Stephen E. Jones

Stidger was robbed by Rebel guerrillas in front of his dying mother, and his brother had to flee Taylorsville because of death threats. Due to this Stidger decided to try and join the United States Government Secret Service.

He begins feeding intelligence about the groups to General Stephen Jones.

Upon returning to Louisville Stidger finds that his Secret Service contact Captain Jones had left to meet with Major General Stephen Burbridge.

Stidger not trusting the mail system goes to the train station and finds a military officer that says he knew Jones personally. Stidger sends the report with the officer to deliver the report by hand.

Once Jones was back in office from the front Stidger gets a meeting with him. In the meeting Jones calls Stidger a liar for his report because there was no way for someone to had made so many contacts and join the order as fast as Stidger had. Jones states that “he did not believe a word of it”, and “did not see, nor could not perceive nor understand how any man could so far ingratiate himself into the confidence of an entire stranger in so short a time”.

Stidger asks what his next assignment should be -- in which Jones responds “I do not know what to tell you to do. Do whatever you think is best, and tell me what you have done”. This ends up giving Stidger free reign of his undercover work, and the deep infiltrations he ends up getting.

After returning to Louisville Stidger writes up his second intelligence report, but due to him gaining a high profile in the Sons of Liberty he did not wish to deliver the note in person. Instead he gives the report to his brother who then gives it to Captain Jones. Unlike the first report on the Sons of Liberty where Jones calls Stidger a liar the Captain is pleased with this report and the progress Stidger is making.