CHAPTER XXVI. A Woman's Discoveries.--An Infernal Machine.--The Shipping in Danger.--Discovery and Destruction of the Submarine Battery.

The destiny of nations, history tells us, sometimes turns upon the most trivial things. Rome was once saved by the gabbling of a flock of geese, whose cries awoke a sentinel sleeping at his post, just in time to give the alarm and enable the Roman soldiers to successfully repel the attack of an invading foe. A certain exiled and fugitive king took courage from watching a spider build its web, recovered his kingdom, and a crown that had been wrested from him by the misfortune of war. Darius, made King of Persia by the neighing of a horse—and in our own day historians agree, that had it not been for the opportune appearance of the "Monitor" when the rebel iron-clad "Merrimac" steamed out of Hampton Roads in March, 1862, the destruction of the Union might have been an accomplished fact. For had not that formidable battery met her match in the "Yankee cheese-box," as the "Monitor" was derisively called, she might have cleared the water of Union sloops of war, raised the blockade, opened the way by river to Washington, shelled the national capital and turned the fortunes of war decidedly in favor of the South.

This battle was an important epoch in the history of nations, and demonstrated to the world the formidable character of iron-clad war vessels, hitherto unknown; and placed the United States on record as having produced the most invincible navy in the world.

In addition to the "Merrimac," the South, early in 1862, had devised a great many ingenious machines in the shape of torpedoes and submarine batteries, that were designed for the purpose of blowing up the Union vessels that blockaded the Southern ports.

It was through the efforts of one of my operatives that the existence of one of these submarine batteries was discovered, and that, too, just in the nick of time to save the Federal blockading fleet at the mouth of the James River from probable destruction. It was in the early part of November, 1861, that I dispatched one of my lady operatives to Richmond and the South, for the especial purpose of ascertaining as much information as possible about these torpedoes and infernal machines, which I had good reason to believe were constructed at the rebel capital. The Tredegar Iron Works, the largest factory of the kind in the South, were located at this place, and since the commencement of hostilities had been manufacturing cannon and all kinds of shot and shell for the Confederacy.

The lady whom I selected for this task was Mrs. E. H. Baker; she had been in my employ for years, and at one time had resided in Richmond, although, prior to the war, she had removed to the North, where she had since dwelt.

This lady, fortunately enough, was well acquainted with a Captain Atwater and his family, who resided in Richmond, and after undertaking the mission, she wrote to them from Chicago, apparently, stating that notwithstanding the conflict between the two sections of the country, she designed to pay a visit to them and renew the acquaintance of years ago.

She accordingly started, and after a circuitous journey, arrived in Richmond on the 24th day of the month. The Captain and his family received her most hospitably, and requested her to make her home with them during her stay in that city.

Captain Atwater, although holding a commission in the rebel army, was at heart a Union man, and secretly rejoiced at the news of a Federal victory. He soon expressed his views to my operative so clearly and forcibly, that she believed, if he could do so, without jeopardy, he would join the Union troops, and fight for the cause that really had his heartiest wishes for success.

While Mrs. Baker did not reveal to him her connection with the secret service of the United States, she took no pains to conceal from him her real sentiments, and in their confidential conversations, was quite free in expressing her desire for a speedy Union triumph. The Captain was firm in his belief that the South was wrong, and that the masses had been led into the war by designing and ambitious politicians, and that she must eventually fail. Moreover, he said, that, while born in a slave-holding State, he believed the institution to be wicked and cruel, and that the South should have given up her slaves rather than have gone out of the Union.

Loyal as he was, the Captain understood the Southern people thoroughly, and he felt sure that they would fight long and stubbornly, rather than yield to the blacks the boon of freedom. Many days thus passed in quiet enjoyment and in these stolen discussions upon the important topics of the day. Mrs. Baker found herself very comfortably situated beneath the Captain's hospitable roof, and nearly a week was passed in viewing Richmond and the strange sights it then afforded.

On every hand she saw preparations for war, and at every street she turned, she was confronted with armed soldiers, whose measured tread kept time to the music of fife and drum. In company with the Captain, she also visited the earthworks and fortifications around Richmond, and gained many valuable points of information in regard to their number and extent.

As yet, however, she had been unable to discover anything concerning the special object of her mission, and feeling the necessity of accomplishing something in that direction, she resolved to act. She had now established herself so firmly in the estimation of those with whom she associated, that she believed she could with safety turn her inquiries in the direction that would lead to the knowledge she desired to gain. Accordingly, one evening at the tea-table she remarked, incidentally, that she desired very much to visit the Tredegar Iron Works.

"Why, certainly," replied the Captain; "I will be most happy to go with you to-morrow."

"That will be delightful," said Mrs. Baker, enthusiastically.

"But stay a moment," said the Captain, musingly, "I am afraid I will not be able to go to-morrow, as I have to go down the river to witness a test of a submarine battery."

"Why couldn't I go, too?" demurely asked my operative. "I am sure I should enjoy it very much; that is, if there is no danger connected with it."

"Oh, there is no danger, whatever, and there will, doubtless, be a number of ladies present, and you can go if you wish to."

"I should most certainly wish to," laughingly answered Mrs. Baker.

"Very well," said the Captain; "if you and Mrs. Atwater will be ready by nine o'clock, we will have ample time to reach the place, which is some few miles below the city."

The ladies were both much pleased with this arrangement, and expressed themselves in extravagant terms of thankfulness for a trip which, no doubt, would be exceedingly pleasant. The Captain then proceeded to explain to them the nature of the battery which was to be experimented with on the morrow. He explained the object to be obtained by this battery, which was to break up the blockading fleet at the mouth of the James River, and thus give the South an outlet to the sea.

The next day they started in a carriage for the scene of the exhibition, which was located about ten miles below the city. Arriving at the appointed spot, they found quite a large number of military men, many of them accompanied by ladies, assembled to witness the testing of the machine, from which so much was expected.

A large scow had been towed into the middle of the river, and the submarine vessel was to approach it and attach a magazine, containing nearly half a bushel of powder, to which was attached several deadly projectiles, and this was to be fired by a peculiarly constructed fuse, connected by a long wire coiled on board the submarine vessel.

At a given signal the boat was sunk into the river, about half a mile below the scow, and shortly afterwards it began to make its way under the water towards it. The only visible sign of its existence was a large float that rested on the surface of the water, and which was connected with the vessel below, designed to supply the men that operated it with air. This float was painted a dark green, to imitate the color of the water, and could only be noticed by the most careful observer. As my operative listened to a full explanation of the machine and its workings, she could scarcely control her emotions of fear for the safety of the Federal boats, in the event of its successful operation, and provided the government was not speedily warned of its existence.

It was learned that this vessel was but a small working model of a much larger one, that was now nearly completed, and would be finished in about two weeks, and would then be taken to the mouth of the James River, to operate on the war vessels guarding that port.

They had obtained an excellent position, where they had a full view of the river, and with the aid of a strong field-glass they could distinctly watch the large "float," which indicated the approach of the vessel.

"How do the men who operate the machine manage to attach the magazine to the vessel they design to destroy?" asked Mrs. Baker.

"Two or three men, who operate the boat," replied the Captain, "are provided with submarine diving armor, which enables them to work under the water and attach the magazine to the ship intended to be blown up. They then have only to quickly move away to a safe distance, fire their fuse, and the work is done."

The Captain also informed her, that the object was to break the blockade and allow the steamers "Patrick Henry" and "Thomas Jefferson" out to sea, these vessels being loaded with cotton and bound for England.

While they were talking, my operative was closely watching, by the aid of her glass, the movements of the boat, and she now noticed that having approached to within a few rods of the scow, it stopped, and the water "float" which indicated its position remained motionless. After remaining in this position for a few minutes, it slowly began to recede from the scow, in the direction from whence it came.

It moved steadily away some hundreds of yards, and Mrs. Baker was wondering at the seemingly long delay, when suddenly, and without any previous warning whatever, there was a terrific explosion, and the scow seemed lifted bodily out of the water and thrown high into the air. Her destruction was complete, and there was no longer any doubt that the submarine battery could be used with deadly and telling effect on the ships constituting the Federal blockading squadron.

Those who witnessed the experiment were, of course, much elated over the efficient work of destruction which had been accomplished, and even Captain Atwater, in his enthusiasm as a soldier, forgot temporarily his real feelings, in his undisguised admiration of the ingenuity of the invention and the effectiveness of its operation.

Mrs. Baker, however, looked on with a heavy heart as she reflected upon the terrible consequences of the workings of this machine, and at once felt the urgent necessity of taking steps to inform me what she had witnessed. Unless something was done in this direction, she felt confident that the Federal ships would be destroyed, the blockade forever ended, and untold disaster would attend the Union cause.

After their return home that evening, she made copious notes of what she had learned and witnessed, which she safely secreted about her person. The next day, in company with the Captain, she visited the Tredegar Iron Works, and inspected the boat that was being built. It was truly a formidable-looking engine of destruction.

The next day, being Sunday, she remained at the residence of the Captain, and on Monday morning, having procured a pass, she bade farewell to her host and his amiable spouse, and left Richmond for Fredericksburg. From thence she made her way to Washington by the way of Leonardstown, and lost no time in reporting to me the success of her trip. She had made a hasty, though quite comprehensive, sketch of the vessel, which sketch is still in my possession, and which showed the position under the surface of the water, and explained its workings.

I immediately laid my information before General McClellan and the Secretary of the Navy, who at once transmitted the intelligence to the commanders of the squadron, instructing them to keep a sharp lookout for the "water-colored surface float," and to drag the water for the purpose of securing possession of the air tubes connecting the float with the vessel below.

Nothing was heard from this for about three weeks, but about that time I was informed that one of the vessels of the blockading fleet off the mouth of the James River had discovered the float, and putting out her drag-rope, had caught the air-tubes and thus effectually disabled the vessel from doing any harm, and no doubt drowning all who were on board of her.

This incident, and the peculiarity of the machine, was duly discussed in the newspapers at that time, who stated that "by a mere accident the Federal fleet off James River had been saved from destruction"—but I knew much better, and that the real credit of the discovery was due to a lady of my own force. The efficient manner in which this work was performed was of great service to the nation, and sustained the reputation of the Secret Service Department, as being an important adjunct in aiding the government in its efforts to suppress the rebellion.

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