He, therefore, on horseback, and apparently as a man traveling for pleasure and recreation, proceeded on his way up the valley of the river and towards the objective point of his journey, the rebel capital.
Nothing worthy of note occurred during the day; he stopped at noon at a house by the wayside, and obtained dinner for himself and horse. In a conversation with his host, who was a well-to-do old farmer, he apparently in a careless manner betrayed the fact that he himself followed the same occupation, that he lived on the river in the county of Norfolk, below, and was on his way to visit among friends at Petersburgh.
It was towards evening that he neared the outskirts of the city, when he suddenly encountered the rebel pickets, stationed outside the town, who halted him and demanded to know his name and business. "My name is Curtis," replied the operative, "and I am from Norfolk; my business I will state to your commander when I am taken to him."
Without further ceremony he was turned over to the officer of the guard, who sent him under escort to General Hill, the general in command.
"Whom have you here?" queried the General, as in the company of his escort the detective was led into his presence.
"A man who says he is from Norfolk," replied the guard, "but who refuses to tell his business to any one but yourself."
"You may retire," said the General, and the escort immediately left the room. "Now," he exclaimed, turning to Curtis, "What is your business? Please be as brief as possible, as I am very busy."
"Well, to come to the point at once," replied the detective; "in the first place, then, I spoke falsely to your pickets when I told them I was from Norfolk. My name is Curtis, and I am from Washington. As to my business, I deal in what the Yankees are pleased to term contraband goods; yet I don't see how gun-caps, ammunition of all kinds, and quinine should be considered contraband, for the simple reason that I, as a dealer, find a better market South than North for my goods. My desire," he continued, "is to get through to Richmond, where I hope to be able to effect contracts, with Secretary Benjamin, to furnish my goods to the Confederate government."
"How did you get through the Union lines?" asked the General, still, evidently, a little suspicious of the sincerity of the detective's story.
"I came down on the 'Commodore,' General McClellan's boat, three days ago," he answered, "was set across the river there, procured a horse from a friend, and here I am."