O. Jennings Wise A Spy

The New York Commercial Advertiser publishes several very interesting letters from its correspondent, accompanying the Burnside Expedition from which we quote the following:

DARING OF THE REBEL SPIES.

A flag of truce from Elizabeth City with a communication from Gen. Wise, in relation to the remains of his son, Capt. O. Jennings Wise, arrived to-day, Feb. 10.  The body had been interred with those of several other dead rebels, and was disinterred by a number of the first battalion, Fifth R. I. volunteers, directed by Capt. Eddy, and delivered to his friends and removed to Elizabeth City.  An incident during the disinterment of the remains of Capt. Wise throws some light on the spy system of the rebels, and illustrates the character of this bold and unscrupulous man.

As the body was disinterred and the soil brushed from the face, several of the Rhode Islanders exclaimed, “See here, Captain, this is the old cuss that sold us paper and envelopes at Annapolis.”  Capt. Eddy scrutinized the features of the dead captain and acknowledged the identity of the performer in these two characters.  The men stated that on the day of their departure from the naval school grounds at Annapolis, an apparently old man, rather shabbily dressed, appeared within the grounds about the time they were busily engaged in striking their tents, selling letter paper and envelops bearing showy Union devices.  They were amused by the peculiar appearance of the man and his inquisitiveness.  He asked them were they were going, when they were going, and how may there were, which questions they were, of course, unable to answer.  Major Wright came up soon after and urged the men to use all possible speed in completing their preparations to embark. – They replied that they were having a little fun with the “old chap” who was selling them paper.

That Capt. Wise was in Annapolis, and within the naval school grounds, about the time of the departure of the Burnside expedition, I have not the slightest doubt, nor have the officers who recognized in his remains the old paper seller. – It is such an adventure as a man of his well known daring would be likely to undertake, the more especially as the destination of the expedition was pretty well known to Gen. Wise, who was in command of the department of North Carolina.  There was a double incentive for Gov. Wise’s son to ascertain the force to be opposed to his father.

Several others among the captured prisoners were recognized by our soldiers, who had purchased various articles from them.  One in particular, who had sold illustrations for the public buildings of Baltimore folded in the form of a rose, was recognized among the prisoners, and was asked by our men if he had “any more roses of Baltimore to sell.”  Lieut. Richter, one of the 25th Massachusetts, recognized in Lieut. Selden, who was killed inside the breastwork on the 8th, a man from whom he purchased a silver watch at Camp Hicks, near Annapolis.  Selden represented himself to be a Baltimorean, and was engaged in selling various articles of jewelry.  This is perhaps the most effective source of information the rebels possess.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 22, 1862, p. 2