presented it to him; I had, prior to this, presented to Curtis, my
Creedmoor rifle trophies. I had become tired of telling the history of
that sword and how it came into my possession, having no other evidence
than my word for the truth of the story, since I had lost General
Wallace's letter. However, quite unexpectedly, the story was revived in
the following manner:

Evelyn, who was but a baby in those days, remembering that I was with
General Wallace, on Christmas day, 1908, presented me with his
Autobiography (two volumes) much to my delight. A few days later Aunt
Mag, glancing through the second volume, discovered that I was
remembered by the General and the sword incident was there officially
described, so that now the sword is really vouched for in history, for
Wallace's volumes will be in every important library in the world.

I quote from General Lew Wallace's Autobiography, page 687 and on:

"From what has been said, it would seem my friend, General
Schenck, had found a disturbing element in the Secession
ladies of Baltimore, and in some way suffered from it. His
description of them, and the emphasis with which he had dwelt
upon their remarkable talent for mischief in general, I
accepted as a warning, and stood upon my guard.

"Every one into whose hands these memoirs may fall will see
almost of his own suggestion how necessary it was that, of the
inhabitants of the city, I should know who were disloyal with
more certainty even than who were loyal; of the latter there
was nothing to fear, while of the former there was at least
everything to suspect. We knew communication with the enemy
across the line was unceasing; that interchange of news
between Richmond and Baltimore was of daily occurrence; that
there were routes, invisible to us, by which traffic in
articles contraband of war was carried on with singular
success, almost as a legitimate commerce--routes by water as
well as by land. General Butler, at Norfolk, exerted himself
to discover the traders operating by way of the Chesapeake
Bay, but without success; with a like result I tried to
unearth the landward lines.

"_Captain Smith, my chief of detectives, a man of ability and
zeal_, at last brought me proof incontestable that Baltimore
was but a way-side station of the nefarious commerce, the
initial points of active transac