Ken Jones wrote about Harrison the Spy who did signal service for
General Lee. There also is a Harrison who was a spy in the early
days of the Civil War, who could be the same man. A Harrison visited
Governor Letcher of VA in the early days of the Civil War, and
offered his services. Letcher wasn't too enthused, but told him to
go ahead. Harrison, who was into disguises (fairly effectively, too)
took passage, with confederates (no pun intended) on river and bay
traffic on the Chesapeake. At the proper moment, Harrison would
throw off his disguise as a late middle-aged woman, draw pistols, and
take over the sailboat, diverting it and its cargo to Confederate
locations on the Virginia shore.
At one point, he tried this once too often, was captured, and
placed in Fort McHenry. He escaped from there by leaping from the
parapets - suffered some injuries, but was able to get back to
Richmond. His exploits are chronicled piecemeal in the OR - the
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. He is never
identified other than as Harrison.
Oh well, another elusive Harrison to run down. I have no idea if
this Harrison and the one who worked for Longstreet were the same man
of not.
Abner Harrison
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