[131]
Keller or Killdare, one of the scouts of the Army of the Cumberland.
Keller, or as he was usually called in the Army of the Cumberland, Killdare, was of German, and perhaps Jewish extraction, and during the first eighteen months of the war had been concerned with Besthoff, and three Jews by the names of Friedenburg, in smuggling goods into rebeldom, but being arrested in connection with them, it appeared that he had not been as guilty as the others, and that what he had done had been rather to support his family than from a desire to aid the rebels. He was therefore released, and being offered an appointment as scout in the Union service, he accepted it and was of great service to the Union cause. In March 1863, he left Nashville on horseback, with a small stock of goods, not exceeding one hundred dollars in value, with the intention of making his way into and through a certain portion of the Confederacy. Swimming his horse across Harpeth creek, and crossing with his goods in a canoe, he journeyed on, and passed the night at a house about six miles beyond Columbia, having previously fallen in with some of Forrest's men going to Columbia. The next morning he started for Shelbyville, where he arrived in due season. The occurrences there and in the subsequent portions of the trip are best related in his own words:When I arrived, I could find stabling but no feed for my horse. I put the animal in the kitchen of a house, and gave a boy five dollars to get me a half bushel of corn, there being none in the town. I sold [132] the little stock of goods to the firm of James Carr & Co., of Nashville, who gave me eight hundred dollars for the lot, and then went to visit General Frank Cheatham, General Maney, and General Bates, whom I saw at the house where I stopped. At the headquarters of General Cheatham, Colonel A-- arrived from the front, and stated in my presence that the whole Federal line had fallen back; and I further understood from the generals present and Colonel A- that there would be no fight at Shelbyville. They said that probably there would be some skirmishing by the Federals, but that the battle would be fought at Tullahoma, and they had not more than one corps at Shelbyville, which was under General Polk. Forage and provisions for man and beast it is utterly impossible to obtain in the vicinity of Shelbyville. The forage trains go as far as Lewisport, in Giles county, and the forage is then shipped to Tullahoma, and even farther back, for safe keeping — as far as Bridgeport. Confederate money is two for one of Georgia; Tennessee, two and one half for one. I next went to Tullahoma; and there I met on the cars a major on Bragg's staff, and scraped an acquaintance through the introduction of a Nashville gentleman. When we arrived within a few miles of Tullahoma, he made a short statement to me, called me to the platform, and pointed out the rifle-pits and breastworks, which extended on each side of the railroad about a mile, in not quite a right angle. The whole force of Bragg's army is composed of fifty-five thousand men, well disciplined; twenty thousand of them are cavalry. When I left Tullahoma, I could not buy meat nor bread. [133] When I arrived at Chattanooga, I gave a nigger one dollar for a drink of whiskey, one dollar for a small cake, and fifty cents for two eggs, which I took for subsistence, and started for Atlanta. I met, going thitherward, a good many acquaintances on the trains. When I arrived at Atlanta, I found a perfect panic in money matters. Georgia money was at seventy-five cents premium, and going up; gold, four and five dollars for one. I remained at Atlanta three days. Full one half of those I met were from Nashville; they were glad to see me. I commenced my return to Tullahoma with a captain from Nashville, who also showed me the rifle-pits, as I before stated. I made my way on to Shelbyville, and then I got a pass from the provost-marshal-a Major Hawkins--to Columbia, where I arrived on Sunday morning. There I found Forrest and his command had crossed Duck river on their way to Franklin. As I started from the Nelson hotel to the provost-marshal's office, I was arrested on the square as a straggling soldier; but I proved myself the contrary, and started without a pass to Williamsport. There some fool asked me if I had a pass. I told him “yes,” and showed him the pass I had from Shelbyville to Columbia and the documents I had in my possession, which he could not read. I gave the ferryman a five dollar piece to take me across the river, and he vouched for my pass-when I safely arrived at the Federal pickets.About a month after this, Killdare made another, and his last trip, the full report of which is subjoined. It will be seen that he was watched and. several times arrested. Though he finally escaped, his usefulness as [134] a spy was totally destroyed, his name, appearance, and business having been betrayed to the enemy. He has consequently retired from the business. On his return, he made the following report:
This Archy Cheatham, who it appears had informed upon Killdare, was a government contractor, and professed to be loyal. The manner in which he obtained his information was in this wise. [138] One day a genteel, well-dressed young man came to the police office and inquired for Judge Brien, an employee of the office. The two, it seems, were old acquaintances, and for some time maintained a friendly conversation in the presence of Colonel Truesdail. The visitor, whose name was Stewart, having taken his leave, Brien remarked to the Colonel:
There is a young man who can do us a great deal of good.“Do you know him?” said the colonel. “Very well. He talks right.” The result was that Stewart and Colonel Truesdail soon afterward had a private conversation in reference to the matter. Stewart stated that he lived about two miles from the city upon his plantation, that he was intimate with many prominent secessionists, was regarded as a good Southern man, and could go anywhere within the lines of the Confederacy. The colone replied that he was in want of just such a man, and that he could be the means of accomplishing great good. It was an office, however, of vast responsibility, and, if he should be employed, he would be required to take a very stringent and solemn oath, which was read to him. To all this Stewart assented, and took the oath, only stipulating that he should never be mentioned as having any connection with the police office. He was consequently employed, and told to go to work at once. For a time all seemed well enough. One or two minor cases of smuggling were developed by him. He subsequently reported that he had become acquainted with the cashier of the Planters' Bank, and a Mrs. Bradford, [139] who lived five miles from the city, and made herself very busy in carrying letters, in which she was aided by Cantrell, the cashier. He was also in the habit of meeting large numbers of secessionists, among whom was Archy Cheatham. He also was a member of a club or association which met every Saturday, to devise ways and means for aiding the rebellion, and at which Mrs. Bradford and Cantrell were constant attendants. One day he reported that Mrs. Bradford was just going to carry out what was ostensibly a barrel of flour, but really a barrel of contraband goods covered over with flour at each end. And so it went on from week to week. Somebody was just going to do something, but never did it, or was never detected; and, despite the many fair promises of Stewart, the results of his labors were not deemed satisfactory. On the night that Killdare came in from his last trip, Stewart was at the office. Something was evidently wrong, and Stewart soon left. To some natural inquiries of the colonel, Killdare answered, excitedly:
Somebody has nearly ruined me, colonel!“How is that, and who can it be?” “Well, I am sure that it is a man by the name of Stewart and Archy Cheatham who have done the mischief. Cheatham has been out in the country some fourteen miles, and there he met Lieutenant-Johnston, whom he told that I was disloyal to the Confederacy, and one of your spies. The result was that I was arrested, and came near-altogether too near hanging for comfort. Johnson telegraphed to Van Dorn that he had ,aught me, but I got away; and to make a long [140] story short, I have been arrested and have escaped three times.” This opened the colonel's eyes somewhat, and inquiries were at once set on foot, which disclosed the fact that Stewart was a rebel of the deepest dye, and had been “playing off” all the time. It was found that he had not only informed Cheatham of Killdare's business and position, but had himself been out in the country some fourteen miles, and had told the neighbors that Killdare had gone south in Truesdail's employ. He told the same thing to two guerrillas whom he met, and even taunted Killdare's children by saying that he knew where their father had gone. The colonel, for once, had been thoroughly deceived by appearances; but it was the first and last time. After a month or six weeks search, Stewart was found and committed to the penitentiary; and before he leaves that institution it is by no means improbable that he will have ample time and opportunity to conclude that his operations, though sharp and skilful, were not of the most profitable character.
