  General pass for the schooner "W.H. Travers"—Trip down the bay after blockade runners and mail carriers—Gillock and Lewis, two of my officers, captured by Union pickets—Commodore Foxhall A. Parker—Potomac flotilla— Arrest of J.B. McWilliams—My watch gone to the mermaids—The ignorance of "poor white trash." To save delay in getting out of the harbor the following request was made: Headquarters, Middle Department, Capt. Cornell, Captain.—I have the honor to request that you permit the schooner "W.H. Travers" under command of Lieut. Smith, to pass your vessel without Custom Clearance. She is employed in the Secret Service Bureau, 8th A.C. Respy, your most obdt. servt., Headquarters, Middle Department, Special Order No. 76. Lieut. H.B. Smith with detachment of Secret Service Corps, By command of Major General Wallace, The chain of war vessels extending along the Potomac under the command of Commodore Foxhall A. Parker, he having jurisdiction of the waters, was known as the Potomac flotilla. When I attempted to approach the Commodore on his flag ship I was, in my raiment, a sight. The marines viewed me with curiosity. Upon introducing myself to the Commodore, he laughed. His wife being present, also enjoyed a laugh at my appearance. No "Johnny" ever looked more Headquarters, Cavalry Detachment, Lieut. H.B. Smith, Some of my scouts last night arrested two men in a boat at the head of Britton's Bay, who claim to be Government detectives, and under your charge. If such is the case I desire that you will in some manner identify them, as they have nothing with them which would lead me to suppose them to be such. These men give their names as John Gillock, and J.W. Lewis. I shall hold these men in confinement until I am fully satisfied of the truth of their statements. I am, Sir, very respy, yours, &c., These were our boys and they were set at liberty of course. The Lieutenant was doing perfectly right, as our appearance and conduct was suspicious. Our plans always were to appear to be blockade-runners, so we never carried on our persons any evidence of our true character. We carried forged Confederate documents when we were going where it was desirable. We could imitate General Winder's signature to passes, Headquarters, Middle Department, Col. Woolley, Colonel.—I have the honor to report the following on the trip on the schooner "W.H. Travers" down the Bay, and on the Potomac river. I seized about three boxes tobacco (three hundred dollars) on the farm of Mr. Evans, Smith's Creek, St. Mary's County, Md, which he said was placed in his hay stack by some blockade runners. I got from the Provost Marshal at Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, the canoe which was seized by Detective White sometime since. In the Wicomico river, near its mouth, we seized a small yawl containing five men and one woman, who were on their way to Virginia. Wm. H. Hayden owned the boat and was to receive fifty dollars each for conveying the passengers over; he is engaged in this business constantly. About one week since he carried over two persons, one a Doctor; they were in the woods a day or so before they started. Wm. R. Horton, a passenger, was formerly in the Confederate army; said he was going to return; says he applied in this office for a position a short time since. Wm. Gellatly and wife, passengers, were making their way to Columbia, S.C., Mr. Gellatly says he came within our lines early in April last, but did not report to any Provost Marshal, as he did not wish to bind himself not to return. He claims to be a British subject. They had a small trunk and some other baggage. Both Gellatly and Horton say that they made arrangements with Hayden in Chaptico, St. Mary's County. I found in the trunk a small revolver. This arrest was made by Detectives Horner and Stern, who were posted as a picket near the mouth of the Wicomico. There were two more men in the boat who succeeded in making their escape in the dark, and whom all the other passengers state were Confederate officers who had escaped from Point Lookout, named Bruce and Howell. I am informed that one of these parties left his horse with a Mr. Dent in Chaptico. I took from Mr. Hayden a small gold watch. I also arrested Mr. J.B. McWilliams on the charge of aiding Rebels, contraband traders, &c., and of defrauding the Government. All of which I will state in a separate report. On the trip we have labored under many disadvantages. The vessel is in no way fit for the business, being too large and a miserable sailer. We could not get about as we ought, we had but one day's fair wind during the whole trip. We started from Wicomico river on Sunday at 3 P.M., and arrived in Baltimore this P.M. Mrs. Gellatly states that she tried to persuade her husband to remain North but he would not and she was compelled to accompany him. She came to this country about six months since. I could not get permission from Commodore Parker to enter Virginia on account of the raid then being carried on, but he said under any other circumstances he would give permission and let a gunboat accompany me. Hoping that my action in these matters will meet with your I am, Colonel, Office Provost Marshal, Col. Woolley, Colonel.—I have the honor to make the following report in the case of J.B. McWilliams of Charles County, Md., whom I arrested and brought to this prison. While anchored in the Wicomico river on the trip down on the schooner "W.H. Travers," W.H. Seward and myself took a small yawl which we had captured from Wm. H. Hayden in attempting to go South, and rowed up the Potomac river as far as Cobb creek. We were hailed by McWilliams as we neared the shore at this point, he saying, "I used to own that boat," asked us where we were from. I refused to answer, but he said, "I am all right, you need not fear me." We landed and went up into the bushes. He advised us to remove the mufflers from the oars as they could be seen from the gunboats and they would know immediately that we were from Virginia. He informed us where the soldiers were posted and how to avoid them, and advised us to leave our boat on his shore as it was known and would not be suspected, informed us of Grant's move on Fort Darling, &c.; called our attention to an article in the Baltimore Gazette which he said "done him good," and would do any He said he wanted to send some copies to Virginia as he knew they would be so highly appreciated; wanted to write by us to his son who was in the Confederate army; said he traded yawl boat with Hayden about one week previous, when Hayden was on his way to Virginia with two men, one of them a Doctor; said he talked with these two men nearly all one day, and sent a letter to his son by Hayden. He had sent his son a large revolver and wanted to sell me a double barrelled gun to take back with me to Virginia; said he had a full set of cavalry accoutrements that he had been keeping, awaiting a chance to saddle up and fight the Yankees. He said he saddled his horse and started for Frederick to assist when Jackson made his first raid but he could not get through the lines. He said many times that the people of Maryland only wanted a chance to turn on the Yankees. He said Dr. Coon of Washington had a yacht in which he carried over as many as three hundred to join the Confederates, from near his place; he said he was much afraid of his negroes as they would go and tell the Yanks all that was going on; he advised me to watch the negroes especially on Sunday and advised us to scatter about the woods. He brought us three meals in the woods. He whipped one of his Said he was caught once by the Yankee gunboats and they found seventeen thousand dollars worth of contraband goods in his cellar, but that he had a frolic at his house, invited all the ladies about there and the Officers of the gunboats and thus this was all hushed up; said he could bribe any Yankee. He said at one time he stored $25,000 worth of contraband goods in his buildings and aided in getting them away but was not caught. He said that about three weeks since, two Confederate soldiers, came across the river and secreted themselves in the woods; he went to see them; one of his slaves reported the case to the Provost Marshal, who sent a guard to make the arrest. He saw the guard approach. The Confederates were scared; he told them to keep cool and when the guards came near to say they wanted to know where the Provost Marshal was, to say they were refugees and wanted to take the oath; said he came near being caught but the Yanks were not smart enough; said he thought these men had returned to Dixie by this time. I seized from his house the double barrelled gun and the horse equipments. I arrested Mr. McWilliams and brought him to this city as I thought him too dangerous a man to occupy the position he does on the Maryland shore. His remarks were made voluntarily without my making much effort, apparently, to ascertain his actions. I am, Colonel, I remember the following incident which occurred on this trip: I tried to qualify as a deck hand. Leaning over the vessel's waist, I tried the difficult trick of scooping up a pail of water while the boat was in motion, and while so engaged my watch slipped out of my pocket, and into the water. We were then just below Fort Carroll, mid-stream. The watch is there yet, unless some mermaid has carried it off. I would not have Many of the crews on such vessels were of the class called by the negroes "poor white trash," and they were ignorant beyond belief; to test which I once pointed out land to the east as being Ireland, to which they assented. The captains and mates, of course, were not so ignorant. A strange picture presented itself to me one moonlight night. We were laying in St. Mary's river when a cunna (canoe) came along side, and three or four black men crawled upon our deck and hid themselves down behind the boat's waist. They wanted to go away with us, telling a pitiful tale of oppression, but slavery was yet in vogue there, and so we forced them to go away home. |
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