CONFEDERATE BULL RUN SPY LETTER

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/31/2006

An extremely rare and important 2pp. 8vo. ALS, dated July 22, 1861, the day after Bull Run, In which Confederate spy George Donellan, after successfully delivering Confederate Spy ROSE GREENHOW'S warning to Jefferson Davis of the Union Army's advance on Bull Run, writes to General Ruggles informing him of Southern Successes. While the exploits of Confederate Spy ROSE GREENHOW are well known, few are aware of the vital role Confederate Spy and courier GEORGE DONNELAN played in making sure that Greenhow's warning of an attack on Bull Run reached the South in time for it to be acted upon. For some time before the battle of Bull Run, Mrs. Greenhow had sent Jefferson Davis warning that the Union Army would march on Bull Run on the 16th of July. President Davis remained unconvinced, refusing to allow the army under General Johnston to reinforce Beauregard, whose troops were already in the vicinity of Bull Run , but would be hopelessly outnumbered if they had to face the Union attack by themselves. The day of the Union advance approached, and in desperation Confederate spymaster THOMAS JORDAN, who supervised Greenhow, sent George Donellan, than at Beauregard's headquarters, to speak to Greenhow in person. Crossing the enemy lines at night, Donnellan reached Greenhow early on the morning of July 16th, carrying a coded letter of introduction to Greenhow from Jordon. Greenhow provided Donnelly with detailed information concerning the exact routes the Union advance would take. With the Union army already beginning to march, the importance of Greenhow's information forced Donellan to recross enemy lines in broad daylight, arriving at Beauregard's headquarters at 8 P.M. Davis was finally convinced of the truth of Greenhow's information, and ordered General Johnston to rush his Army to reinforce General Beauregard. Because President Davis had waited so long , on July 21, 1861, the day of the battle, Johnston's army was still arriving on the field, and would continue to come in by train throughout the day.. However, these reinforcements proved to be just enough to insure a critical Southern victory. In this letter, written at dawn the day after the battle, Donellan tells General Ruggles, then in charge of the defenses around the Petersburg area, what he knows of the Southern victory This unique letter reads, in part: "… Everybody is so busy that I have not yet conferred with General Beauregard and the bearer leaves before breakfast…..Of the 50 pieces of artillery I mentioned in [the ] dispatch you forwarded here yesterday 30 have been captured. [ Note that Donellan here refers to a previously unknown dispatch he delivered to general Ruggles the Day of Bull Run!] Our loss has been pretty heavy but that of the enemy much heavier. 400 or 500 of Patterson's men are here as prisoners. I will give you a detailed item of news after conferring with General Beauregard. Mr. Gales who accompanied me here returns with but one horse, the one I rode having ….either been stolen or borrowed…I will notify General Holmes of the fact and endeavor to have the horse found and returned by the courier…" Though some books have erroneously reported that at this time Donnellan was in Washington in a clerk's job and working for Greenhow, this is obviously incorrect, as the two had clearly not met each other until July 16, ,and Donnellan remained with the Confederate Army after the battle. It is well that he stayed where he was, for a few days later Pinkerton and his men arrested Greenhow and many of her fellow spies. Unlike their Northern counterparts, most of those involved in Southern espionage activities chose to take their secrets to the grave. As a result, information on the Confederate Secret service is sketchy at best. For example, in researching this letter, only a few sentences of information , much of it incorrect, could be found concerning Donellan, and nothing at all could be found on the :"W. Gales mentioned in the letter . It is entirely likely that this letter, obtained from the estate of a prominent Civil War collector who purchased it many years ago,may be the only letter by Donellan in existence. It is in very good to near fine condition.

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