Webster returned to Baltimore with a clear understanding of the course he was to pursue, and he followed that course with the untiring zeal with which he performed every duty a.s.signed to him. He attended the midnight meetings regularly, and gained much information concerning the plans and movements of the Southern commanders, which proved of incalculable value to the government. The two operatives soon contrived to join the society, not through Webster"s recommendation, as that was to be avoided, if possible, but by making the acquaintances of men whom he pointed out to them, and representing themselves as secessionists who were capable of keeping their own counsel.
This done, the rest was comparatively easy. By the rules of the society, no one could enter the secret chamber of the conspirators without pa.s.sing two guards, and giving sundry pa.s.s-words. These guards were appointed by the Chief from those who volunteered for the positions. At stated periods, new pa.s.s-words were arranged, by which every man was required to answer the questions of the guards, and any one who failed to commit these to memory sufficiently to satisfy these sentinels that he was a member of the society, found himself barred out of the meeting.
Our plan worked to perfection. There came a night when my two operatives were on duty, as guards, they having volunteered their services at the last preceding meeting. This was the night set apart for the surprise.
It had been announced that Webster would speak that night, and it had been arranged with the guards, that a certain part in his speech should be taken as the signal for the grand finale that had been decided upon.
The hour of midnight approached. The old building in which the secret conclaves were held was shrouded in silence and darkness. At intervals one or more dark figures might have been seen to enter the covered archway leading thereto, and pa.s.s through the gate into the narrow court. Then, one at a time, they approached a certain door, and after a signal rap, and a low, muttered conversation with the guards, they pa.s.sed in and ascended the dimly-lighted stairs. Another brief dialogue with the inside guard, and they entered the council-chamber, where they dropped their mysterious manner, and were ready to answer to their names at the calling of the roll.
The clock struck twelve. The sound rang through the apartment in solemn, measured tones, and as the twelfth stroke was still vibrating in the air, all the doors, even those communicating with the ante-rooms, were promptly locked, no one being admitted after that hour.
The meeting was opened after the regular form, and the business disposed of without interruption. When the time which was set apart for addresses arrived, Webster was called upon for his speech. He ascended the platform with a serious expression on his face, and after thanking his fellow-knights for the honor conferred upon him, he launched forth into a stirring address, the treasonable nature of which was calculated to fire the Southern blood of his hearers, and to add much to his own popularity. As the speaker appeared to warm up with his subject he lifted his voice and exclaimed:
"The dissolution of the Union is one of the inevitable necessities of Lincoln"s election, and it will be our mission to strike directly at the heart of the abolition party, and bury its foul carca.s.s beneath the smoking ruins of Washington city!"
This was the signal. The words had no sooner pa.s.sed the lips of the speaker, than a startling noise, like that of a battering-ram being applied to one of the ante-room doors, cut short the speech, and caused every man present to spring to his feet in astonishment and alarm. Bang!
bang! bang! sounded the heavy blows. The door burst open with a crash, and a stream of blue-coated soldiers, all fully armed, came pouring into the council-chamber, and quickly deployed around three sides of the room, effectually cutting off the retreat of the inmates before they could make a movement.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "_The door burst open and a stream of blue coated soldiers came pouring in._" P 298]
The sudden and unexpected appearance of these intruders had a paralyzing effect upon the conspirators. Had so many ghosts confronted them they could not have been more surprised. Horrified consternation was depicted on every blanched face; startled eyes looked wildly around for some avenue of escape, and exclamations of terror or baffled rage broke from many white lips. Some of the most desperate seemed for a moment to entertain thoughts of breaking through the line of soldiers and reaching the door, but no such mad attempt was made. McPhail stepped forward with a revolver in each hand, and in a low, thrilling voice, said:
"Gentlemen, you are our prisoners. I advise you to give in gracefully.
We are too many for you."
His advice did not go unheeded. They surrendered as gracefully as possible under the circ.u.mstances, and resigned themselves to the custody of their armed foes. The chamber in which they had maliciously plotted the overthrow of the government became the scene of their own downfall, and it was with dejected countenances that they submitted to the inevitable, and permitted themselves to be marched in a body before the Provost-Marshal. It was not observed, however, until they were being removed, that Timothy Webster had somehow contrived to make good his escape.
The leading spirits of this conspiracy--those who did the actual plotting, and who were known to be the arch traitors and prime movers in the secret enterprise--were taken to Fort McHenry. The rest, after taking the oath of allegiance, were released.
My two operatives disappeared from Baltimore immediately after this occurrence, as well they might, for of course the suspicion of the defeated conspirators fastened upon them at once. As they did not show themselves in that city again, however, they never were made the victims of the terrible vengeance which some of their late a.s.sociates swore to bring down upon their luckless heads at the first opportunity. As for Webster, instead of being suspected of any complicity in the betrayal, he was congratulated upon his fortunate and remarkable escape from the fate which befell his unfortunate brother knights.
With the defeat of the "Knights of Liberty" in Baltimore, ended the existence of the branch lodges all over the State. The organization, which had so carefully planned the destruction of the Union at a single blow, was completely broken up. The conspirators, taking warning by the fate of their leaders, became mute and inactive, and although skilled detectives were sent to all outlying towns, no new signs of an uprising were discovered.
CHAPTER XIX.
_Suspicions in Washington.--"Uncle Gallus."--Property Searched.--A Rebel Family sent South.--Webster starts for Richmond._
Aside from the operations of Timothy Webster and his a.s.sistants in Baltimore, there was work enough to do in Washington to keep myself and all the members of my large force constantly employed. Innumerable persons, suspected of treasonable designs, were closely shadowed; whole families became objects of distrust, and fell under the watchful eye of my department; while the ungracious task of searching the homes of people who stood upon the highest round of the social ladder became of frequent occurrence.
Among the latter cla.s.s were the wife and family of ex-Governor Morton, of Florida, who at this time were sojourning in Washington. Mrs. Morton was known to be in sympathy with the South, and the unceasing vigilance of my men soon developed the fact that she was in secret communication with certain officials of the rebel government, to whom she was giving information concerning affairs at the North. She was a lady of eminent respectability and refinement, and much esteemed by all who knew her, but this did not render it less advisable, under the circ.u.mstances, to have all her movements watched, and her house constantly shadowed by detectives. Her pleasant residence at No. 288 "I" street, was therefore placed under strict surveillance, and its inmates followed whenever they went out for a walk or drive, while all visitors at the house were invariably shadowed when they went away.
There was an old negro servant, known as Uncle Gallus, who went to and from the house oftener than any one else, on errands for the family.
Finally one of my operatives drew the old fellow into conversation, and found him so cheerful and communicative, and so firm in his loyalty to the Northern cause, that when the fact was reported to me, I concluded to talk with Uncle Gallus myself. Accordingly, I gave orders to have him brought to my office, if it could be done without opposition on his part. The friendship I bore for the colored race, and my long experience as an underground railroad conductor, had given me such an insight into the character of the negro, that I believed I could gain his confidence and good-will if I should meet him.
Uncle Gallus came to my office quite willingly. He was a powerfully-built darky, though evidently well advanced in years, as attested by the bleached appearance of his wool and eyebrows. His skin was as black and shone as bright as polished ebony, and it took but little provocation to set him on a broad grin, which displayed two unbroken rows of glistening ivory.
This interesting specimen appeared before me one afternoon, when Timothy Webster was with me in my office. We had just finished a discussion concerning some delicate point in Webster"s Baltimore operations, and had lapsed into a desultory conversation. My sable visitor stood bowing and sc.r.a.ping, and turning his hat round and round in his hands, till I bid him be seated.
"Your name is Gallus?" I said.
"Yes, sah," he replied, his mouth stretched from ear to ear. "Folks done got so dey call me _uncle_ Gallus nowadays."
"You have been a slave all your life, I understand?"
"Yes, ma.s.sa, eber sence I war knee-high to a hopper-gra.s.s. I"se done a mighty sight o" wu"k, too, "kase I wus allus as big an stout as a sixty-dollah bull, an" I could stan" mo" hard-fisted labor dan any o" de udder n.i.g.g.ahs on de plantation. But sence I been wid Ma.s.sa Morton I ain"t had nuffin" to do skursely, an" it seems as ef I"se gwine to git pow"ful lazy fur de want o" wu"k. H"yah! H"yah!"
"What is your native State, Uncle Gallus?"
"Ole Virginny, sah."
He held his head a little higher, and sat a trifle more erect as he said this, showing that inordinate pride in his State which I had so often noticed in other Virginia slaves, as well as in Virginia masters.
I asked him if the Mortons had offered him his freedom since the breaking out of the war. He shook his head and gravely replied:
"Dey hain"t been nuffin" said to dis pusson on dat "ar subjick, but I knows dey"d gimme my freedom in less"n twenty-fo" hours ef I done ax "em fur it."
"Then you don"t want to be free?"
"Oh, yes, I does, ma.s.sa; yes, I does, fur sho". But Ma.s.sa Link.u.m an" de Yankee boys am gwine ter fetch dat aroun" all right by"m-bye. Bress your soul an" body, I can"t b"ar fur to run away from missus an" ole ma.s.sa, "kase dey"s been so good an" kyind to me; an" I"se done tuk an oath dat I won"t leave "em till dey gimme leaf. When missus goes back down Souf I"se gwine ter go wid her, ef she don"t tole me to stay heah. It won"t be long, nohow, "kase de time am soon comin" when de darkies will all be free."
"Your mistress intends to return to the South, then?"
"Yes, sah; we"ll soon be off now, ef de good Lo"d will let us. Ma.s.sa, he"s in Richmond, an" he hab done sent fur de family."
"Is Mrs. Morton in communication with her husband?"
"Spec" she is, sah. She writes letters, an" _gits_ letters. She has ter be sorter keerful like, for dese "yah Yankees is got eyes like a cat, an" kin see fru a stun wall in de dark."
"Do you know whether your mistress writes to any one besides her husband?"
Uncle Gallus leaned back in his chair, and looked at me somewhat suspiciously, the whites of his eyes shining like polished china.
""Deed, sah, I doesn"t know whedder she dusdo, or whedder she doant," he said, hesitatingly. "Please, ma.s.sa, doant ax dis chile any mo"
questions. My missus is de bes" woman in de wu"ld, and nebber didn"t do nuffin" wrong in all her bawn days. Ole Gallus wouldn"t say nuffin" to bring trubble on her for fifteen cents," he added, earnestly.
I quieted the fears of the faithful old man by a.s.suring him that I meant no harm to his mistress, and that I had no doubt she was the good lady he represented her to be. Satisfied with the result of my investigations, I permitted Uncle Gallus to depart, first charging him, however, to say nothing to any one concerning my interview with him. He promised secrecy, and bowed himself out with all his teeth visible, saying, as he went:
"Fo" de Lawd, gemmen, I"se hopin an" prayin" de No"thun folks will be de top dog in dis wrastle, an" ef eber dis n.i.g.g.ah hes a chance to gib yu"uns a helpin" han", yu" kin bet a hoss agin" a c.o.o.n-skin he"ll do it; but I hope an" trus" my missus not be boddered."
Nevertheless, I had learned enough to bring me to the decision, that Mrs. Morton"s house must be searched, and under orders of the Secretary of War, I sent three of my men to No. 288 "I" street, to perform this unpleasant task. The operatives chosen to make the search were W. H.
Scott, John Scully, and Pryce Lewis. Mrs. Morton received them very civilly, and told them they were at liberty to make a thorough search of the premises, which they immediately proceeded to do. They had instructions to read all letters that were found, but to keep only those that were of a treasonable nature, and in no case to destroy any property or leave anything in a disordered condition. These instructions were obeyed to the letter. Boxes that were packed ready for shipment were all carefully repacked and closed after they had been examined by my men, and when the operatives departed, they left no traces of their search behind them. Their polite and considerate conduct won for them the good will, not only of Mrs. Morton herself, but also of her daughter and two sons, who expressed themselves as being agreeably surprised, for they had been informed that the men from the Provost-Marshal"s office were a set of ruffians, who did not scruple to break up boxes, and litter the house with their contents, and that their conduct towards ladies was insulting in the extreme. They even went so far as to a.s.sure the operatives, that if any of them should ever be taken prisoner and brought to Richmond, they would do all in their power to secure kind treatment for them.
Among the letters that were found, two of them were from ex-Governor Morton, to his son and daughter, requesting them to come to him at Richmond; but nothing of a criminating character was discovered, and the family were not subjected to further annoyance.
Some two weeks afterwards, when John Scully boarded a train for Baltimore, whither I had sent him with a message to Webster, he chanced to meet Mrs. Morton and family in the car which he entered. They were departing from Washington, having been required to leave the North, by the authorities, who furnished them a safe pa.s.sport to Richmond, and they were accompanied by the faithful Uncle Gallus. They recognized Scully, and greeted him with cordial courtesy, the eldest son rising in his seat to shake hands with him. They told him that on arriving at Baltimore, they were to take a flag-of-truce boat to Fortress Monroe, from which point they would continue their journey to Richmond. Scully as a matter of policy, gave them distinctly to understand that he had quitted the government service and was returning to his home in the North.