Part 14

Mrs. James Gordon & (3) children, a citizen of Great Britain, having sworn, in good faith, not to reveal, either directly or indirectly, any information that may benefit the enemy, is hereby permitted to pass beyond the limits of the Confederate States, by the route herein designated: and none other. Strictly forbid to pass through General Lee's lines. Go by the lower Rappahannock.

This passport is given, subject in all cases to the approval, delays and restrictions of military commanders through whose lines the persons or person may pass.

By command of the Secretary of War,

JNO. H. WINDER, General Comdg.

Hair: light Eyes: blue. Age: 33. Complexion: florid. Height: ----

Our sources of information were numerous, as our own officers were always on duty, and officers in other departments worked in conjunction with us, thus forming an extended net work.

Baltimore, April 14, 1864.

Lt. Smith,

Sir.--I am very unfortunate in always coming when you are out. How has Kremer progressed with the case, anything been done? I go to Washington per order of the Secretary of War. I am obliged to go to New York within two weeks. I wish the case here might be disposed of before I go to New York. Would you oblige me by writing P. O. Box 62, Washington?

Very respy, your obdt servt., E. H. SMITH, Special Officer, War Dept.

The following is Kremer's report of progress:

United States Military Telegraph, War Department, April 17, 1864.

H. B. Smith:

Two men answering description but under different names left here for Leonardtown on the 16th. Shall I follow? If so, answer and send White.

W. V. KREMER.

Headquarters, Middle Department, 8th Army Corps, April 22, 1864.

Special Order No. 43.

Lieut. H. B. Smith, 5th N. Y. Arty., will proceed to Washington with Mrs. Mary E. Sawyer, Rebel mail carrier, turn her over to Supt. of Old Capitol Prison, taking receipt for prisoner. Will then deliver to Hon. C. A. Dana, Asst. Secy. of War, all the papers in her case, after which he will report without delay at these headquarters.

Quartermasters will furnish transportation.

By command of Major General Lew Wallace.

JOHN WOOLLEY, Col. and Provost Marshal.

Persons were not disturbed in the enjoyment of their opinions so long as they did not become actively disloyal, but it was my duty to learn who were disloyal for the purpose of keeping them under surveillance. The following report I put in to illustrate that character of work:

Headquarters, Middle Department, 8th Army Corps. Office Provost Marshal, Baltimore, Apl. 24, 1864.

H. B. Smith, Lieut. and Chief:

I have the honor to report that I left Baltimore as per orders and proceeded to Reisterstown and stopped at a tavern and was accosted by a citizen who told me there were detectives in the house, and that he knew I was from the other side, and sent me to a woman named Mrs. Hofman, who keeps a hotel there. I went to her house and represented myself as a Rebel captain.

I had been there a short time when Mrs. Hofman took me upstairs in a bedroom that was in the back part of the house and told me if the detectives came upstairs, to get out of the back window and take a horse that she would have saddled ready for me; she said she did not care for the horse as the citizens would make it up to her.

The detectives did not come upstairs, but a man named C. L. Alder came up to the room and told me to get ready and come down stairs, that he had a buggy ready to see me safe and that he would die before I should be taken and that he had helped many of the Rebels out of just such scrapes by taking them to the Rebel lines.

We went about a mile and a half from Reisterstown and stopped at the house of Dr. J. Larsh, and held a conversation with him and another man that I could not learn the name of; about the best plan for me to adopt was to keep away from the detectives; he, the Doctor, told me that he was very busy or he would take me safe through himself, but told Alder to take me to Charles T. Cockey's, and that he would see me all right.