While Confederate Major Enoch Wolf's story is compelling in and of itself, that of Kate Beattie (aka Beatty and maybe Batey) is no less so. Prior to Major Wolf's scheduled execution in November 1864, Kate attempted to gain access to him by claiming to be his wife. Wolf's reaction at the appearance of the would-be Mrs. Wolf in his prison cell is amusing to read. Wolf's execution ended up being called off by Abraham Lincoln, and while Kate was ordered to Confederate lines, she did not seem to make it there--at least not for any length of time. Kate ended up being arrested in St. Louis on March 25, 1865, and spent a little time in Gratiot Prison in the final days of the war. For her pro-Confederate activities, she became notorious in Union circles towards the end of the war. Reading the reports, the Unionists seem to have admired her more than just a little bit, and didn't quite know what to do with her. I like the comment, quoted in full below, that she was "bewitching to noodleheads." Anyway, her true husband, apparently, was Buck or Tuck Beattie, who was said to be a guerrilla "famous in the Southwest." If anybody could shed additional light on Kate and/or Buck/Tuck it would be appreciated.
Here are a few reports I have on her.
St. Louis Republican, Nov. 22, 1864, p. 3
MRS. KATE BEATTIE.—
A Good deal of local interest has been excited within a few days past, in regard to a woman professing to be Mrs. Wolff—wife of the rebel Major condemned to be shot in retaliation for the murder of Maj. Wilson. All our readers know that she is now a prisoner, but the following advertisement from Memphis, (which comes to us in a handbill) will be of interest:
“INFORMATION WANTED.—Fifty dollars reward will be given for information as to the whereabouts of Mrs. Kate Beattie, wife of Capt. Tuck. Beattie, of Lexington, Mo. Description—Mrs. Beattie is about five feet four inches tall, has light blue eyes, hair closely shingled, and a scar upon the right cheek. She is rather eccentric, intelligent, and prepossessing in Manners. Address, W.W. Cason, Adams street, Memphis, Tenn., Or. Provost Marshall General, St. Louis, Mo.”
Columbia Statesman, Nov. 25, 1864, p. 3
(reprinted from the St. Louis Dispatch)
ARREST OF A PRETENDED WIFE OF THE REBEL MAJOR WOLF.
The War in Missouri has turned up many strange characters, but none in which cheek, assurance and female audacity has been more largely developed than in the following case of a female confidence game. We were advised of some of the particulars by Col. Darr, soon after their occurrence, but in the absence of a connected account, we condense the main facts from the correspondence of the Cincinnati Commercial:
The night preceding the day in which the rebel Major Wolf was to have been executed, General Roserans received a message from Mrs. Major Wolf, requesting an interview. It was arranged to receive the lady in the parlor at the Lindell Hotel. The solicited interview took place, and the lady with tears and supplications for the life of her husband, Major Wolf. In the meantime Provost Marshal Darr paid a visit to the afflicted wife, and took her parole not to leave the room at the hotel until next morning, when he promised her an interview with her husband.
On Friday morning (the day fixed for Major Wolf’s execution), his wife was sent to his cell in charge of Captain Tallon, Chief of U.S. Police. The moment she saw her husband she threw her arms around his neck, melodramatically, and exclaimed, “What! Don’t you know your own dear, darling little wifey?” but the undutiful husband “couldn’t see it,” and startling with surprise, exclaimed gruffly, “Who the hell are you, and what do you want here?” The pseudo wife “took on” and cowered down under the weight of her emotions. While in this attitude she made several mysterious signs and blinks to the Major, signifying that he should play husband. The Major saw, however, that that game was blocked by the shrewdness of the officer, so he “drapped” into a fit, and caterwauled around a little, and the afflicted wife was conveyed out of the cell for fear her presence would cause the Major to burst a blood vessel. It was observed that Mrs. Wolf (?) speedily recovered from her emotions when taken into the fresh air, but when conveyed to the office of the Provost Marshal General she sprung upon Colonel Darr, brandished a gleaming blade and laughed with the very ecstasy of rage. Some one seized her from behind, and in a moment the cold embraces of a pair of “wristlets” held her powerless, but still gnashing her teeth with disappointment. She was next questioned as to her real name, etc., when she acknowledged that she was not Mrs. Major Wolf, But Mrs. Kate Beattie. She stated that she is the daughter of Mrs. Colonel Sharp, now in Europe, operating for the Confederacy, that her name was Miss Kate Brown, that she was educated in one of the first seminaries in Massachusetts, but acquired a love for the Catholic faith, and early became a convert. She wears a rich ebony cross, which she presses to her lips with fervor, and swears that she will die rather than reveal her purposes here, or the name of any of her accomplices. She has a Treasury permit to purchase and send into the South $6,000 worth of goods, and has purchased large quantities of military goods, gold lace, gilt buttons, stars, sashes &c. Although she had plenty of money when making the purchases, none, hardly, was found among her effects, which include disguises of different kinds. The military goods was purchased of Ticknor & Co’s. and Parsons & Co’s., of this city, but they have been sent off.
It was further ascertained that the pretended wife of the rebel Major Wolf is the wife of the notorious guerrilla chief Buck Beattie, famous in the Southwest. She has been coming and going from and to the south since the war commenced, and has conveyed large sums of gold from the rebel lines for the purpose of carrying on some of the rebel plans for liberating prisoners, burning steamboats or Government warehouses. Mrs. Beattie is a highly intelligent woman, not twenty years old, with light blue eyes and light hair, cropped close her head. When arrested she wore a wig with luxurious black curls, which she shook over her neck and shoulders with a grace perfectly bewitching to noodleheads. She is the authoress of a book on slavery, called “Woman’s Fate,” and is well known to and highly esteemed by all the rebel Generals in the Southwest. She is beautifully formed, and has a dash and abandon of manner well calculated to carry her through.
Further inquiry into the history developed the fact that Mrs. Beattie has been operating here very extensively as a rebel agent and spy. She made her headquarters at a fashionable rebel milliner’s on Fifth street, and, through her assistance, supplied rebel ladies South with finery. The milliner is in one of the female military prisons here, and is awaiting trial before a military commission. When the officer went to her establishment to inquire for Mrs. Beattie, she lied most flagrantly; but when she discovered they were already posted, she became furious, swore like a trooper, and accused the officers like a fish wife.
Mrs. Beattie is one of the most, perhaps, the most, clever, shrewd, successful and daring female rebel agents discovered since the breaking out of the war.
DAILY CLARION [MERIDIAN, MS], January 12, 1865, p. 2, c. 5
Arrest of a Rebel Lady in Missouri.
A letter from St. Louis to the Cincinnati Commercial narrates the adventures of a rebel woman who has just been arrested by the Government detectives in Missouri. Her name is Kate Beattie, the wife of the notorious guerrilla chief, Buck Beattie, famous in the Southwest. She has been coming and going from and to the South since the war commenced, and has conveyed large sums of gold from the rebel lines for the purpose of carrying on some of the rebel plans for liberating prisoners, burning steamboats or Government warehouses. Mrs. Beattie is a highly intelligent woman, not twenty years old, with light blue eyes, and light hair, cropped close to her head. When arrested she wore a wig, with luxurious black curls, which she shook over her head and shoulders with grace. She is the author of a book on slavery, called "Woman's Fate," and is well known to, and highly esteemed by, the rebel Generals in the Southwest. She is beautifully formed, and has a dash and abandon of manner well calculated to carry her through.
Major Enoch O. Wolf, of the rebel army, was to have been shot on Friday last in retaliation for the murder of Major Wilson, United States Volunteers, but proceedings were stayed by an order from the President, until he examined the case. On the night preceding the execution, however, and before the order commanding it was published, Major General Rosecrans received a letter from "Mrs. Maj. Wolf," requesting an interview. The message was sent to General Rosecrans' room at the Linden hotel, and he replied that he would see the lady in the parlor. The interview took place, and she begged, with tears and supplications, for the life of her husband, Major Wolf. Gen. Rosecrans was about to tell her that he had received the President's respite, but his suspicions were aroused by the appearance and conduct of the woman, so he requested her to return to her room, and he would attend to her case. She returned, making the halls echo with her wailings. In the meantime, Act. Provost Marshal Gen. Col. Joe Darr was informed of the rebel Major's wife, and he paid her a visit and took her parole not to leave the room at the hotel until next morning, when he promised her an interview with her husband.
She was next questioned as to her real name, etc., when she acknowledged that she was not Mrs. Major Wolf, but Mrs. Kate Beattie. She stated that she is the daughter of Mrs. Col. Sharpe, now in Europe, operating for the Confederacy; was educated at one of the first seminaries in Massachusetts, but acquired a love for the Catholic faith and early became a convert. She wears a rich ebony cross, which she presses to her lips with fervor, and swears that she will die rather than reveal her purposes here, or the name of any of her accomplices. She has a treasury permit to purchase and send into the South six thousand dollars worth of goods, and has purchased large quantities of military goods, gold lace, gilt buttons, stars, sashes, etc. Although she had plenty of money when making purchases, none hardly was found among her effects, which included disguises of different kinds.
It has since been ascertained that Mrs. Beattie has been operating very extensively as a rebel spy. She made her headquarters at a fashionable rebel milliner's on Fifth street, and, through her assistance, supplied rebel ladies South with finery. The milliner is in one of the female military prisons here, and is awaiting trial before a military commission.