Richmond Whig, 3/9/1864

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From the Richmond Whig, 3/9/1864, p. 1, c. 2

GEN. WINDER’S SPECIAL AND CONFIDENTIAL DETECTIVE ARRESTED FOR TREASON. -  The Southern public have all heard and read frequently of “Captain” Phillip Cashmeyer, Gen. Winder’s most especial Baltimore detective. He first distinguished himself by his gallant and glorious conduct in attacking the Massachusetts regiments in the streets of Baltimore. Coming South after by his violent secessionism, having rendered Baltimore too hot to hold him, he was given a place of great trust and responsibility near the person of Gen. Winder, then newly made commander of the District of Henrico. At the battle of Seven Pines he visited the field of glory as an amateur, there slew, with his own right hand, a Yankee Colonel, and brought his horse and trappings into this city with a mighty flourish. Since then he has rested upon his military laurels; but has been active in civil matters He played a conspicuous part in the Mrs. Patterson Allan case, and rummaged all her papers. He it was, also, who did the detective part (if any such there was) in the great Captain-Alexander-Castle-Thunder investigation. He was besides active in a multitude of other cases too numerous to mention. - Among his other duties, or, it may be, his pleasures, he was won’t to go down to City point on almost every flag of truce boat. Now we approach the point. Last Monday some six hundred Yankee prisoners were set down to City Point in exchange for eight hundred Confederates, who were sent to this city on Sunday. By order, invitation of sufferance, Cashmeyer got aboard one of the boats and went down with the prisoners. - On the way down, Captain Hatch, of the Confederate Bureau of Exchange, who was in charge of the expedition, noticed that Cashmeyer was in very earnest and confidential conversation with one of the Yankees, and after watching him a short time, saw him hand the Yankee  some letters. Captain h. Immediately walked up to the Yankee and demanded the letters, which were given up. We have not been able to ascertain the particulars regarding these letters further than they were directed to Yankee officials, one being in German and the other in English; and that they contained, among other things, memoranda of all the orders issued from General Winder’s office during the late raid. The contents of the letters were deemed of sufficiently treasonable character to authorize his arrest. He was brought back to this city yesterday, and cast into Castle Thunder.

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