they placed it under the British flag, pending the opportunity to get it to the Colonel; that is, they left it with Mrs. Frederick Bernal, wife of the British Consul at Baltimore. The sympathies of many of the Britishers were decidedly with the South.

Gilmor was a born raider. He used to raid the hearts of these Blue Belles "befo de wah," on Charles Street Avenue. His command was made up largely of Marylanders, and Maryland was frequently the victim of his incursions. Our desire to "possess" him was perhaps as great as that of any of his lady admirers.

On November 1st, 1864, I intercepted the sword on its way to Harry. From the person of the messenger I got a letter which was to make him "solid"

when he should arrive in the Confederate territory. Gilmor was understood to have been wounded, and as being then laid up at the Inglenby Mansion, three or four miles from Duffield Station, Virginia, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (the Inglenby family were descendants of one of the original colonists).

The letter was somewhat blindly framed, it did not mention the bearer, except to say that "he is perfectly reliable" or something to that effect.

I proposed to General Wallace that I would be the messenger, using this letter, and would thus locate Gilmor, so that he might be captured.

With one man, Mr. Kraft, I started for Harper's Ferry, reported to General Stevenson, engaged one of his scouts, Corporal George R. Redman (who at one time was of my corps) to go with me and equipped with the below described pa.s.s, I started out on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad for Duffield Station.

Office Provost Marshal, Military District of Harper's Ferry.