The leader of the guard again explained his mission, and demanded that Webster should accompany him to the camp.
"Tell your commander that I will not stir from this house until morning. My name is Timothy Webster. I am in the employ of the Confederacy, and if you had answered my call, there would have been no difficulty."
Finding that Webster was determined, the men went away, and left the household to their repose. The next morning Webster reported at the camp, and requested to see Major Beale, the officer in command. He was informed, that this gentleman was stationed twenty miles away, and upon telegraphing to him, the answer was returned: "Let Webster go where he pleases."
The day was cold and stormy, and the roads were in a wretched condition, but notwithstanding this Webster pushed on to Fredericksburg, and after delivering some letters and merchandise which he had brought for residents there, he pushed on to Richmond.
Taking up their quarters at the hotel, they resolved to wait until the following day before commencing their operations. During the night, however, Webster's malady returned, and he suffered terribly from his old enemy, the rheumatism. In the morning he was helpless, and unable to move.
From this time, I heard nothing further from him directly, and for weeks was utterly ignorant of his movements or condition. I began to grow alarmed. Hitherto, his visits had not occupied more than three or four weeks, and he had always succeeded in escaping suspicion, and evading being detained by either force through which he would necessarily be obliged to pass. As the days and weeks passed, and brought no tidings from him, my apprehensions became so strong that I resolved to send one or two of my men to the rebel capital, in order to ascertain the cause of his unusual and long-continued absence.
My anxiety was equally shared by General McClellan, with whom Webster was a great favorite, and who placed the utmost reliance upon his reports. One evening, early in February, the General called upon me, and advised the sending of one messenger, or two, for the sole purpose of hunting up Webster, or discovering some trace of him. I informed him that I had already considered the necessity of some such action, and was upon the point of submitting the matter for his approval. Finding the General thus fully in accord with the proposition, I at once selected two of my men for this important mission. After mature consideration, I decided upon despatching Price Lewis and John Scully upon this delicate quest. My reasons for this selection, were that both Scully and Lewis had been connected with other operations in Baltimore, in company with Webster, and had thus been enabled to form the acquaintance of a great number of secessionists in that city, some of whom had gone South, while others, who remained at home, had influential friends in Richmond. During these operations, both Lewis and Scully had pretended the most earnest and sincere sympathy for the cause of the Confederacy, and were known as ardent secessionists. This, I concluded, would materially assist them after reaching Richmond, particularly if they should be fortunate enough to meet any of their old Baltimore associates. They had also been engaged upon various investigations through the Southern States, and especially in Western Virginia, where they had rendered good service in the early campaigns in that section of the country. I had, therefore, no doubt of their ability to perform the task assigned to them, and felt perfectly satisfied that they would perform their duties to the best of that ability.
Requesting their presence in my private office, I broached the matter to them, and submitted the question of their undertaking this task to their own election. Upon operations of this kind, where there was danger to be incurred, where a man literally took his life into his own hands, and where death might be the result of detection, I invariably placed the question upon its merits, before the person selected for the mission, and then allowed him to decide for himself, whether he would voluntarily undertake its accomplishment.
I did this for various reasons. In the first place, I felt very loath to peremptorily order a man upon an enterprize where there was every possibility of danger, for in the event of fatal result, I should be disposed to reproach myself for thus endangering the lives of those under my command. It is true, that under their terms of service, and by virtue of the authority vested in me, I had the undoubted right to issue such order; but I always preferred that my men should voluntarily, and without urging, signify their willingness to undertake hazardous missions. Again, I have invariably found, that the ready and cheerful officer performs the most acceptable service, and that the absence of fear or hesitation are sure passports to success; while on the other hand, should there be timidity or unwillingness, or a disposition to avoid danger, success is rarely, if ever, attained.
It is but just, however, to state that during my entire connection with the secret service of the government, I never found any of my men disinclined to undertake an operation that was delegated to them; but on the contrary, I always experienced the utmost cheerfulness and ready support from those who so valiantly served under my orders. Nor was I disappointed in the present instance. On presenting the case, with all its attendant dangers, to Price Lewis and John Scully, both of them signified, without the slightest hesitation, their voluntary desire to go to Richmond, and to make the inquiries, which were considered of so much importance by both General McClellan and myself.