wanted, and to sound certain people for him, in order to ascertain whether they were willing to aid him in carrying on his investigations.
The first thing I did after parting with Baker was to warn my associates, so that they might close out before it was too late to do so on advantageous terms. What became of the others in the business I did not care, and was rather glad than otherwise to have an opportunity of putting Baker on their track.
In a couple of days I furnished the colonel with the information he wanted, and, before a great while, the whole bounty-jumping fraternity were thrown into consternation by his raid upon them.
Baker at first represented himself as the agent of an interior county, and in that capacity he bought up a large number of forged enlistment papers, and became acquainted with the men who had them for sale, and with the manner of preparing them. He also disguised himself in various ways, and jumped several bounties in the course of one day. One of his men was enlisted, sent over to Governor's Island, bought off, enlisted again, and bought off again, for the purpose of demonstrating how the thing could be done. Finally, when he understood the whole business, he laid his plans, and made an immense number of arrests ; but before he had more than fairly gotten under way with his work the assassination of Mr. Lincoln occurred, and he was recalled to Washington, to take a part in the search that was being made for Booth and his companions.
During the time I was engaged in the bounty and substitute brokerage business, I was interested, in a greater or less degree, in several other enterprises, and went on several expeditions, the particulars of the most important of which will be related in subsequent chapters. My circle of acquaintance among the better class of people was large, and I took great pains to keep on the best terms with ladies and gentlemen of influence who were known to be ardent supporters of the Federal cause.
In conjunction with some other ladies, I at one time started on a begging expedition, and after canvassing a large part of Brooklyn, I went up to Albany. I collected, in all, seventeen hundred dollars, half of which I gave to the Soldiers' Aid Society, and the other half to the Southern Relief Fund, in which I had a more particular interest.
