The Boy Spy

The following unpretending narrative of some of the actual experiences of a boy in the War of the Rebellion is fraternally dedicated to my comrades of the G. A. R.

Part of these adventures were recorded in the press of the country at the time of their occurrence, and more recently, in detached and crude form, in different papers.

Through the kindly interest of many friends, and especially that of my relative and comrade, Col. J. H. Madden, of Danville, Illinois, the revised and collated Story is now offered to the public and corrected from the original notes and MSS.

Yours in F. C. & L.,

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

[Transcriber's Note: Chapter XVIII was duplicated in the text. The Table of Contents has been changed to reflect the chapter numbers given in the text.]

CHAPTER. PAGE

I. Introductory 9

II. On Duty as a Spy at the Rebel Capital, Montgomery, Alabama--Living in same Hotel with Jeff Davis and His Cabinet--Conspirators from Washington Interviewed--Bounty Offered by Confederates before a Gun Was Fired--Fort Sumter and Fort Pickens 19

III. Pensacola, Florida--In Rebel Lines--Fort Pickens--Admiral Porter and the Navy 28

IV. Crossing the Bay to Fort Pickens, etc. 38

V. Rebel Newspapers--On Admiral Porter's Ship 52

VI. Admiral Porter Saves the Boy's Life--Interview with the Rebel Flag-of-Truce Officers, Who Claim Him for a Victim--Scenes on Board a Man-of-War--Return Home by Sea--Reception in New York--Telegraph Acquaintances--New York Papers Record the Adventure in Full Page 65

VII. Reporting to the Secretary of War, at Washington--Ordered on Another Scout to Virginia--In Patterson's Army, in Virginia, before the Battle of Bull Run 80

VIII. A Night's Scout in Johnston's Army--Rebel Signals--Visitors from the Union Army Headquarters Report to Rebel Headquarters--General J. E. Johnston's Escape to Beauregard Reported to General Patterson--Fitz-John Porter Responsible for the First Battle of Bull Run, as He Was Cashiered for That of the Second Bull Run--An Important Contribution to the War History of the Time--The Story since Confirmed by the Century Historians of Lincoln, Secretaries Nicolay and Hay 94

IX. Reporting to General Bank's Headquarters for Duty--The Life of Jeff Davis Threatened--Captured at Harper's Ferry--Interesting Personal Letters Corroborating the Supposed Death of the "Boy Spy" 114

X. At Beauregard's Headquarters--On Duty at Manassas 125

XI. Important Documents Intercepted at Manassas, which Established the Fact that the Rebel Army had no Intention, and Were not Able to Advance after Manassas--The Rebel Army Demoralized by Success, and Twenty-five Per Cent. Absent from Epidemic--On the Field after the Battle--Observation Inside Rebel Camps--Talking with Richmond by Wire--Captured by Rebel Picket in Sight of the Signal Lights at Georgetown College 134

XII. Another Escape, etc. 154

XIII. One More Escape--"Yanking" the Telegraph Wires--"On to Richmond!"--A Close Shave 166

XIV. On to Richmond--A Night of Terror--A Ghastly Find in the Woods--Attacked by Bloodhounds--Other Miraculous Escapes--First Visit to Fredericksburg--A Collection Taken up in a Church in Virginia for the "Boy Spy"--Arrives in Richmond 178

XV. Sick In Richmond--Concealed by a Colored Boy and Unable to Move--An Original Cipher Letter Sent Through the Blockade to Washington that Tells the Whole Story in a Few Words--Meeting with Maryland Refugees--The "Boy Spy" Serenaded--"Maryland, My Maryland"--Jeff Davis' Office and Home--A Visit to Union Prisoners at Libby Prison, etc. 195