either in Spain or Cuba. My husband, who was a United States army officer, this I put in for the sake of obtaining the corroboration of my friend, the general, who had been acquainted with my first husband, but who apparently was not aware of the fact that he was in the Confederate service at the time of his death, had died about the outbreak of the war, and I had been plundered, and otherwise so badly treated by the rebels, that I had been compelled to come North, where I had resided for a considerable period, but without being able to do much in the way of supporting myself. I was well acquainted throughout the South, having travelled a great deal, and having met a great many prominent people, and I did not doubt but that I possessed much information that would be of value to the government, and believed that I could obtain more, as I thought that I had talents which would enable me to do good service either as a spy or simply as a detective.
In the course of a somewhat lengthy conversation with Colonel Baker, I expressed myself with considerable bitterness with regard to the rebels, and the treatment I professed to have received at their hands, and endeavored to impress him with the idea that I was quite as anxious to engage in spy duty for the purpose of being revenged on them, as for the cash I expected to earn by the faithful performance of the particular tasks which might be assigned me.
Baker asked me a good many questions not particularly skilful ones it seemed to me about myself, my family, how long I had been at the North, what induced me to take up with the idea of joining the secret service corps, what employment I had hitherto been engaged in, and a variety of other matters. To his interrogatories I replied promptly, and with seeming frankness, and I left his presence tolerably confident that he believed all I had told him, and that I had made a good impression. As for the general, he seemed to be deeply impressed, and advocated my cause strongly, urging Baker to give me an engagement without further delay. The colonel, however, was cautious he would see about it; he would talk further with me on the subject ; he did not know that he had anything he could give me to do just at present, but he might have need of me shortly, and would let me know when he wanted me, and all that sort of thing.
After we left, the general promised to speak to the colonel
