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398 again, and said lie thought he could induce him to give me an engagement, but that, at any rate, he would try.

This interview with Colonel Baker convinced me that he was the man to begin with, if I wanted to get admission behind the scenes at Washington, and if I wanted to execute any really masterly coup at the North in behalf of the Confederacy. As a member of his corps, I would not only be able to do many things that would be impossible otherwise, but I would have ample opportunities for finding out a good many things that were going on, with regard to which the world at large was happily ignorant. As for Baker himself, I made up my mind that he was an individual wise in his own esteem, but with no comprehensive ideas, whom it would not be difficult to fool to the top of his bent. All that it would be necessary for me to do, in case he employed me, would be the performance of some real, or apparently real services for him, to secure his fullest confidence, while at the same time I could carry on my real work to the very best advantage.

Having waited about Washington for a week or two, without hearing anything from Colonel Baker, and the general having told me that there was no chance for me just at present, I decided to return to New York, as I thought, from a hint given me in a letter from my brother, that I might be able to commence operations there. I resolved, however, to cultivate Baker's acquaintance at the earliest opportunity, but thought that perhaps it would be best not to trouble him again until I had some definite scheme to propose.

When I reached New York, and saw my brother, he was expecting every day to be exchanged ; and he told me that he had been visited by several Confederate agents, who wanted him to try and carry some documents through when he went South. He was afraid, however, to attempt anything of this kind, and, besides, did not think that it would be honorable under the circumstances. Without saying anything about my plans to him, therefore, I went and saw the agents in question, told them who I was, referred them to people who knew me in the West, and in a general way disclosed to them my schemes for aiding the Confederacy. I did not, however, tell them about my interview with Colonel Baker, or that I had the