the　war　had　〃refugeed〃　from　that　section　and　enlisted　in　one　of　the
  Union　regiments　from　West　Virginia。　　In　about　a　week　these　men　came
  back　and　reported　that　Gilmore　was　living　at　a　house　between　three
  and　four　miles　from　Moorefield；　and　gave　full　particulars　as　to　his
  coming　and　going；　the　number　of　men　he　had　about　there　and　where　they
  rendezvoused。
  With　this　knowledge　at　hand　I　directed　Young　to　take　twenty　of　his
  best　men　and　leave　that　night　for　Moorefield；　dressed　in　Confederate
  uniforms；　telling　him　that　I　would　have　about　three　hundred　cavalry
  follow　in　his　wake　when　he　had　got　about　fifteen　miles　start；　and
  instructing　him　to　pass　his　party　off　as　a　body　of　recruits　for
  Gilmore　coming　from　Maryland　and　pursued　by　the　Yankee　cavalry。　　I
  knew　this　would　allay　suspicion　and　provide　him　help　on　the　road；
  and；　indeed；　as　Colonel　Whittaker；　who　alone　knew　the　secret；
  followed　after　the　fleeing　〃Marylanders；〃　he　found　that　their　advent
  had　caused　so　little　remark　that　the　trail　would　have　been　lost　had
  he　not　already　known　their　destination。　　Young　met　with　a　hearty；
  welcome　wherever　he　halted　on　the　way；　and　as　he　passed　through　the
  town　of　Moorefield　learned　with　satisfaction　that　Gilmore　still　made
  his　headquarters　at　the　house　where　the　report　of　the　two　scouts　had
  located　him　a　few　days　before。　　Reaching　the　designated　place　about
  12　o'clock　on　the　night　of　the　5th　of　February；　Young；　under　the
  representation　that　he　had　come　directly　from　Maryland　and　was　being
  pursued　by　the　Union　cavalry；　gained　immediate　access　to　Gilmore's
  room。　　He　found　the　bold　guerrilla　snugly　tucked　in　bed；　with　two
  pistols　lying　on　a　chair　near　by。　　He　was　sleeping　so　soundly　that　to
  arouse　him　Young　had　to　give　him　a　violent　shake。　　As　he　awoke　and
  asked　who　was　disturbing　his　slumbers；　Young；　pointing　at　him　a
  cocked　six…shooter；　ordered　him　to　dress　without　delay；　and　in　answer
  to　his　inquiry；　informed　him　that　he　was　a　prisoner　to　one　of
  Sheridan's　staff。　　Meanwhile　Gilmore's　men　had　learned　of　his
  trouble；　but　the　early　appearance　of　Colonel　Whittaker　caused　them　to
  disperse；　thus　the　last　link　between　Maryland　and　the　Confederacy　was
  carried　a　prisoner　to　Winchester；　whence　he　was　sent　to　Fort　Warren。
  The　capture　of　Gilmore　caused　the　disbandment　of　the　party　he　had
  organized　at　the　〃camp…meeting；〃　most　of　the　men　he　had　recruited
  returning　to　their　homes　discouraged；　though　some　few　joined　the
  bands　of　Woodson　and　young　Jesse　McNeil；　which；　led　by　the　latter；
  dashed　into　Cumberland；　Maryland；　at　3　O'clock　on　the　morning　of　the
  21st　of　February　and　made　a　reprisal　by　carrying　off　General　Crook
  and　General　Kelly；　and　doing　their　work　so　silently　and　quickly　that
  they　escaped　without　being　noticed；　and　were　some　distance　on　their
  way　before　the　colored　watchman　at　the　hotel　where　Crook　was
  quartered　could　compose　himself　enough　to　give　the　alarm。　　A　troop　of
  cavalry　gave　hot　chase　from　Cumberland；　striving　to　intercept　the
  party　at　Moorefield　and　other　points；　but　all　efforts　were　fruitless；
  the　prisoners　soon　being　beyond　reach。
  Although　I　had　adopted　the　general　rule　of　employing　only　soldiers　as
  scouts；　there　was　an　occasional　exception　to　it。　　I　cannot　say　that
  these　exceptions　proved　wholly　that　an　ironclad　observance　of　the
  rule　would　have　been　best；　but　I　am　sure　of　it　in　one　instance。　　A
  man　named　Lomas；　who　claimed　to　be　a　Marylander；　offered　me　his
  services　as　a　spy；　and　coming　highly　recommended　from　Mr。　Stanton；
  who　had　made　use　of　him　in　that　capacity；　I　employed　him。　　He　made
  many　pretensions；　often　appearing　over　anxious　to　impart　information
  seemingly　intended　to　impress　me　with　his　importance；　and　yet　was
  more　than　ordinarily　intelligent；　but　in　spite　of　that　my　confidence
  in　him　was　by　no　means　unlimited。　　I　often　found　what　he　reported　to
  me　as　taking　place　within　the　Confederate　lines　corroborated　by
  Young's　men；　but　generally　there　were　discrepancies　in　his　tales；
  which　led　me　to　suspect　that　he　was　employed　by　the　enemy　as　well　as
  by　me。　　I　felt；　however；　that　with　good　watching　he　could　do　me
  little　harm；　and　if　my　suspicions　were　incorrect　he　might　be　very
  useful；　so　I　held　on　to　him。
  Early　in　February　Lomas　was　very　solicitous　for　me　to　employ　a　man
  who；　he　said；　had　been　with　Mosby；　but　on　account　of　some　quarrel　in
  the　irregular　camp　had　abandoned　that　leader。　　Thinking　that　with　two
  of　them　I　might　destroy　the　railroad　bridges　east　of　Lynchburg；　I
  concluded；　after　the　Mosby　man　had　been　brought　to　my　headquarters　by
  Lomas　about　12　o'clock　one　night；　to　give　him　employment；　at　the　same
  time　informing　Colonel　Young　that　I　suspected　their　fidelity；
  however；　and　that　he　must　test　it　by　shadowing　their　every　movement。
  When　Lomas's　companion　entered　my　room　he　was　completely　disguised；
  but　on　discarding　the　various　contrivances　by　which　his　identity　was
  concealed　he　proved　to　be　a　rather　slender；　dark…complexioned；
  handsome　young　man；　of　easy　address　and　captivating　manners。　　He　gave
  his　name　as　Renfrew；　answered　all　my　questions　satisfactorily；　and
  went　into　details　about　Mosby　and　his　men　which　showed　an　intimacy
  with　them　at　some　time。　　I　explained　to　the　two　men　the　work　I　had
  laid　out　for　them；　and　stated　the　sum　of　money　I　would　give　to　have
  it　done；　but　stipulated　that　in　case　of　failure　there　would　be　no
  compensation　whatever　beyond　the　few　dollars　necessary　for　their
  expenses。　　They　readily　assented；　and　it　was　arranged　that　they
  should　start　the　following　night。　　Meanwhile　Young　had　selected　his
  men　to　shadow　them；　and　in　two　days　reported　my　spies　as　being
  concealed　at　Strasburg；　where　they　remained；　without　making　the
  slightest　effort　to　continue　on　their　mission；　and　were　busy；　no
  doubt；　communicating　with　the　enemy；　though　I　was　not　able　to　fasten
  this　on　them。　　On　the　16th　of　February　they　returned　to　Winchester；
  and　reported　their　failure；　telling　so　many　lies　about　their
  hazardous　adventure　as　to　remove　all　remaining　doubt　as　to　their
  double…dealing。　　Unquestionably　they　were　spies　from　the　enemy；　and
  hence　liable　to　the　usual　penalties　of　such　service；　but　it　struck　me
  that　through　them；　I　might　deceive　Early　as　to　the　time　of　opening
  the　spring　campaign；　I　having　already　received　from　General　Grant　an
  intimation　of　what　was　expected　of　me。　　I　therefore　retained　the　men
  without　even　a　suggestion　of　my　knowledge　of　their　true　character；
  Young　meanwhile　keeping　close　watch　over　all　their　doings。
  Toward　the　last　of　February　General　Early　had　at　Staunton　two
  brigades　of　infantry　under　Wharton。　　All　the　rest　of　the　infantry
  except　Echol's　brigade；　which　was　in　southwestern　Virginia；　had　been
  sent　to　Petersburg　during　the　winter；　and　Fitz。　Lee's　two　brigades　of
  cavalry　also。　　Rosser's　men　were　mostly　at　their　homes；　where；　on
  account　of　a　lack　of　subsistence　and　forage　in　the　valley；　they　had
  been　permitted　to　go；　subject　to　call。　　Lomax's　cavalry　was　at
  Millboro'；　west　of　Staunton；　where　supplies　were　obtainable。　　It　was
  my　aim　to　get　well　on　the　road　before　Early　could　collect　these
  scattered　forces；　and　as　many　of　the　officers　had　been　in　the　habit
  of　amusing　themselves　fox…hunting　during　the　latter　part　of　the
  winter；　I　decided　to　use　the　hunt　as　an　expedient　for　stealing　a
  march　on　the　enemy；　and　had　it　given　out　officially　that　a　grand　fox…
  chase　would　take　place　on　the　29th　of　February。　　Knowing　that　Lomas；
  and　Renfrew　would　spread　the　announcement　South；　they　were　permitted
  to　see　several　red　foxes　that　had　been　secured；　as　well　as　a　large
  pack　of　hounds　which　Colonel　Young　had　collected　for　the　sport；　and
  were　then　started　on　a　second　expedition　to　burn　the　bridges。　　Of
  course；　they　were　shadowed　as　usual；　and　two　days　later；　after　they
  had　communicated　with　friends　from　their　hiding…place；　in　Newtown；
  they　were　arrested。　　On　the　way　north　to　Fort　Warren　they　escaped
  from　their　guards　when　passing　through　Baltimore；　and　I　never　heard
  of　them　again；　though　I　learned　that；　after　the　assassination　of；　Mr。
  Lincoln；　Secretary　Stanton　strongly　suspected　his　friend　Lomas　of
  being　associated　with　the　conspirators；　and　it　then　occurred　to　me
  that　the　good…looking　Renfrew　may　have　been　Wilkes　Booth；　for　he
  certainly　bore　a　strong　resemblance　to　Booth's　pictures。
  On　the　27th　of　February　my　cavalry　entered　upon　the　campaign　which
  cleared　the　Shenandoah　Valley　of　every　remnant　of　organized
  Confederates。　　General　Torbert　being　absent　on　leave　at　this　time；　I
  did　not　recall　him；　but　appointed　General　Merritt　Chief　of　Cavalry。
  for　Torbert　had　disappointed　me　on　two　important　occasionsin　the
  Luray　Valley　during　the　battle　of　Fisher's　Hill；　and　on　the　recent
  Gordonsville　expeditionand　I　mistrusted　his　ability　to　conduct　any
  operations　requiring　much　self…reliance。　　The　column　was　composed　of
  Custer's　and　Devin's　divisions　of　cavalry；　and　two　sections　of
  artillery；　comprising　in　all　about　10；000　officers　and