A Spy named NORTON.

[SSlater]

Just because your name is NORTON, and the screen is rather quiet, I will give you a spy story about a NORTON, THAT WILL BE NEWS TO THE WORLD.

When Thomas Nelson Conrad operated his spy ring in Washington, he "got made" by Lafayette Baker and had to vacate D.C. -pronto. He was warned of the impending arrest by HIS SPY that was working in the front office of the U.S. Secret Service. His name was ANDREW A. NORTON. Conrad has bragged over the years about his man in hiding, but he couldn't remember his name. Yeah! That was a convenient lapse of memory. I'm sure that Andrew thanked him for dis-remembering. Conrad left him in charge of the Washington operation and set off for King George County. He set up a new camp on the Boyd's Hole Farm, that he called "Eagle's Nest". (Today, the farm is part of the Caledon Park) The farm was owned by Fannie B. Dade. Her maiden name was Frances Byrd Turner and she was the widow of Lucian Dade. It so happens that she was an agent for the North. She was the northern end of the "Crazy Liz" spy ring that operated in Richmond. (Elizabeth Van Lew) "Liz" would help Union Officers to escape from Libby Prison, and other charming "Hell Holes". She would put them on the train North, that got them to Hamilton's Crossing -just short of Fredericksburg, VA but- across the Rappahannock River from another of Fannie Dade's farms, Spring Hill Farm.

By the way, the superintendent of the RR was Samuel Ruth - a Union Agent. They were safe on his train, and he got them across the Rappahannock to Spring Hill, and Fannie would get them across King George to the Potomac (Boyd's Hole Farm). and Fannie either put them on a gunboat or into Maryland and freedom.

Conrad was lonely and Fannie was a widow - so, they became an Item, hereabouts, until Conrad uncovered Fannie and had her arrested.

Fannie was in a panic. In an effort to save her own skin, she went to Richmond and spilled the beans on the Van Lew operation. That's OK, because her testimony was unacceptable, because the Judge ruled that "she was nothing but a common camp follower". The case was thrown out and everybody went back to spying.

After the war, Samuel Ruth, submitted his exspence account, his "Cheat Sheet", for his costs of doing business as a spy and he included the money spent to bribe the judge, and got paid.

Remember the Wistar Raid, and the Dahlgren Raid? Both of these raids failed, because the South knew they were coming. Both of the raids included the 1st District of Columbia Cavalry, headed by Lafayette Baker.
The plans for the raids were developed in the Secret Service Office and were copied down very neatly by our buddy NORTON, and passed South by Conrad.

NORTON was never found, so he never stood trial.

Every word of this is true. Much of it is given in Conrad's books - but not the part that he "forgot".

P.S. After all got quiet and reconstruction began, Fannie married Andrew A. Norton. It didn't last long, so there were no children.

This story could have easily been a book. There are more details that I have left out, but I didn't want to bore you.

[RJNorton]

John, your research is mind-boggling. Thanks for sharing. I never heard of this person and had no clue.

Mostly during my life people have asked (kidded) me about this Norton.

[Gene C]

John, Fascinating story. Surprising that the would get back together after the war, since he had her arrested for spying. Such is love

I am so impressed how you (and others) dig and find this information. Thanks for sharing.

[Hess1865]

   

(02-11-2014 05:41 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  John, your research is mind-boggling. Thanks for sharing. I never heard of this person and had no clue.

Mostly during my life people have asked (kidded) me about this Norton.

[SSlater]

(02-11-2014 08:11 AM)Gene C Wrote:  John, Fascinating story. Surprising that the would get back together after the war, since he had her arrested for spying. Such is love

I am so impressed how you (and others) dig and find this information. Thanks for sharing.

Gene. It appears that you got the two lovers mixed up - Conrad had her arrested, but Norton married her. (Which was worse?) . I have a unique problem with my findings, I have to be careful how I present the findings, because my audience might be a descendant of the person being presented. I have to be very neutral, and respectful.
Roger. Your comment made my point. NO ONE has ever heard of this guy. He needs some publicity. In one of Baker's books, he compliments Norton as HIS BEST DETECTIVE. This very rare for Baker. He makes himself to be the best of everything. No one can outdo Baker.
Norton's service record is a thing to behold. He enlists - in two days goes AWOL - comes back in 6 months, to get paid, and goes AWOL. His pay chits are signed by Norris (Chief of the CSA Secret Service). With that introduction, it is not hard to determine HE IS A SPY.
PS. Fannie Dade's Grand son,( maybe G G Son) is a very good friend of mine. He didn't know her background. He is an attentive listener, at all my talks. The family had disowned Fannie, for her promiscuity, so she was not mentioned in family gatherings. Her "sin", was she got mixed up with Yankees.

[Gene C]

Thanks for the correction.
Just goes to show, "all is fair in love and war"

Any known photo's of Norton, Fannie Dade, Conrad or Samuel Hill? You are working on a book about all of this, right?
You mentioned Conrad's books?
The only Baker book I know of is his History of the Secret Service (which I have not read) Are there others?

Although I did find this, supposedly by Baker.. Anyone familiar with it? Published well after Baker's death. Notice the last name of the publisher. Coincidence?
http://www.amazon.com/Spies-Traitors-Con...ette+baker

[SSlater]

Gene C. I do not have a picture of Norton. I do have pictures of Conrad and of Fannie Dade. No, I am not writing a book on them. I should. My theory is that Fannie blew the whistle on Booth. Fannie was "arrested" and taken to D.C. The next day Baker sent his mob to King George, and got Booth. He said it was through his own brilliance he found Booth.

Conrad wrote two Books. (If you read one, you don't need the other - they are the same.) One is "Confederate Spy" and the other is "Rebel Scout". I have a copy of "Rebel Scout" IN HIS HANDWRITING. (I think that Laurie and Co. have a copy -Right Laurie?)

I also have "The U. S. Secret Service in the late war" and "Death to Traitors" By Baker. (He is the poorest writer of them all. But Gotta have him. He writes everything in the first person - which ain't true. (Does that make it fiction?)

I can't be sure which book I read that talked about Norton (It's been a long while ago) I made notes about what I read, but not the name of the book. UGH!) In that same book, I read that Baker has a sister named LODAWHISKEY. True story.

I'm still hunting Baker's real middle name. It can't be Curry, that's his wife's name, Jennie Curry, from Philadelphia. m 1852. He must have changed his name in her honor, or it's the wildest coincidence.

Amen

[L Verge]

We do have copies of Conrad's books as well as photos of him and his wife (a very handsome and aristocratic couple - I believe she was part of the FFV Balls). These were given to us by Conrad's great niece years ago. Coincidentally, for the first twenty years of my married life, we lived across the street from a Conrad descendant (his middle name was Conrad) and their children played with our daughter all the time. The Conrad line married into Maryland's Perrie family, one that I have always suspected of being part of the Maryland planters' "activities."

My daughter swears that I cannot go anywhere or do anything that doesn't relate somehow to the Lincoln assassination. When she and her husband purchased a home in Charles County, the land records showed that it was originally farmland owned by the Offut family -- as in Emma Offut, sister-in-law of John Lloyd, the tenant at Surrattsville whose testimony did in Mrs. Surratt. Emma Offut was living with the Lloyds and is the one to whom Mrs. Surratt first gave the package containing Booth's field glasses.

My daughter's words were, "Damn, there's no escape!" Booth could have told her that.

[Hess1865]

There was also Denton Offutt, who ran the general store that Lincoln worked at in New Salem

[BettyO]

Quote:Conrad wrote two Books. (If you read one, you don't need the other - they are the same.) One is "Confederate Spy" and the other is "Rebel Scout". I have a copy of "Rebel Scout" IN HIS HANDWRITING. (I think that Laurie and Co. have a copy -Right Laurie?)

You can find Conrad's book here in FREE eBook form:

https://archive.org/details/rebelscoutthrill00conr