This, it struck me, was a most capital idea ; and, therefore, asking the governor to give me some kind of a note or recommendation,—which request he complied with by writing a few lines,—I left him, to see what I could do at the place where they were manufacturing munitions of war to be used against my Confederate friends.
I do not know whether it was the governor's note that aided me, or whether they were really in want of hands, but I was told that I could have work, if I desired it. The ordnance officer—a German, whose name I have forgotten—said that I was to commence work on Tuesday, the day I applied to him being Saturday.
A Project for Blowing up the Arsenal.
At the appointed time I appeared at the arsenal, and was sent into the packing-room, where I was instructed in the mystery of packing cartridges. There were about eighteen girls working in the same room, most of whom were rather lightheaded things, interested in very nearly everything except the business they were paid for. A good part of their time was employed in writing, reading, and discussing love-letters, which they were interchanging with the soldiers in the field, and a number of them had a good many more than one correspondent.
The society of these girls was no pleasure to me whatever, especially as I had things of much more importance to think of than their love affairs. Immediately on Governor Morton suggesting that, perhaps, I could obtain employment at the arsenal, the idea of blowing up that establishment entered my mind. After going to work, I looked about me to see how this could be done, and very soon perceived that the thing was possible, and without much risk to myself, provided I took proper precautions.
I found, however, that I would not be able to blow up the arsenal without destroying a number of lives, and I shrank from doing this. It was a great temptation to me, however, especially when I reflected that I was really in the Confederate service, and that it was a part of my duty to do everything in my power to injure the enemy. I could not, however, get it out of my head that there was a wide difference between killing people in a fair fight and slaughtering them in this fashion; and so, to get myself out of the way of a
