



Produced by Al Haines










OCTAVIA

The Octoroon


BY

J. F. LEE, M.D.




THE

Abbey Press

PUBLISHERS

114

FIFTH AVENUE

London  NEW YORK  Montreal




  Copyright, 1900,
  by
  THE
  Abbey Press
  in
  the
  United States
  and
  Great Britain.


  All Rights Reserved.




CONTENTS.


CHAPTER I.

The Prize Fight


CHAPTER II.

A Baptismal Scene


CHAPTER III.

The Birth of Octavia


CHAPTER IV.

Almost a Watery Grave


CHAPTER V.

The "Underground Railway"


CHAPTER VI.

Mistaken Identity and Escape from Bruin


CHAPTER VII.

Liberated


CHAPTER VIII.

Cotton Prowling--Employing Octavia's Governess


CHAPTER IX.

Progress in Studies


CHAPTER X.

Ready for College


CHAPTER XI.

In the Red Cross Service


CHAPTER XII.

In Foreign Lands--Strategy--Love Conquers




Octavia the Octoroon.



CHAPTER I.

THE PRIZE FIGHT.

Just before the beginning of the civil war between the States there was
a large and valuable plantation on the Alabama River on which there
were several hundred slaves, said farm being in what is known as the
"black belt of Alabama," having a river front of several miles, and
annually producing five hundred bales of cotton, fifteen thousand
bushels of corn, besides oats, wheat, hay, mules, horses, hogs, cattle,
sheep and goats in abundance.

This mammoth farm belonged to Hon. R., then a member of the United
States Congress from Alabama, and afterwards a gallant officer in the
Confederate army, rising from the rank of first lieutenant to colonel,
by which latter title he will be known in this story.  He lived in what
was then one of the flourishing towns of the State, but which has long
since gone to ruin and decay.  Colonel R.'s farm was managed by what
was then known as an "overseer," but now would be termed a
superintendent.  He had assistants, white and black, who, with the
overseer, managed the farm in a systematic and scientific manner,
bringing it up to a high state of cultivation, which made it one of the
most productive and valuable in the State.

Colonel R., with his man in livery, a thousand-dollar carriage and
finely caparisoned span of horses, visited his farm once a month when
at home, to give general directions to his overseer, and receive the
annual proceeds of his cotton crop.  This was the state of affairs when
Lincoln was elected President, when the Southern States seceded from
the Union, and when the guns at Fort Sumter belched forth their shot
and shell, ushering in a war that had no equal in ancient or modern
times.

When the call to arms was made Colonel R. resigned his seat in the
Federal Congress, hastened home, raised and equipped a company, which
rendered valuable service in the Southern army.  Colonel R.'s overseer
and his white assistants also responded to the call, joining the
company which Colonel R. equipped.  Thus was Colonel R.'s farm deprived
of white men, and as every able-bodied man was needed at the front, it
was out of the question to replace them; nor did he make any effort to
do so.  However, Colonel R. was not wanting for some one to take charge
of his business; he had a quadroon named Simon, who had been carefully
trained and drilled by the overseer in farm management.  He had been a
favorite with the overseer, who made no objection to his
fourteen-year-old son teaching him to read and write.  He also taught
Simon's sister, Elsie.  They were both bright quadroons, good looking,
and exceptionally intelligent for slaves.

Let me say here that if the planters had any inclination to teach their
slaves, the latter had no time but at night to learn, and after working
from the time they could see in the morning until they could not see at
night, they felt like sleeping when reaching their cabins.  However,
here and there you would find a <DW64> who could read and write, who
generally received such instruction from their owner's or overseer's
children.

Simon was twenty-five and Elsie eighteen years of age, both having the
same mother, Aunt Dinah, and the same white father.

After the overseer and his assistants left for the army Colonel R.
installed Simon as his foreman, with the authority of an overseer.
Under his administration farm matters moved along as well as they did
under the overseer.  In slavery times there was always a <DW64> head
man, leader and squire among the <DW64>s, who performed their marriage
ceremonies (without license), exhorted at their religious meetings and
could sing and pray and be heard a mile.  Simon could "out-Herod Herod"
in doing all this.  He was faithful, honest and upright, three virtues
rare among <DW64>s.  He successfully kept the farm books, in which were
to be recorded the number of pounds of cotton picked per day; the
number and weight of each bale of cotton--in a word, this book gave the
exact production of the farm, whether it was stock, cotton, corn or
what not.

He was provided with a horse and whip, two concomitants that every
ante-bellum overseer possessed.  Simon felt his importance, and
probably was too severe in some instances in using the lash on the
slaves.  This, however, is characteristic of the <DW64>, as they have
since freedom been known to almost whip their children to death.  The
writer has interfered several times where <DW64> parents were
unmercifully chastising their children.

Aunt Dinah, Simon's mother, was rather prepossessing in appearance, and
was the plantation mammy, nurse and midwife, as well as the keeper of
the orphan asylum for all the little pickaninnies on the plantation.
Every place of any size had this character.  It is often and truly said
that it is the ambition of <DW64> men to be preachers and of the women
to be midwives.

Simon had interceded with his master and the overseer to exempt Elsie
from farm work, and to appoint her seamstress, who had several
assistants on the farm.  She was very apt with the needle and scissors,
cutting and making any garment she wished, and doing it all with the
needle, this being before the introduction of sewing machines on
plantations.

In the eyes of Simon and his mother Elsie was a piece of perfection, a
paragon of virtue and chastity, two possessions rare among <DW64>s of
both sexes.  Elsie was the belle of the plantation, having a large
number of suitors, among them two of Colonel R.'s slaves, Brutus and
Caesar.

They were rivals and had an intense hatred for each other on Elsie's
account.  While Elsie had no idea of accepting either one or any <DW64>,
saying that she did not want a "kinky-headed <DW65>," she encouraged
the attentions of both--a consummate flirt, to say the least.  Brutus
and Caesar were good specimens of their race, and fairly good looking.
Their rivalry increased in intensity and bitterness until they
threatened each other's lives.

At this stage of their would-be courtship Simon interfered and told
them that, as Elsie was a prize worth contending for, they had to fight
a fair fight in the ring, and that he would bestow Elsie upon the
victor.  The time was appointed for the contest, referees chosen, and
all the <DW64>s on the plantation assembled to witness something _a la_
Corbett and Fitzsimmons.  The battle was fierce, a battle royal; they
were contending for the heart and hand of the beautiful Elsie.  Neither
was able to get the mastery over the other.  Both could well say, "Lay
on, Macduff! and damned be him who first cries hold, enough!"  At times
it looked as if Brutus would be victorious, at another, Caesar.

After they had pounded and bruised each other considerably, and both
being well nigh exhausted, the match was called off, and Simon
threatened each with a severe lashing if he heard of their fussing any
more about Elsie, as she would not marry either one of them.  This
threat and declaration that Elsie would marry neither embittered the
combatants against Simon, both declaring _sotto voce_ that they would
get even with him yet; that they were as good as he was; that his head
was as "kinky" as theirs, and that while they were rivals and personal
enemies, they would make common cause against him and kill the bigoted
"<DW65> driver" if he "monkeyed with them."




CHAPTER II.

A BAPTISMAL SCENE.

About a year before this prize fight the "kernel," as his slaves called
Colonel R., obtained a furlough to visit his home and plantation.  He
expressed himself to Simon as being highly pleased at the manner in
which he conducted plantation affairs, saying the farm books were
neatly kept, stock sleek and fat, cribs full of corn, smoke-houses full
of meat, ditches cleaned out, briars kept out of the fence corners--in
fact, he saw no difference in his (Simon's) or the overseer's
administration, and that he hoped that the work would move along as it
was being done at that time.  Simon was glad to receive this
commendation from his master, and promised that it would be his earnest
endeavor to still merit the Colonel's approval.

Colonel R. had been in the army long enough to know that in the end the
Confederacy would be beaten; he reasoned that the Southern States were
hemmed in by a blockade that no ship of the Confederacy could break,
and that they had to depend upon home resources for men, munitions and
supplies, while the United States had not only themselves, but the
whole world to draw upon.  This was good, philosophic reasoning, and he
determined to prepare for the collapse, which would be only a question
of time.  As there was no chance to sell cotton (there being an
accumulation of two crops of the fleecy staple, amounting to about a
thousand bales, on his place), he gave Simon explicit instructions to
hide this cotton if there was any danger of the Federal army raiding
that section of the State.  He also intrusted to his keeping a large
amount of gold which he had hoarded.  He told Simon that if he were
faithful to the trust he would reward him liberally--that if the
Confederacy won he would give him his freedom and $10,000 in gold; and
that if the United States won he would still give him the gold named
above and make him superintendent on his farm at an annual salary of
$2,000.  As the sequel will show this compact was faithfully complied
with by both parties, and for so doing Simon came near losing his life.

Colonel R. assembled all of his slaves and bade them an affectionate
adieu, telling them to be faithful, industrious and diligent, and to be
submissive to Simon's authority, and that if he was killed in battle,
Mrs. R., his wife and their mistress, would have general supervision of
the plantation.  He was soon at the front and resumed command of his
regiment.  Between now and the close of hostilities it will be my
endeavor to describe some of the scenes that were enacted on the
Colonel's plantation.  Elsie was still the belle and had suitors galore.

At every frolic she was the "cynosure of all eyes," the observed of all
observers.  She never wanted for a partner in the dance or play.
Brutus and Caesar were still rivals and bitter enemies on her account,
and at one of the plantation frolics they got into a fight, and Caesar
was killed by Brutus driving an axe into Caesar's brain.  Brutus fled
and was a "runaway <DW65>" until the close of the war.

Simon had a pack of <DW64> dogs which were soon in full cry on Brutus'
track, who ran to the river and went up a tree bending over the water.
The dogs were soon there and "treed" Brutus.  Simon shortly arrived on
the spot, thinking the dogs had Brutus up the tree.  The dogs were
there, the tree was there, and no doubt Brutus went up the tree, but he
was not there.  Simon gave up the chase, declaring that a <DW64> who was
sharp and strategical enough to climb a tree, and then jump into the
river and swim across, would no doubt outwit the dogs, were he to take
them across and continue the pursuit.

Elsie was thus relieved of her two most importunate and troublesome
suitors--one dead and the other in the woods.

A <DW64> is intensely religious, regardless of honesty and integrity; he
will attend night services, shout, sing and pray, and then return home
by some hen-roost and lift off a chanticleer which has been doing
business at that stand for a half dozen years with as much nonchalance
as if he, "Cuffee," were eating his dinner or taking a drink of water.

On this plantation there were two rival churches, Methodist and
Baptist, and I would say here that, as a rule, Southern <DW64>s belong
to one or the other of these two large branches of the Christian Church.

During the summer these two churches held revival (and rival) services
every night and Sunday for three or four weeks, at which there was a
great awakening and a large ingathering of souls to the flock.  For
some reason it is thought the Methodist "<DW65>" can shout, sing and
pray louder than his Baptist brother, while the latter can head him off
in drinking whisky, which is counteracted by the Methodist brother's
love for chickens and turkeys and their proclivities for lifting them
off the roost.

At one of these night services, when everybody was happy, shouting,
singing and praying, and the house was in an uproar and it seemed that
pandemonium had turned loose, a large lighted lamp full of oil was
turned over and exploded.

<DW64>s piled out of the windows and doors by the dozens.  Some of the
cooler heads pulled off their coats, and wrapping up the burning
<DW64>s, finally subdued the flames.  Order was finally restored and
all assembled again in the house.  The pastor in charge then arose and
said: "My bredderin an' sisterin, we is all run a narrer resk in bein'
burn to deth, an' it shood be a terrible warnin' tu perpare for de
burnin' dat awaits de ongodly, an' ef de richous am skasely saved whar
shall de sinner an' ongodly appeer?  Brudder Sam, you is de wus burnt
<DW65> hear tu-nite, an' ef you keep on stealin' chickens you is gwine
to go whar de wurm dieth not an' de fire is not squinched."

At this eloquent appeal on the part of the pastor moans and groans were
heard all over the house, that have to be heard to be realized.  Old
Sister Ann, a two-hundred-and-fifty-pounder, got happy and began
throwing her hands in the air, and popping them together, shouting,
"Glory!  Glory!" and started towards the pastor, saying, "Brudder Zeke,
I'm so happy I wants tu hug you!" whereupon she gathered him, a weak
man, in her herculean arms.  He began to struggle to free himself from
her vise-like grasp--she was about to squeeze the life out of him--but
in vain!  He then shouted for some one to "take her off! take her off!"
Several of the brethren interfered and finally released the struggling
pastor.  After which he said: "Sister Ann, de wedder is tu hot, soap is
tu scase, an' you is tu big an' fat tu git close to ennybody; so pleas
kep yo' distunce."

Brother "Zeke," fearing a similar experience, announced services for
the following night, and immediately dismissed the congregation.  On
the last Sunday of the meeting baptismal services were held at both
churches, the Baptists assembling at the river to perform the rite by
immersion, and the Methodists at their church to perform it by
sprinkling or pouring.

At the latter church the pastor requested all the converts, which were
fifty or sixty, to come forward to receive baptism, whereupon about a
dozen responded.  He stated that only about a fourth of the converts
had come forward, and that if the rest were in the house they will now
come forward and be baptized.

The preacher replied that he was very liberal in his views, and that he
would baptize by sprinkling, pouring or immersion, and for each
applicant to designate the mode, and it would be carried out.  Those
who had not come forward said that they "wanted tu go under de water."
He said they would go to the river just as soon as he got through with
those present.  Whereupon those who had come forward told the preacher
that as he had to go into the water they would be immersed also.  The
minister then announced for the congregation to assemble on the river
to witness the baptisms.  The Baptist and Methodist preachers reached
the water about the same time, and after conferring with one another,
agreed that the order would be for one minister to baptize one of his
flock and the other one, and so on, alternately, until they were
through.  This took some time, as each had about fifty apiece to
baptize.  There was shouting and rejoicing during this baptismal scene.
There were probably two thousand <DW64>s present, those on adjoining
plantations also being present.  It is a fact that baptism in water
will draw almost as large a crowd as a circus.

With the exception of shouting on the part of converts there was no
noise or disturbance, and all went well until the last, the baptism of
a large, fleshy sister, who, as she arose from the water clapped her
hands and shouted: "I see my Jesus!"  When she said this a <DW64>, who
had climbed into a willow tree leaning over the water, replied: "Yu
lie, yu hypercritical old huzzie; tain't nuthin' but a snappin' mud
turcle yu seed, an' hit's a pity he hadn't kotched yu by de nose an'
drowned yu, so as yu would not tell lies enny more on'spectable
<DW65>s."  As he said this the tree broke, precipitating him into water
twenty feet deep, and as he could not swim he went straight to the
bottom.  Both of the parsons were silent spectators of this last act,
and were making for the shore as the congregation sang "Pull for the
Shore."  They had been fishers, as it were, of souls; now that an
opportunity presented itself, they in reality would have to be fishers
of men--at least one would have to be.  The Methodist, thinking the
Baptist more used to water than he, waited for the Baptist to strike
out for the drowning man, and the Baptist did the same for the
Methodist.  The latter, seeing that the man would drown if no
assistance were rendered, and being the nearest, swam to him.  The
drowning man grabbed him around the waist and both sank.  The Baptist
parson, being in the water, thought he was duty bound to render
assistance, and swam to the scene just as they arose, when the
Methodist grabbed the Baptist around the waist, and all three went
under together.  Things were getting serious, as it would be the third
time the man went under.  One of the men on shore succeeded in time to
catch the first man, who was sinking the last time, by the hair, and by
superhuman jerks released him from the parson and succeeded in carrying
him to the shore.  As this was being done another <DW64> on shore swam
and caught the exhausted Methodist parson by the wool, jerking him off
from the Baptist, and carried him to shore.  Another wicked <DW64> on
the bank shouted: "Fair play; I'll be darned if the Baptis' shell
drown," and made for him, catching him by his cue and landing him
safely on land.  The congregation could have consistently sung, during
the last three acts, "Pull for the Shore."  As the submerged <DW64>s
were resting one skeptical <DW54> shouted out, "You's all Baptis' now."
Thus ended this baptismal and almost tragical scene.




CHAPTER III.

THE BIRTH OF OCTAVIA.

Not long after this Simon's mother, Aunt Dinah, "went the way of all
the earth, and was gathered to her fathers."  This caused great
mourning and lamentation on the plantation.  The old auntie was almost
looked upon with reverence.  She was, as it were, an oracle, being
consulted on everything that transpired on the place.

This was a severe grief to Simon and Elsie, who received the
condolences of all the slaves on the place.  The little <DW64>s were
bereft of a true friend, as Aunt Lucy, Aunt Dinah's successor, was not
as thoughtful, good and kind to the little ones as Aunt Dinah had been.

The <DW64> is no nurse and of no account in a sick room.  This was so in
the case of the deceased old auntie, who was sick quite awhile and
doubtless wanted good nursing.  But let one of their number die and
they are very much in evidence, sitting up with the corpse or attending
the funeral.  Aunt Dinah had one of the longest funeral processions
ever witnessed in that country.

The <DW64>s not only preach at the burial, but appoint a time several
months ahead, giving it great publicity, when So and So's funeral will
be preached with great _eclat_.  On these occasions there is as much
shouting, singing, groaning, moaning and praying as there is in their
revival meetings.

Simon and Elsie put on the usual mourning for parents, and to show
their grateful remembrance asked their mistress to get them an elegant
monument, with the proper inscription thereon, and erected it at the
head of her grave, something very rare for slaves.

Soon after this Elsie got in bad health, would not eat, and
notwithstanding much was done for her restoration to health, she failed
to improve.  The <DW64> as a race has a larger share of superstition
than any other.  With this Simon was considerably tinctured.  As Elsie
failed to improve it was noised around that she was "conjured."  Simon,
notwithstanding his intelligence, began to share in the belief that
this was so.  There was an old <DW64> "conjure" doctor on the place,
whom Simon asked to go around and see Elsie.

After talking with Elsie awhile he left, and seeing Simon told him that
"Elsie grievin' 'bout Brutus."  He protested that she cared nothing in
the world about that <DW64> in the woods, and he would have to search
for another cause.  Believing that she was "conjured," he insisted that
the conjurer take the "spell" off.  To this he agreed, and appointed a
day when he would bring her around all right.  The "conjurer" told
Simon that Elsie had "lizards and roaches" in her ear, and that they
must come out.  It is possible that Simon believed this stuff by
letting his superstition get the better of his judgment and
intelligence.  At the appointed time the "conjurer" came, having
lizards and roaches in a box up his sleeve.  After songs, incantations
and gesticulations, all the while rubbing her head, he adroitly
liberated the lizards and roaches, which ran off, making Elsie scream.
This may have had effect on the few spectators present, but it
certainly had none on Elsie, who knew that she had been acting a piece
of consummate duplicity from the first.  The "conjurer" told Elsie,
"dem live things in her hed wus de cause of all her trubble, and that
she would get well now."  Elsie, however, failed to improve, and Simon
went to see his mistress in regard to the matter, who sent a physician
back with him to see Elsie.  When leaving he told Simon that Elsie had
given birth to a beautiful girl baby as white as he, the physician,
was, and with hair as straight.

Horror of horrors!  This was "the unkindest cut of all."  Simon was
crushed, humiliated, and felt that he was disgraced by the conduct of
his sister; and to think of her duplicity for all those months was
enough to cause an angel to swear.  He and his sister were the most
intelligent and refined <DW64>s in all that country.  They were the
_elite_, the bon ton, the upper crust, and were looked on as such by
the other slaves.  If there were aristocrats among slaves, Simon and
sister filled the bill.  Simon had held his sister up to the <DW64>
girls on the place as an example, and for her to bring disgrace on them
in that way was too much!

Aunt Lucy, Elsie's nurse, said that Elsie had no ordinary baby; that
"it was white as the whitest, eyes as blue as ole mars'er, an' hair as
strate as ole missis, an' not a white man in de kentry.  Dis weren't no
<DW65> baby; Elsie she got wid chile by de Holy Spirit."  Simon knew
that the days of miracles had passed, and that none other than a white
man was its father.  Elsie admitted after a long time that her owner
was the child's father.  Whether he was satisfied, Simon said no more
about it, but refused for a long while to even see the baby.  Time
heals all things, and finally Simon consented to see it and was struck
with her beauty.  Elsie named her child Octavia, and as it grew in
years Simon began to love the child as his own.  She became a favorite
on the whole plantation, nothing being too good that any of the slaves
had for little Octavia.  She was a heroine from the first, as she
proved to be in after life.

To all appearances she was as pure as the purest Caucasian, and if an
expert had been put on the stand to swear as to her race he would have
said Caucasian.  Such are the circumstances under which this afterwards
wonderful being was brought into existence.

With a white father and quadroon mother, this made her seven-eighths
Caucasian.




CHAPTER IV.

ALMOST A WATERY GRAVE.

Before proceeding further I would say that the standard of virtue among
the <DW64>s is very low, and that if any of their girls wander from the
paths of virtue they are not cast off as is the case with the whites.
It must be admitted, however, that there is an improvement among them
along this line.  When Octavia was a year old she came very near being
drowned in the river.  Elsie was fond of fishing, and carried Octavia
and a little <DW64> nurse to watch the child.  The nurse got careless
and let the child fall into the river, and would have drowned had not
Simon happened to be near and heard his sister's screams, and getting
there, jumped in just in time to rescue both mother and child, the
former having leaped in to save the child.  Simon gave his sister a
good lecture and the nurse a switching for their carelessness.  It
seemed that Simon's nearness was providential.

Simon always said, after the child was a few months old, that she had a
bright future before her; that, though a slave, the Lord would open up
a way for her.

In Colonel R.'s absence Simon was required to make frequent visits to
his mistress's home to report to her the progress he was making on the
farm.  The war had been over half fought, and while the Confederacy had
gained many battles it suffered serious losses, and was daily getting
weaker, and it was only a question of time when it would collapse.
During his visits to his mistress Simon gained this intelligence in
regard to the progress of the war, and while he was sure of his
freedom, regardless of the way the war terminated, he could not but
wish for the success of the Union armies on account of his sister and
her child, who would thereby gain their freedom.  He also had a broad,
sympathetic feeling for his race and wanted them liberated.

He was also broad enough in his philosophy and intelligence to accord
to his master and other Southern slaveholders the right to resort to
arms to fight for property which they had bought or inherited, and
which was recognized in the Constitution of the United States.

While he was legally a slave he enjoyed freedom as much so as his
master or other white men.  He had all the comforts of a country home,
and while the large plantation over which he was foreman was not his,
he was in one respect "lord of all he surveyed."  He had a buggy,
horse, saddle, whip, pack of hounds, and said to this, do so and so,
and it was done; or go and they came or went.  When one of the slaves
transgressed he used the lash on him--in a word, he was as supreme in
authority as the Nabob of Cawnpore or the Sultan of Turkey.  Enjoying
and having all these things at his command, why should he want them
terminated?  It must be remembered that he was three-fourths white, and
one of the instincts of the Anglo-Saxon is freedom and liberty.  Simon
was attached to his master and mistress, who were humane, kind and
thoughtful of their slaves.  Still, with all this, there was a longing
in his heart that would not be satisfied.  It is admitted on all sides
that had there not been cruel and heartless slaveholders, "Uncle Tom's
Cabin" would never have been written, sympathy in Northern pulpits and
Abolition societies would not have spread, and in all probability the
<DW64> would yet have been a slave.  Simon's reasoning was that he nor
his master were responsible for human slavery, which in some respects
had been a benefit and in others an injury to the <DW64>, and that there
had been slavery in all ages of the world.

He knew that the mistake was made when slavery was recognized in the
Constitution of the United States; also that the mistake had brought
the <DW64> from the wilds of Africa, and civilized, tamed and made a
good laborer and citizen of him.  That was the entering wedge which had
caused all the contention, and finally precipitated the most gigantic
war in history.

Let the consequences be what they may, Simon did his duty in
successfully managing the affairs on his master's plantation.




CHAPTER V.

THE "UNDERGROUND RAILWAY."

While he did nothing openly to oppose the Confederacy, he aided in a
secret way the escape of his sister and niece.

Simon was not absolutely certain of the success of the Union armies,
and to insure the freedom of his sister and niece, he made use of the
first opportunity, which soon presented itself.  As is well known,
there was before the war what was known as an "Underground Railway" for
the escape of slaves to the free States and Canada.  This was nothing
more nor less than agents sent out by Northern Abolition societies to
abduct slaves, thousands of whom escaped in this manner.

It was on this account that the "Fugitive Slave Law" was passed by
Congress, on which there was the test case before the Supreme Court in
the slave, Dred Scott, said court sustaining the law.  One of the
Northern societies at this time sent an agent South as a spy, and to
abduct any slave or slaves that he could entice away.  This agent made
his way to Colonel R.'s plantation, over which Simon was foreman.  He
cautiously made known his business to Simon, who welcomed and secretly
harbored him.  This agent was joined two days after by an escaped Union
soldier from the Confederate prison at ----.  This was a happy and
unexpected meeting between the spy and soldier.  What they did had to
be done quickly and secretly.  If they were captured the spy would be
executed and the soldier reincarcerated in prison.  Simon also had
enemies on the farm who would give him away to the nearest provost
marshal if it was known that he was harboring these men.  Simon
arranged for an immediate conference at night, when it was agreed upon
that they were to take El