| PAGE | |
| [Apology] | [17] |
| [FILE I] | |
| The Harry Gilmor Sword—General Wallace's Comments | [21] |
| [FILE II] | |
| 1861-1862 New York Harbor—Fort Schuyler—Fort Marshal—Aunt Mag | [25] |
| [FILE III] | |
| 1862-1863 Fort McHenry—General Morris—Colonel Peter A. Porter—Harper's Ferry—Halltown—Trip to Johnson's Island—Lieutenant-GeneralPemberton and other Confederate Officers—Ohio Copperheads—Incidentof York, Pa., Copperheads—Dramatic incident on July 4th, 1863, atFort McHenry | [30] |
| [FILE IV] | |
| A taste of the Draft Riots, July 13th, 1863, when conveying woundedConfederates from Gettysburg to David's Island, New York Harbor—Governor Seymour's questionable conduct—A mysterious Mr. Andrews ofVirginia—"Knights of the Golden Circle"—"Sons of Liberty" and aNorth Western Confederacy—Uncle Burdette—The Laurel incident | [37] |
| [FILE V] | |
| Appointed Assistant Provost Marshal at Fort McHenry, where I beganmy first experience in detective work—Somewhat a history of myearly life—Ordered to execute Gordon by shooting | [50] |
| [FILE VI] | |
| Detective work required an extension of territory—A flatteringendorsement by Colonel Porter—Introducing Christian Emmerich andincidentally Charles E. Langley, a noted Confederate spy | [57] |
| [FILE VII] | |
| Investigator's education—I branded E. W. Andrews, adjutant-generalto General Morris, a traitor to the Colors | [63] |
| [FILE VIII] | |
| Initial trip down Chesapeake Bay after blockade runners and contrabanddealers and goods, incidentally introducing Terrence R. Quinn, GeorgeG. Nellis and E. W. Andrews, Jr.—A description of a storm on theChesapeake | [66] |
| [FILE IX] | |
| General Wallace assumes command of the Middle Department—GeneralSchenck's comments on Maryland—Colonel Woolley | [79] |
| [FILE X] | |
| Here begins my service as an Assistant Provost Marshal of theDepartment and Chief of the Secret Service—Confederate GeneralWinder's detectives—E. H. Smith, special officer, War Department—Mrs. Mary E. Sawyer, Confederate mail carrier—W. V. Kremer'sreport on the "Disloyals" north of Baltimore | [83] |
| [FILE XI] | |
| Mrs. Key Howard, a lineal descendant of the author of "The StarSpangled Banner," forgetting her honor, prepared to carry aConfederate mail to "Dixie"—Miss Martha Dungan—Trip on the steamtug "Ella"—Schooner "W. H. Travers" and cargo captured—James A.Winn, a spy—Trip to Frederick, Maryland | [92] |
| [FILE XII] | |
| F. M. Ellis, Chief Detective U. S. Sanitary Commission—Arrest ofW. W. Shore, of the New York "World"—John Gillock from Richmond | [100] |
| [FILE XIII] | |
| Ordered to seize all copies of the New York "World," bringing in oneof the great war episodes, the Bogus Presidential Proclamation—Governor Seymour's queer vigor appears | [103] |
| [FILE XIV] | |
| Arrest of F. W. Farlin and A. H. Covert—The Pulpit not loyal,reports on Rev. Mr. Harrison and Rev. Mr. Poisal—Comical reportson a religious conference and a camp meeting—Seizure of Kelly &Piet store with its contraband kindergarten contents—Sloop "R. B.Tennis" one of my fleet, and an account of a capture of tobacco,etc.—Arrest of Frederick Smith, Powell Harrison and RobertAlexander—Harry Brogden | [109] |
| [FILE XV] | |
| General pass for Schooner "W. H. Travers"—Trip down the Bay afterblockade runners and mail carriers—Gillock and Lewis, two of myofficers captured by Union pickets—Commodore Foxhall A. Parker—Potomac flotilla—Arrest of J. B. McWilliams—My watch gone to themermaids—The ignorance of "poor white trash" | [121] |
| [FILE XVI] | |
| Captain Bailey makes a capture—Sinclair introduces me (as Shaffer)to Mr. Pyle | [132] |
| [FILE XVII] | |
| A Confederate letter | [136] |
| [FILE XVIII] | |
| Confederate army invades Maryland in 1864—General Wallace's masterlydefence of Washington—Trip outside our pickets—Confederate GeneralBradley Johnson and Colonel Harry Gilmor—The Ishmael Day episode—Uncle Zoe—Arrest of Judge Richard Grason—Report on certain"Disloyals" | [138] |
| [FILE XIX] | |
| Trip to New York regarding one Thomas H. Gordon | [149] |
| [FILE XX] | |
| Thomas Bennett, a U. S. mail carrier, disloyal—Samuel Miles, aprominent Baltimore merchant, a blockade runner—A laughable letterabout an overdraft of whiskey—Dr. E. Powell, of Richmond | [151] |
| [FILE XXI] | |
| Terrence R. Quinn | [155] |
| [FILE XXII] | |
| The Great Fraud attempted in the Presidential Election of 1864,wherein the misplacing of a single letter led to its detection andmay be said to have saved our Nation from disruption—InvolvingGovernor Seymour and Adjutant General Andrews—Arrest of Ferry,Donohue and Newcomb, one of the most successful kidnappings onrecord | [159] |
| [FILE XXIII] | |
| John Deegan, a forger, captured—A report that led to a historicraid by Colonel Baker on the Bounty Jumpers and Bounty Brokers ofNew York | [175] |
| [FILE XXIV] | |
| General Wallace's letter to Secretary of War, Charles A. Dana(afterwards editor of the New York "Sun") asking for an extensionof territory for my work, incidentally introducing Colonel John S.Mosby, giving a list of his men and their home addresses—A trainrobbery, paymasters robbed—I recapture part of the money—Commissionsin promotion declined | [184] |
| [FILE XXV] | |
| Capture of Confederate bonds and scrip—Arrest of Pittman, Brewerand Fowler; Lieut. Smith, alias I. K. Shaffer, alias George Comings,led them, victims, into a maze, to their undoing | [193] |
| [FILE XXVI] | |
| Arrest of T. A. Menzier and exposé of a prominent railroad official—Arrest of Barton R. Zantzinger, involving Milnor Jones—Arrest ofJohn Henry Skinner Quinn, alias J. Y. Plater, alias Simpson, a spy—Arrest of E. R. Rich, a spy | [200] |
| [FILE XXVII] | |
| Statement of Illinois Crothers, giving valuable and reliableinformation, implicating Mr. William Mitchell and a Mrs. Keenan ofWinchester, Virginia—Report on Daniel W. Jones, and Joseph Bratton—Am given unlimited access to prisoners in Baltimore City jail | [205] |
| [FILE XXVIII] | |
| Statements of Jeremiah Artis, a real deserter from the Confederates—William J. Bradley, an honest refugee—Charles E. Langley, anofficial Confederate spy—Langley personating a correspondent of the"New York Tribune," was a most successful and dangerous spy | [210] |
| [FILE XXIX] | |
| Patrick Scally, an honest deserter from the Confederate service—Asketch of the defences of Richmond | [222] |
| [FILE XXX] | |
| Confederate Colonel Harry Gilmor, the raider, telling how he did not"come back" as a conquering hero; of the sword he never received; ofhis capture, etc.—The arrest and conviction of the fair donor | [227] |
| [FILE XXXI] | |
| Steam tug "Grace Titus"—Statement of George Carlton, containingvaluable confirmatory information | [236] |
| [FILE XXXII] | |
| The pungy "Trifle" (one of the captures)—Colonel McPhail—-MajorBlumenburg and his corrupted office—"Boney" Lee, Bob Miller, andother thugs | [243] |
| [FILE XXXIII] | |
| Statement of James Briers, Bollman, McGuarty and Welsh—UnitedStates marine corps | [246] |
| [FILE XXXIV] | |
| General W. W. Morris in command in General Wallace's absence—GeneralSheridan's order to arrest E. W. Andrews, formerly adjutant generalto General Morris | [250] |
| [FILE XXXV] | |
| Ordered to New York—Interviewed Secretary of War Stanton relativeto an independent command and extension of our territory—MajorWiegel's weakness exposed | [252] |
| [FILE XXXVI] | |
| Paine, who was afterwards one of the conspirators in the assassinators'plot, in my custody—Miss Branson appeared to plead for him—Painereleased on parole, lacking evidence to prove him a spy | [255] |
| [FILE XXXVII] | |
| Missionary E. Martin, an agent of the Confederate Treasury Department,arrested, his big tobacco smuggling scheme exposed—Kidnapped himfrom General Dix's department—Manahan involved | [259] |
| [FILE XXXVIII] | |
| Secretary of War consulted about the extension of our territory toinclude the district between the Rappahannock and the Potomac Rivers—Robert Loudan, alias Charles Veal, a boat-burner and spy—Akidnapped colored boy | [271] |
| [FILE XXXIX] | |
| The chase after the steamer "Harriet Deford," which was captured bypirates, supposedly to supply a means of escape to Jefferson Davisfrom the crumbling Confederacy—Captain Fitzhugh | [275] |
| [FILE XL] | |
| Ordered to Northern Neck of Virginia the day before PresidentLincoln's assassination—Martin Van Buren Morgan's statement, andorder for his disposal | [281] |
| [FILE XLI] | |
| I am introduced to General Grant—The assassination—Capture of SamuelB. Arnold, one of the conspirators, sent to Dry Tortugas—Arrested theBransons and their household, uncovering Paine's pedigree; thereafterhe was Lewis Paine Powell—Paine had my parole on his person whenarrested—Paine hung | [290] |
| [FILE XLII] | |
| Richmond had fallen—Class of detective work entirely changed—Counterfeiters—Secretary McCullogh—Go to steamboat of the LearyLine and capture a youthful murderer—Arrest of Mrs. Beverly Tucker | [312] |
| [FILE XLIII] | |
| Camp Carroll rioting—Troops being mustered out | [317] |
| [FILE XLIV] | |
| Indicted for assault with intent to kill, the only clash betweenthe Military and Civil Authorities during General Wallace'sadministration | [322] |
| [FILE XLV] | |
| Trip to Norfolk and Richmond—Ralph Abercrombie—Miss Elizabeth L.Van Lew | [324] |
| [FILE XLVI] | |
| My muster out—Reëmployment as a civilian—Ordered to Philadelphia—Twice ordered to Washington with horse-thieves | [327] |
| [FILE XLVII] | |
| Captain Beckwith convicted—Gambling—Order to take Beckwith toAlbany penitentiary | [331] |
| [FILE XLVIII] | |
| Trip to Carlisle, Illinois, to unravel a fraudulent claim—John H.Ing | [335] |
| [FILE XLIX] | |
| Brevetted major—Governor Fenton's letter | [342] |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
APOLOGY.
Fifty years ago! Gracious me! It makes me think of my age to talk of it. Yes, just fifty years ago was enacted the greatest tragedy the world ever saw, THE CIVIL WAR.
I entered the service at twenty and one-half years of age and served three and one-half years.
At different times I have told of some of my experiences, which seemed to interest. Sometimes I have talked to literary men, story writers, who have expressed a desire to write me up in magazines and newspapers, but lack of the romantic in my make up, notwithstanding romance might be seen in the stories which to me were but cold facts, has kept me from consenting.
I am actuated now by other reasons. I have a lot of documents and memoranda that are wearing out, liable to be mislaid or lost. In fact I have already lost one document, a letter from General Lew Wallace, a very valuable and important one (to me); it was his letter of presentation to me of the Harry Gilmor sword, written on the eve of his departure for Texas (on a secret mission, known only to Lincoln and Grant), to receive the capitulation of the Confederate General Slaughter, hence I feel that these matters ought to be recorded somewhere.
The New York Historical Society and Columbia University have offered some of these documents place in their archives. The affidavit and signature of Paine, the Conspirator who attempted to assassinate Secretary Seward, ought to be in some substantial depository as a link in history. I presume it is the only finger mark extant of any of the conspirators. The reason why I have not deposited it is that the statement appears garbled, requiring me to explain the gaps and hidden meanings between the lines, which I shall try to do in these pages.
Another motive for putting these experiences in writing, is in the interest of Graham, and his children, Curtis, Evelyn and her children, Nettie and DeLos. It is to be expected these younger ones will remain longer here under the old Flag, and perhaps they may get some consolation from the fact that some of their ancestors did something in simple patriotism. Nettie has complained that her school history did not mention her uncle. I told her I could only be found by reading "between the lines," because there were so many "pebbles on the beach" besides her uncle.