THE LOYAL VIRGINIA GIRL, AND HOW SHE SAVED THE WAR MAPS FOR THE UNION SCOUTS.–

During the winter of 1861-2, when McClellan’s grand army lay along the Potomac, and before it had been decided to try an advance by the Peninsula, it became a matter of the utmost importance to the Union Generals to obtain accurate and thorough maps of all North-eastern Virginia, the region destined to be the theatre of movements so important.

With that view, a number of intelligent and scientific scouts, armed with minute pocket compasses and small boxes of drawing materials, fearlessly pushed their way through the lines, and as they were apparently rambling about among the hills and through the woods as non-belligerents and in the dress of citizens, were collecting and tracing down on maps a very complete topographical history of all they saw.

Southern surveyors and draughtsmen were engaged in the same work, and as they had every facility in their operations, and were directed by an engineer no less skilful than Beauregard, their maps were of inestimable value to the Federal officers, and for the service of preserving and delivering them to the Union scouts, we are indebted to the coolness, presence of mind, and loyalty of Miss —–, a Virginia girl of fourteen.

The topographical corps sent out by Beauregard had established their headquarters at her father’s house, and were there busy in plotting down their surveys, when this girl, who was watching at the window, gave the alarm, “The blue-coats are coming down the road.” Without stopping to save a paper, they all rushed the other way, out at the back door, and hid in the woods adjacent. The little squad of Union scouts rode quickly down the road, but mistrusting some mischief, soon turned back, and rode away.

Meantime this young girl had gathered up all the maps into one great roll, and taken it into the attic, and hid it in a hole in the chimney.

In time the alarm subsided, and the topographers came cautiously back from the bushes, but, to their great astonishment and chagrim, found not a vestige of their work.

They inquired of the girl what had become of their maps.

“O,” said she, “do you think I was stupid enough to let them Yanks get hold of them? No, indeed. When I saw them riding down the road, those maps were going up the chimney!”

“Good for you!” was the reply. “We’ll have them all to draw over again, but that’s better than for those confounded blue-coats to get them.”

Considering the situation somewhat perilous, they withdrew; and a day or two after, a Union scout came in, and found a prompt welcome.

He requested her to watch at the window for him, while he pulled out a secret roll of paper, and commenced to map out the country through which he had been wandering.

“So it’s maps that you are making too. I think I can give you some that I reckon you never saw before.” So saying, she ran up stairs, and brought down the roll from the hole in the chimney, and told him how she saved them, and how entirely satisfied the other party had been that their maps had gone up the chimney in a very different sense.

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