CHAPTER XVIII.
Arrival in Memphis—Daring robbery—Detailed by the Provost-marshal General—Assumes the character of a rebel Major—Secesh acquaintances—Captures a rebel mail—A jollification—A rebel trader—Plan to run the pickets—Escape of the outlaws.
On the 22d day of January, 1863, General Logan's division arrived in Memphis, Tenn., preparatory to moving down the Mississippi, to join in the campaign against Vicksburg. While there, as I was passing through the city, accompanied by William Goodhart, of the 20th Ohio, I saw a splendid carriage approaching, drawn by a fine pair of black horses, with silver-plated harness. In it were Captain Daniels and the Quartermaster that had captured me and taken me to Cold Water to be paroled.
As the carriage came up, we sprang into the street toward it, to capture the inmates. Recognizing me, they sprang out at the opposite side, and ran in different directions and made their escape. Supposing that the carriage and horses belonged to them, we unfastened the horses, mounted them, and started for camp, leaving the carriage standing in the street. We reported, with the horses, to division head-quarters, and thence was ordered to brigade head-quarters. At brigade head-quarters we were ordered to turn them over to the Quartermaster of our own regiment, which we did. The next morning, the following article appeared in the Memphis Bulletin:
"Daring Robbery.—Yesterday, some time during the day, two soldiers entered the stable of a citizen on Adams street, and took therefrom a valuable span of black horses, and a set of silver-plated harness, and succeeded in getting away with the stolen property.
"Such outrages upon citizens of this city have become frequent of late, and it is high time that the military authorities took the matter in hand and suppressed such disgraceful proceedings."
The same day that the above article appeared, an order was procured by a citizen of the city for the release of the horses and harness. From what I could learn, the horses belonged to him, and not to the persons driving them.
With nothing to do about Memphis but idle my time away in camp, I began to get restless and uneasy, and was about contriving some way to get outside of the lines to work, when I received word that General Logan wanted to see me. I immediately reported to him, and was handed a sealed envelope and ordered to report with it to Colonel Hillyer, Provost-marshal General on General Grant's staff. I carried the communication to the Colonel, as directed, and, when he had read it, he immediately sat down and wrote me an order, of which the following is a copy:
"Head-quarters Department of the Tennessee,
"Office of the Provost-marshal General,
"Memphis, Tenn., February 6, 1863.
"The bearer, Lorain Ruggles, is in scout service of the Government. He will be passed through all lines, at all hours. He will be furnished with whatever assistance he may require.
"He has authority to make arrests, reporting the same to the nearest military commander or Provost-marshal.
"All officers and soldiers of this command will, in every way, facilitate his operations.
"By command of Major-General U. S. Grant.
"William Hillyer,
"Provost-marshal General."
Handing me the order and some money, the Colonel told me to procure a place to board, and then commence operations. He requested me to report every two or three days the result of my labors, and to do my reporting, when practicable, at night.
I selected a boarding-house on Adams street, kept by a Mrs. W——s. There I represented myself as a Major in the rebel army. My former residence in the city, at intervals of time, gave me an acquaintance that enabled me readily to carry out the character of a rebel officer, without exciting any suspicion to the contrary.
Having established myself in my boarding-house, I proceeded to drum up the acquaintance of such persons as I had reason to believe were of suspicious loyalty.
My first acquaintance of that sort was a Captain Wells, who formerly commanded an independent company in Vicksburg, Miss., but who had resigned his commission in the Confederate army and established himself in business in Memphis. He was at that time a "Union man," with the oath of allegiance in his pocket, but engaged in buying horses of Federal soldiers, and smuggling them through the Federal lines.
My acquaintance with him soon led to an acquaintance with others, variously engaged—some as guerrillas, some horse-stealers, some smugglers, some as mail-carriers, and others in various disloyal capacities. They all knew me by my assumed rank, and always addressed me as Major Ruggles.
On one occasion, while looking about the city, one of my disloyal acquaintances informed me that there was a large mail in town from Missouri, to go to General Price's army; and, said he, "Major, I thought that, perhaps, you would be going down that way soon, and if you are, why not take it with you? I presume it is a mail of considerable importance, and undoubtedly General Price would compensate you well for it."
"Perhaps I will take it down," I replied. "But I must make some arrangements with my wife before I go, and I will let you know in the morning."
"Very well. Come up in the morning."
I then went and told the Provost-marshal General what I had learned. He told me to keep watch, and when it started out, to capture it.
The next day I went to see about carrying it out myself, and was told that a man had already made arrangements to carry it, and that it was packed up, ready to go. While talking about the mail, another of my new acquaintances came up, and I invited the two to walk over to the Italian saloon with me and take something to drink.
"You go with me," said the new comer, "over to the saloon where I get my drinks."
"Very well," said I, and we all went over.
In front of the saloon was hitched a horse and buggy. In the saloon, besides the proprietor, was a very gentlemanly-looking man, who, soon after we entered, asked the proprietor of the saloon if he had any word that he wanted to send to Hernando. The man said he was going down that way, and if he had any thing to send he would take it.
The proprietor had nothing to send, and the gentleman, without making any further business, went out. The thought now occurred to me that the mail was in the buggy at the door, and the man that went out was the mail-carrier. I excused myself from my companions, as soon as I could, and started out to watch the suspected gentleman. When I went out, he had unhitched and started down the street. I followed along, through one street after another, until the buggy stopped at a provision store. There the gentleman purchased a demijohn of something, and a side of bacon. I saw him place them in the buggy, and then return to make other purchases.
I then went to Captain Taylor, who had charge of the Government horses in the city, whom I found sitting on his horse at his stables. I told him that a rebel mail was going out through the lines, and that I wanted his horse long enough to ride out to the picket line, on the Hernando road, and stop it. He lent me his horse, and I soon found myself at the picket line.
I found a Lieutenant in command of the pickets. I told him that there would be a rebel mail attempt to pass his lines, and that it would be in a one-horse buggy, driven by a very gentlemanly-looking man, and that the buggy that contained the mail would contain a demijohn and a side of bacon. I told him to be thorough, and search the man's person and his buggy and the cushions, and every thing else about the buggy and to do it in such a way as not to lead the man to suspect that any information had been given him. I then took another road and returned to the city.
I had not been gone more than an hour, when the man described drove up to the pickets, halted, and handed out his pass for examination. The Lieutenant, having examined it, told him that he presumed he was all right, but attempts had been made to carry contraband articles through the lines, and his instructions were such that he was under the necessity of making a thorough search before passing him. The man assured the Lieutenant that he had no objections to being searched, and that nothing could be found about himself or buggy not mentioned in the pass.
The man's person was searched and then the buggy and finally the cushions of the buggy were examined, and in them, neatly quilted in, was found the mail. It is needless to add that the gentlemanly personage was furnished accommodations in the Irving Block, and the mail was turned over to the Provost-marshal General. I never learned what became of the man afterward.
A few days after the arrest of the rebel mail-carrier, I invited several of my new acquaintances down to my boarding-house, to have a little jollification. They all accepted the invitation, and, at the appointed time, made their appearance.
When I went to Mrs. W——s's to board, I took with me a yellow boy that had been in my Captain's employ nearly a year. I had trained him so that he understood me perfectly, and, being naturally of a smart, ready turn of mind, and quick to comprehend my meaning, was of great assistance, when I was visited by rebel friends, in helping me to carry out my assumed character.
On this occasion, he represented to perfection the character of a negro waiter. I called him "Spence." Whenever his name was called, he would promptly enter the room, with his hat under his arm, and approach me with as much manifestation of profound respect as if I had been a king, receive my orders with marked attention and execute them with wonderful agility, and then immediately retire from the room.
I had procured a supply of whisky, and Spence was frequently called in to exercise his masterly skill at preparing slings, punches, etc., for which my guests had a peculiar relish.
From my rank, my companions seemed to regard me as possessing peculiar advantages over them, and all seemed desirous to secure my advice and my personal assistance in their individual projects. By that means, I was enabled to find out very much that was going on, that I otherwise would not have done.
Among my guests of that evening was a man that had been in the Confederate army, and had been severely wounded in the shoulder in the battle at Fort Donelson. On account of his wound he had been discharged. As a sort of compensation, to enable him to make a living, for which his disability had seriously disabled him, General Price had given him a paper authorizing him to trade and sell goods in the Confederate army.
After showing me his paper, signed by General Price, "Now," said he, "Major, you can render me some assistance, if you feel disposed, that will be of great help to me in my circumstances."
"Indeed! I should be very happy to do so; but you must remember that I am under bonds to the Federal authorities, and I have to be very careful what I do; if I am caught in any scrape, they will surely hang me."
"I am well aware of that, Major, but I think you can do it, without subjecting yourself to any great danger."
"Well, what is it that you want I should do?"
"I'll tell you. I have been engaged, for some time, in purchasing, in small quantities at a time, various articles of goods, to take through the Federal lines to sell, and I have now got about four hundred dollars' worth. The military authorities are beginning to suspicion me, and I have got to move the goods to some place for safe-keeping. Your boarding-rooms are not very public, and you could keep the goods here without exciting suspicion."
"I expect that I might. I have done more hazardous jobs than that since I have been in the Confederate service. I think I can manage it. You may get the goods ready, and then let me know it, and I will send my servant after them."
"Thank you, Major! You are just the man to do it. I will get them ready in the morning."
My friend Captain W——s also had a little scheme in view, which he related to me, as follows:
"I have got six fine horses, that I have purchased of Federal cavalrymen, and I want to manage some way to get them through the Yankee lines. Now, Major, what plan do you propose to get them through?"
"Well, really, Captain, I hardly know what course would be advisable. The 'Yankees' are getting to be mighty strict in their picket duties. A sudden dash upon the pickets, some dark night, by as many plucky riders as you have horses, might take them through."
"That's my mind exactly, Major! and I was thinking if I could get some military man of experience, like yourself, to lead us, the plan might be executed to a charm! What do you say? will you lead us?"
"Well, Captain, the undertaking is a bold one, but I think I am good for it; at any rate, I will try."
"Good! good! Major, here's your health!" and they all drank heartily.
Late at night, the festival broke up, with an agreement to meet at frequent intervals, as opportunity offered.
The next day the contraband goods were brought over to my rooms and secreted.
I will here relate a little incident concerning my servant Spence, to show how well I succeeded in making my secesh acquaintances believe that I was a Southerner and a slave-owner. I was in the habit of finding fault with him, and would reprimand him severely for the slightest neglect, and sometimes imaginary ones, were sufficient to call forth from me the severest rebuke.
A few mornings after the night of our festival, several of my secesh friends called on me to ride out in the city. I ordered Spence to bring out my horse. When he made his appearance at the front of the house, I went out to see that every thing was in proper order, and at once flew into a terrible passion with him, on the pretense that the horse was not properly cleaned. Spence, as if mistrusting something was up, was about to leave.
"Here, you black rascal!" said I; "why didn't you clean that horse's legs? Ha'n't I taught you better than that? Come here, you black lazy calf, till I thrash you! What! lived with me all your life, and don't know how to clean a horse! Ha'n't I thrashed you time and again for that? Come here, I say! I'll fix you!"
Spence, as if apprehending a booting, manifested a wonderful fear of me, and no inclination to approach nearer, and, as I approached him, he involuntarily drew back. I attempted to catch him, and he ran away from me into the back yard, and I after him. "Stop! stop! you black d—l you! Stop! or I'll shoot you!" I shouted.
Mrs. W——s and my companions ran to the back door to see what I was doing. As they came out, I fired my revolver. Spence stopped, and, facing me, implored, "Oh, Lord! Massa Ruggles, don't shoot dis nigger! don't shoot again, for de Lord's sake! don't shoot! I'll done clean de hoss all off clean de nex' time! I will. I will, for shure, Massa Ruggles!"
"Don't shoot him, Major!" implored Mrs. W——s.
"Don't shoot him, Major! for God's sake, don't shoot him!" implored my friends.
"Well, I won't shoot him this time, but the next time he won't get off so easy. Do you understand that, you black rascal?"
"Yes. Massa Ruggles! I 'spects dat I was careless. I'll done clean him good now!" and away he went to clean the horse.
Many a laugh have Spence and I had, when by ourselves, over my pretense to shoot him.
A few nights after the above occurrence, another jollification was held at my rooms. Before separating, it was agreed that eight of us, including myself and Spence, should take the contraband horses and goods, and, on a night agreed upon, if every thing was favorable, make a dash through the lines.
The time agreed upon came, and with it my rebel acquaintances, prepared for the dash. I was not ready, and apologized by saying that the weather had been so bad for a day or two that I didn't think they would be along that night. I told them that I had left my saddle at a harness shop to be repaired, but if they would wait until I could go and get it, I would accompany them. To this they agreed. Taking Spence with me, I started for the saddle.
I procured one, to prevent suspicion, and, carrying it with me, I went to the officer of the provost-guards. I told him what was going on, and then showed him my order from Colonel Hillyer, and told him that I wanted six men. My plan was to place them where they could throw themselves suddenly across a street that we would have to pass, as we came up, and halt us, and to fire into every man that did not halt. Spence and myself would, of course, halt and be captured. The Captain would not give me any men unless I would take a whole company. I remonstrated. I knew that six men would not be suspected of any thing more than an ordinary patrol guard, if seen on their way to the place designated, and it would be impossible to get so many men into position without their being seen. The Captain would not yield, and I started with a full company, under command of a Lieutenant. After we had started, the Captain halted us, and charged the Lieutenant not to divide the company into squads, but to keep his men compact in a body. That completely spoiled my plans, but I had no other alternative.
Before we got within three hundred yards of the outlaws, they discovered the force coming and mistrusted their object. They raised a yell of defiance, and, swinging their hats with whoops and hurrahs, dashed out of sight before the company could be got into line. They succeeded in dashing through the lines, and I have never heard of them since.
The contraband goods, however, remained in my possession, and I turned them over to the Provost-marshal.
I was heartily vexed with the failure, and disgusted with the detective service, and resolved that I would never have any thing more to do with it. How well I kept my resolution the sequel will show.