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REF ID:A62851 . . , 

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t"pproved for Release by NSA on 04-15-2014 pursuant to E. 0. 1352B 

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A detailed accouat of the codes and ciphers of the Civil War iD ~ •• :~ 

tbe lla1ted States o,t ABIOr1ea ca bard~ be told withmt begiml.iDS :JJi. rt,.'})~ 

with a bit or biography abcut the man who became the first sigDal officer ~~"'1.A.{\f 

1D history and the first Cbiet Sigaal Officer of, the UD1ted States Army, · ~ J _ 

Albert J. Myer, tbe maa 1D Wbose memory t~t lovel3 l.itt.le U .s. Arm:t J. ..~ ~, 

post adJacent. ti> Arliagtm Cemetery was ~d. -\Myer was born CA 20 Sep- 0-.M..ck. . 

tember l.827.J/\mer an apprenticeship m the then quite new science ot 

electric telegra.ppy he entered -

Hobart College, Gtmeva, Bew York, fran wbich he was graduated. 1D J.811.7. 

From early youth he bad exhibited a predilection tor artistic and scJ.en- , 

tific studies, and upm leavil:ag .Hobart he entere4 Buffalo Medical- College, . receiving the M.D. degree four years later. His graduatiOD thesis, "A 

Sign Language tor Deat Mutes," c0Dta1Decl this pra of the idea he was 

to develop several years later, wbeD, in 1854, he was cc:111m1ss1aaed a 

' . lat Lieutenant 1a the 'Regular Arm:r, made ~ Asa istant Surgem_,~ ordered 

to ~~~~ ... ~ ... '!.,~~?'"./'lfsw'• H1a •el1ed ~ 4M'el:s,aea49 of• 

etticieat system of military "aerial telegraphy", wbicb. was wtlat .,. 111• 

•,;;:*signal~~ tbeD called. fie ~w- p~ty-(;f"'t'Y11e !_t~ ,.--- - .. ... - - - ___ ... - - .. .. . ~ ... --... ~ .... 

far-away outpost to think about~ I em,pbasize the word •system" ------·a:...1ir: ......... -.. -IC' .......... ~-= ... - -- .. _,. 

,bec&Wile, str~e to say, al1!Jaough 1D&tances of the use of lights and other 

·visual signals can be found throughout the history of wart'are, and the1'\" 

V~B 

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21 rill 3 CSl&i between ships at. sea had been practiced by mar1Ders 

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for cent:uries, yet down to the m14'le of the 19tb Century surprisiag~ 

little progress had b~en lllilde 1B developiag methods and 1Dstrumeats for 

the systematic exchuge of military 1Dt~tion and instructions ill t:lae 

, , s.,:sste.~ ~ elec.tY-~c:. 

1------=--\U 30 b7 - o,t ·~of arq kiDd. Morse'• practicalAtelegrapll_y, 

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REF ID: A.62.851 -' , .. . .-

developed in the years J.832.35, served to focus atteatima within the 11111taey 

~jste~s. o.J. "W\ethoik 

upon R• --~·· ot 1ater-c:0111Jamicat1on b;y meaa.s ot both visual. 8114 electric:al 

&igDal.89 - In t~ years ilaedia1;e~ precediDg the Civil War; the U.S. krlq took 

~teps_ to introduce aQd to deve1C:'J.:~yste1i of YJt\161 s't.,p·eti-.g' tor- geuer.;,, use 

~the field. It was Assistant SUrgem Myer wbo turaished the 1D1tiative 1D 

this matter. 

In 1856, • 1 II k & two ~ars atter he was .CCBD1ss 1cmed ass ist&ht sur~e~ 

:

·::· :.::::~tC"liASaie t& tb tu iiilibi ii'~~ - __ ----~r dratted a meaoruG.1111 ca a iiew syatem or visual siglaalillg 

was 

and obtaiDed. a patent Oil it. Two yeara later, a board A.appointed. by tile War 

-·--.... -~ ..,_..,.._ - ......... ~ SllCC•ss~ul 

Department to study ?Ver'• S)'&tem'.l •Ir t1f ' ; 1 ' 11l,4tter sane,.4emoutratiODs 

- awl '-'.1.0 a,~1.-ti'f\.t&a by ~r-1\ ~the War Dep~t :rostered a bill in Congress, which 

_ \ h;\ ~a.-e.Jo.s. 

\ gave its approval to....,."•~'•· But wbat is mare to the poillt, Ccmgr:ess appro-

~­

~ 

' priated an initial. amount of $2,000 to eu.ble the 0

Al'D\Y aD4 the Wa.r Departmat ~o. 

- . develo_p tbe s;ystea. -Tbe aone;y, as stated ill the Act was to be uaed "tor the ._ 

amutactu.re of purchase ot apparatus am\ equipment tor field signaliBg." 'l'be 

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~ ~· act 8.lso contained aaother important provision: it authorized the appoiDtmeat~ ! 

- on the Arrrrr staff, ot one Signal Otticer With the rank, pay, and allowaacea of 

~ mjor ot cavalry. Oil 2 July l.86o, "Assistant 8urgem Albert J. Myer (~ 

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~ appo1Dted) to be Stpal Officer, with the rank of' MaJor, 27 June l.B6o,, to till a.~ 

an or1g1Da1 ~1" ,...lvo week& later Ma.tor Myer was ordered to report to the 

. 'Cngritqd 1Dg Geae~l of the Dej>&l'tmeDt ot Hew Mexico for s iaQaliDg duty. The War 

' Department also clirected. that two otticers be detailed ae hi& assistants: Dur1Dg 

a several moaths • canspatp againat. hostile RavaJos, au exteuive test of Myer's 

new s;ystem, usi»g llotb flags ~ torches~ was cc:aducte4/ With lllUCh succesa. ID 

October l.86o, a Lieut.J.E.B.,Stuart, later to_becane taaous as a CCQ.fe4erate 

cavalry leader, teadered his services to aid 1Jl s1glial 1Dstruct10Qt. 6t r 

,. ia:.~:~;:;-~:;· ,. , ~ii:-:;f~~~~:··:.;$;:~~~~.; ~·~~~i~~t~ .... 

~ -:Iii. -•tratillg bi•_ s70tea before t~--te .a ,..ndir QC ''lll·lo \ 

91511, t.ele:e it ass mi' 11 l '; 11 1 • 90 was a L1eut .. E.P. AleXJUader, Corps ot 

Eagilleers. We shall hear more about him present]¥, but at the momnt I will say ~, 

tbat on the outbreak of -._ /ar, Alexander organ1ze41be CODfe4erate Sipal Cor\>S. J -.a:-.--~-..... J.::.. ¥.Ii ~- ~,..,.. - 'I.. - - .. .. ... ..... ..., -c ~>C _..,.,..,.,, .... - - ......... -'.,..,.......... ... -.-., .. .-.....;;" ..... - .. 

ooa1•; l iw1Ms eatabl:'!alsei 1'J tbe"Act • UJ 1 Saafeclezabe 8CQgE•• "la ezg rtae 

a 81ps1 "'HO"~ 1§1.e :Acrt •llY en!l!'ent4 ca J:' *PI 11 166! •• aewlzy a 3aa1 e•l!•• 

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•' REF ID :A62851. . . ' 

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- Leas tbaa a ;year after Major M,yer was appo1Dte4 ~ the first Ud, ~'ba~ /_ _ d ..(, 

. roYr ~l£,,..~a.--f a ... ~t:f' ~ / 

time, tbe caq Sipal Officer ot tbe U~S. Arrq, csns;;tvftt I • 111 * l•e•, 

:J J • ; IQ~ a 36·hour bombardmeDt, surreJldere4. '!be blo°"1' four-year 1181" · 

· betweea, the Borth and the South 1 bc..1w~ Tb.e -date was 14 Ap:U 1861. MJer's 

system at aerial telegrapt17 was SOOD to UDdergo its real bapt1&m maa..r fire; ratber 

, tbaD by fire. But with the outbreak of war, anotber new system ot military 

sigaal cc:auaicatim, sigQal.1Dg b1 the electric telegraph, began to UDdergo its 

first thorough test in combat operatioas. Thia i1' 1t•elf' is very, importaat iD I 

°" the history of cryptol~. But tar more signif1caat iD that history 1• ~fact 

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tbat 

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f\ t~ the 

aA--xe.a. 

first time 

c.e.0'04. 

:lD 

.,(~ ~be ccmduct ~ ~ 

of organized ... ~, ~ warfare, rapid and secret 

ailitarz ca11DUD1cat1a:as on a Jame scale became practicable, because cryptology 

sad electric telegraphy were now to be Joined ill a 1 ataatl ii lat lasting 

wedlock. For wbeD the war begBll, the electric telegraph bad been) iD use tor less 

. than a quarter ot a century. Alth~- the ftrst use ot electric telegraphy :lD 

military operat1CDS vas ~the Crimean Wal' 1D Etrope/•{185..,.5P")1its employment 

was restricted to ca:mmmicatiODS excbaDgeci ama:ag hea4quarte:l's ot the Allies, and 

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' - acme observers were very doubtful about its ut111t7 even tor this limited usage. 

It J.lllq also be noted that 1D the amaa1a of tbat war there is no record of the 

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employment of electrie telegraph)' together witb •au for pratecttng the messases . 

aga:Lnst their interception aDd soluti~ by 1;he eDe!l1'• 

Oa the Un1an aide 1a the Civil War, ililitary aigaal operaticms begaa with 

Ma3or Mler' s arrival 1D Washilagtaa CD -3 J'uDe lB61. His basic equiplllrmt c:cmaisted 

. ot kits c0Dta1&illg 4 'illlite flag.swith a reel square- 1D the center for U&e against . . 

a Clark backgramld:; «,red· flag with a white square k use aga:lDst. a l.igbt back• 

ground; u4 ton:bes tar night use. It 1& interesting to note tbat these are tbe 

elemeats vhiell maJre up tbe tamUia.l" iuipia o_f our Arsr:r Sigaal Corps. The most 

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pressillg need llbich tace4 Ma.Jor M;yer was to get officers aD4 ma detailad to 

h1na ' wherever signals -might be· required, 8114 to traiA tbeaa . 1a wbat ie• 

~~ 

ew to 

~it\&.. "t"'-~ t.$ wP~ CUUi. ~· ~ r~. £-. 

be Called tlle "Wigwag S:'f&~ /t 'lb1s training 1.Dclucled learaing ~caetbi»&' abwt 

eoclaa Olld ctpbera, aal sami: -=3sa tbetr __';"'_;." :.."'.-_.,_..-_ f'Q• :I. ff!)" 

.But tbere was still DO such separate tmtity as a SigDal Corps of tbe ~. 

- Otticers aD4 eDl.istecl mea-were mere~ 4eta11ed tor service with Ma.3or )\Ver ~or 

sipalilag du"t;r. It was not uat1l two yea.rs after the war started tbat the Sip.al 

Corps was of'fic1ally established alld. organized as a separate braacb of the An11;:f, 

by a»1>ropriate C~sa1cmal act1cm:tfla tbe meantime.1anctaer signaling orpui-

, zatioa was comi.Dg 1Dto beiag - aa arpnization which was aa cutgrowta ot tbe 

-y ~\~-.~~.J:~ .. of.~ •7 ~ .... ~"'---t--.ie...--.n 1 ~ ~'\~ . -r~~ ~ ~ "foo ~~:' 

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REF ID:A62851 

gover.mae11t 'a takiaa orer ccatrol of the ca1111erc1al teJ.earapb ccmpeaies iD tbe 

U.ited States OD 25 Febru&rJ' 1862. There were then aaJ.¥ three ua aUllber: the ~ ......, - Amer1ean,f\Westera Ua1on, aDd Southwestera. The telegraph linea geaeraUy fol'PI 

~-of ·&.i>~ o~ -t:lte 

loved the 1\acRrv!! ~.. railroads. The thea Secretaey of War, Stmoa Cameron, 

- sought the aid of 'l'bomas A. Scott, or the Peaeylvaa1& Railroad, who broupt 

. aaae of h1a aea to Washibgtou for railroad and telesraphic duties with the Federal 

Govemment. Froa a nucleu ot four '10Ull8 telegraph e.perator• grew a r&tber large 

military telegraph organisation which vu not giveii tarml atatus until aa 

28 October 1.861 President Lillco~ gave Secretary Camerm authority to set up 

~« ' . ~ 

(- U.S. Mill~ Telegraph Department u,nder a -.n ....- Auon Stager, vb.o, aa 

general auperiatadent ot the Westera Ul:liou 11&s called to Waahmgtoa, ccmaisaimed 

a capta1D ((!It later a colouel) 1D the Quartermaster Corps, 811.d .made 11uper1DteDieat 

ot tbe 11111tary Telegraph .DepartlleJlt. ~ about a dozen of tbe member• ot the 

Departmeat became ccmmissicmecl otf'icers, and they were -.de otticen 10 that they . could receive alld disburse f\m4s &Dd property. -.U the reat were Civiliaaa ~ The ' ) 

U.S. Military Telegraph "Corps•, a11 it aom came to be desigDated, withmt warrNlt, 

1j~ was teeba1cally under Quartermaster AMe1ga>but for all practical. purposes it was 

wader the illlmeC11ate aD4 direct cmtrol or the Secretary ot War, .a aituatim admittedly 

acceptable to Meigs. There were a.ow two organ1zat1ou for sigaalillg !a the A1"1Q', . ~ 

8Dd it was b&r4l.7 to be expected tbat ao ditfic:ulties would enaWt f'raa the duality. 

In tact; the difficulties begaa .._,..,....._.very aoon, as can be aoted 1D the 

tollowiDg extract frm a lecture before the Washi.Qgtm Civ1l War Rouud Tabl.e, ear~ 

iD 1954, by Dr·. George R. Tb.Q111Psm, Chief ot the H1etor1cal D1viaim of the Office 

of tbe Chief' Sipal Officer of the U.~. ArJl\y: 

Tbe tirat need tor mil1taey signals- aroae at the important 

Fecleral f'ortreas ill tbe lover Chesapeake Bay at Fort Monroe. 

Ear4' iD June, Myer arrived tbere, obtained a detail of ottieers 

aad men 8Dd begaQ schoolillg them. Soon his pupils were wigWaggiDg 

.messages tr~ a small boat, directing tbe tire ot U.icm. batteries 

located OD an islet' in Hampton Roads apiDat Ccmtederate t"ortitications near Norfolk. Very •ODD, too, lf3er began eucounter1Dg 

trouble with commercial wire telegraphers 1D the area, Gelleral Ben 

Butler, cCllll!UllVl:IDg the Federal Department iD. •outheast Virginia, 

ordered that wire ti.legrapb f'acilities and their civiliab vorkara 

be placed uuder the sigaal officer. TM c1v111ans, proud. ad 

,1ealous ot thllll1 akille ill electrical magic, obJected 1D no wacer• 

taiD teru. Uld •lacrt~ au or4e;r arrived trcm tb.e Secretary of War 

himself wtio coutermnded :SUtler 1 a illatncticms. ihe Army's aipal. 

officer was to keep hand• ott the c1v111aa telegraph even when i1' 

served the ~· -----... ----..tJ;-~"'l.. .. ..-:c..'Jc.'6~......_~ q ~_...,.·-•-•?_M,_» ... ""-_ .. lliilillMJIW_,.,&_llllPA ... 11' ... f<'.li W-"*-"'' ... ,...,,,_ __ 'II-~ 

Rote that at the time of ""-"'..,_._ 
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REF ID:A62851 

I bave purposely selected this extract trc:a Dr. 'l'bompson•a presentat10Jl. 

' ~ because 1a it we cu clearly hear the first rumblings#\ that length¥ aad acrimOD1ms feud between two signaling orpniZatims vboae UDCoarclinated operatims 

and r1valr7 greatq reduced the eff1cieacy of all aipal.1Dg operat1DDB ot tb.e 

· F~eral Arrq. As aiready 1.llelicated.>cme of these orgauizatia:aa was tbe U.S. 

~-

Military Telegraph "Corps..",-.,..., Jf hereinatter abbreviated aa~USMro, a 

c1vil1aD organization which operated the existiDg caiaercial telegrapb •~tea 

tor the War _Department 1 unde:r the direct supervisioa of tbe Secret1U7 or War, 

'Eclwm M. Stazatao.. The otber orgauization was,,of aoqse, the ilif'arat Stsaal . -

Corpe of the United. States. A:l:my 1 vbicb. was not Yet evea est&blisbed as a separate - -

brarach, wbereu the. USMro bad been elitabl1sbed iD October l.861, aa noted above. - -

Indeed, the S1gnal Corps bad to wait until March J.863, a , U tvc;> Y!ars atter 

"°'~ C.OM\.'<1.a;\CM. ,t' S~o\l\L be. v.cattd _ the outbreak of war 1 be~ore bei.Dg e$tabl1ahed officia.11¥" Xo'1 wtll s eeali tbat 

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the 9ontederate St.pal Corpe bad been eatabli1hed a full ~ earlier 1 in April 

1862• {int11 then, a.a I've aai~ before, tor sigDal.ing 4uty an both stdea~ there 

were aaq officers who were 'S.n41vidual.11' and'speciticalq detailed tor such duty . - L 

?rm other bl-anchea · ot the respective Armies. ot tbe Jlo.rtb aD4 the South.~ 

- . Trouble betweea the umm:: a.lid the Siga,al Corpa of" the Ullim An:! begaa wbell tbe 

StgDal Corps became 1Dtereate4 1D •1Pal1D& by electric telegra1'b7 &lid begall to 

acquire rac111t1ea theretor, 

As earq as in _hoe l.861, Chief Signal Off:S.cer t.\yer had iaitiated actiou ~ - ' 

toward acquiring or obt•1Dill& electrical tel.egraph facilities tor uae 1D the · 

. tield but with one exception notJU111 happened. Tbe exceptioa was m the case of 

... ,~ocl<?..o "~th~ 

the/\ military department iD southeast Virginia,, caDlllllllded by Celleral. BeDJaJl!izl , • 

Butler ~' .. ~,·""" ~i" "\e.•':.b ~re~\.~clo~~ "\'\-.e. ~.ii:~\".. 5-•P" ~ s~ ~ '~~~rel 

~ e.\ee.~C.:il\ ~ig'l'ail1'~':. ~ f'oe.4. \l.l•\ ~ M ~ o~e.cl•~cl. \)~~r d,.. 

Ap,, llllB11J•m'a ulme_n• Ia Ausust l.861, Col. ~ tried again and 1D •ovember~f t~e 'S,,..h't' 1.u..v . he recomeDded ill bis a.Daual report tllat $30 ,ooo be awropriated to establish an 

electrical aigDaling- br&DCb 1D the Signal Corps. Tbe proposal tailed to meet the L • • ~I 

approval ot tbe Secretary of War. •: :a9 Qie telegE"aph tram,,~~ 

ordered by M:fer-( maDy 110Dt.h8 ~ waa delivered in Jauuar7 l.862. -191 was tried 

out 1D an ex:perimeatal fas'biQD) under considerable difficulties, the moat dis• 

heartening ot wb.1cb was the active oppoe.itian ot p~rscms 1D Washillgton, particular~ the Secretary of War. So, for practical~ the Wbole of the first two )'SaI'a 

.J of the war, aigDal. officer• m the llort'bern aide bad neither electrioal telepa.ph 

facilities nor Morse operators 

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REF ID:A62851 

However, by tbe aid.d.le ot 1863 tllere were thirt7 "tq:lllg~telegrapta" tn.11&8 1D 

use iD the Federal Arif¥. H~e 'B a picture ot sucb a U&ia. Tbe ~ length 

of tield te~grapb lines was five to eight ail.ea, tb.C>Ugh iA sme caae1 tbe ~<' 

wtnmente bad worked at distance• as great as twenty miles. But eya before 

the Sipal Corps began to acquire tbese facilities, there had been ag1tat1m to 

bave them, aa well as their SigD&l Corps operatUlg :peraomael, all turDed over to 

tbe USHIC, Wl1ch bad gr~ ilato a tigbtl¥·knit argaaizaticm or over l,000 mea 

111 Washiagton, 

and bad became ve-q iDtlueatialj{ eapecially by virtue ot its support frm Beere• 

USM1"'C 

t1m7 ot War Stutoa. As a cmaequencw, the t'h• aipla &119a bad its wq. Ia the 

tall ot 1863, it took over all the electric telegrapb. tac111tiea &Del telegraph 

operatara ot the Sipal Corpe. Colanel Mier ·~ wrote: "With tbe loa1 of 1ts 

electric liaes the Sipal Corps waa crippled". 

- . Sb DOW there tier• two ccapetiq sipal organizaticaa cm the lortherD aide: 

Tbe u.s. Army's S1gD&]. Carps, wbicb was cC11,Posec1 entireq or .Uitary persoanel ' 

vitb no electric teleiral>h tacil1t1ea (but was equipped With means for villU&l 

a1gD&l.1Dg), and the USM'ro, wbicb. wa11 not a part ot the Anq, beiJIS staffed alllloat 

entirel.1' w1tla civU1a11ta, and whicb had electric telegraph tacU1t1es aad. skilled 

- ~e operators (but no means or respCDS1b1lities for visual a1gnal.1ng or "aerial 

telegrapq" which, ot course, was ol.d atutt) "Electric 'telegraphy" was .aow ~ 

tbiag .. Tbe ~bad no deaire to share electz:1c telegraphy with the SigDal 

-J;h.s., 1,,41e¥'4· Corpe, a detera1Dat1an in wb1ch tbe we.pit" .. mtist ab]¥ asa1ated by Secretary of 

War Stantan, tor reasoas tbat tall outside tbe scope of tbe present lecture. 

However, frcm a teclmical point of view it is worth~· goiafl into tbia rival.ry 

Jv,st a bit, it ~ to note that the peraorme1 ot botb. organizations, tbe military . aJl4 the c1v1liaD, were' not mere]¥ aigDalaen a.ad telegraph operators: they served 

also 

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u cryptographer.a 

c.\~~t.t" 

al1d 

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were tbere:tore entrusted with the necessary ~ 

cipher books uad ;a78. Because of this, they aatural.1¥ bee-. prlT)" to the 111 .. 

port&Dt secrets conveyed ill ceyptographic COlllllW'&icatiou and tiler therefore eaJoyed 

. 1tat1,1a as VIP 'a.. Tbis was particularly true of .-bers of tba- USMTC 1 beeauae they" 

. boo~s 

- and ml.¥ they, were authorized to be custodians 8Q4 users of the cipherJI· Hot even 

' -+Wa~, 

the cQll!P8Dders of the uni ts tbey served bad. access to ~- o1plaei111. For 1Dstaace, , 

an the one 8Dcl cmJ¥ occas im wbu GeMral. Grut forced bis cipher caperator, a 

. ~~ "Yv( c1v111"_Dalled Beckwith, to tum ov~r "tbe current cipher" to a co1cmel cm Graa.t '• 

staff, :Beckwith Wu Sllle41ateli discbarged by- tbe Secretary ot War and Grant was 

repr1m""ed.. A tev days later, Graat apologized aD4 Beckwith was restored to hi• 

boo"-.. 

position.. But Grant never ap1D 4M1n'2ed the cipher held by hia telegrapb operator. 

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Tbe Grant•Beckvith atta1r almt 11 •\d'f1o1-.t to 1D41oate the leltgtha to 

which Secretary ot War Staatma wnt 1D retain cmtrol "'8.r the USHl'C, 1.Dclwlillg its book, , 

cipher operator•, amt ita c1~. Ia fact, •o strong a poaiticm. did be take 

tta.t m 10 IOV'eaber J.B63, follovillg a 41aaareaaJ1.t cmar wtio •houl4 operate and 

control all the military telegraph lmee, M)er, b;y tbeD fUll Colaael, au4 bearing ~ . ' " 

- '""' bo~\ 'Y\d.: , tbe /\PIM lllltBg title "Chief B1pa~ Officer of the Uaited States Ar1V11

, a title . . 

he ba4 enJOJ9'4 t~ cnly two amtba, waa peremptort)\\' relievecl fr<m tbat poaitton. 

~put cm the •helf". Not .lq atterlfar4Jaml 'for a •1ailv reum, lqer'• 

•ucceHor, Lieut. Col.Nicodemus, 1fU likewise •--.rily relined u Chief SigD.al. 

ott1oer by Searetar7 Stantaa1 illdeed, he vaa not oaJ¥ reaonld :rraa tbat pos1ttczhe va1 cU.aaiaaed free the Service vithwt eYea. the formllty ot tr1al b7 court > ' 

, · lllU'tial.. Stu.ton. gave "pbaaey" J"MSODB for dita1••1DS Col lUcodeata•, bUt I aa 

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REF rn:A62851 

Cairo, Illinota, to avait orders tor a new ues...-at. V•r1 •ooa thereafter be vu 

-either 4ea1gnated (or he •Y bave bi.Melt 4ee14e4) to •repare a tiel4 manual cm 

1ip.iltng ud there aom appeared, with a pretatory a~ dated J&alUU')' 1864, a 

p&llpbl!!t ot 148 pagea, a copy of vh1cb 18 now iD tbe Ran Book Rom ot the 

. . L1braey ot Cangr•a•. The title pap rea4a as tollon) 

".A. ~ual of S!J!':l!l.a: tor the use _.2!. ·~ of'f'icera in the fielcl. 

B;y Col. Albert J. M;yer,. SiSD&l Officer ot tlae A;raJ, Wuh1Dgto:n, 

D.C., 1864." . 

- Eve:ra 1D this first edition, printed Oil an Artq press, ~r devoted Dine pages 

to a repr1Dt of a article frca Barpe:r'• Wee:P.Y eDtitle4 "CW1oa1tiea of Cipber", 

au4 :la the aecancl ed1t1ca, l.866, be expuded the aect1m oa cryptcgra1Jh7 to 

a1Zty pagea. More ed1t1ms ~ollave4 8ild I tb~ we M)' Yell aay tbat KJer•a 

ManuaL7ua 1t several ed1ttau,n.a the ptcmeer Amricaa tut on military eigD&liDg. 

But I'• aorr1 to say that aa "tegarda crntolog it waa rather a poor thtng. Pee 

ba4 dcne ~better twent;y year• before that 1a l\1• •••87 entitled. "A few wora 

oo aearet writing". 

l3ecauae of ite historic aature, 7ou •Y like to aee what !Ver'• origtnay 

cede" because it employecl anl¥ two digit•, 1 u4 2, 1D permtatiou ot l, 2, 3 

and." groups. Par eX&119le, Awa repreaented by the permutatiOD 22; B, b:- 2122J 

c, by 1211 etc. In flag •ipalmg, a "l" was 1D41cate4 b7 a moticm to the left, 

a u2u by a aot.ion to the rigbt. tater theee ao\iou were reveraed, for reason• 

which auat ~~~ bave been gocd but are nov not obvious. Here 1• tqer '• two-ei...at. - code vh1ch,e"?U1'~rs••-ueecJ until 1912: 

. GENERAL SERVICE CODE 

A - 22 ff .. 11 ... 1111 

B • 2122 0 - 21 Us - 2212 

c - 121 p .. 1212 t10D - . Ul2 

D • 222- Q• 1211 

E - 12 R • 211 ED4 ot word - 3 F,.. 2221 s .. 212 Bild of sentence- 33 

G .. 2211 T - 2 End ot meaaage - 333 

H .. 122 u .. 112 Attirmtive • 22.22.22.3 

I • l v .. 1222 Repeat .. 121.121.121 

J - 1122 w .. 1121 Error - 212121 

K.., 2121 x. 2l22 

L .. 221 z ... 2222 , 

Note: No. 3 (end ot ward) waa ma4e b:y a forward 40WDwar4 aoticm, called "trcmt", 

'nlere were about a 4ozen more • 1.gnala, tor nuaerala, tor trequeat~ used 

Short eetencea, etc. 

We awst turn our attenticn now to the aituatim_ae reaa:rcts the organiaaticn • 3+-~ ;£. ~~,;o .... ~~~if 

f.~ •i&D&~~ing ,iD the ~~e~e:t)S ...__o_ ~Army. ~ Y. ~---1o• ~;.~~· ~> U••n _._._ll ~ _ 

.. 

~t 

~~··:-- T~ w~,,~....._. ~Jr~· s~~ ~..> ·~ ebt'fJa taalS;f ~tll'Jieh r='t a ii•• ••liM• tliaD ... - __ ,...., 

8 (~~ ...... ___ .. ... ... _...... 
REF ID:A62851 

' ... 

Mt~WMll•...,. .... • ... ••-• tbat young lieutemt, E. P. AlexaDder, who bat 

asaiete4 H11'1Mil a in 4eaez1trat1Dg the vi&-nc e19tea before a board a:ppo:latecl 

by the War Department I to at\1.41 M;yer ' '• ayatem. AleX&D4er, ~ ~a Captain 111 grey. uaed 

Myer's ,y.;te• 4urillg the ba;:lle, which, ended ill 41•aeter tor the Ullioa torcea; ~-cl-".:,.~ ~ ~~·..e.i .... Al.ennder'• cm1;r1but1on :fa •1il'J8:11. was an illportaat factor iD tbe caare4-

" . T" 

erate v1ot017. Dr. Tb.cmpaoa, vhaa I bave quoted before, aays of thia battle: 

Tbua the fortunes or war 1D this battle ••V ?Ver'& syatea of eipale 

succee4, irmically, cm the • 14• h01t ila to MJttr. Because of gmaeral 

un~•• and also ea.a 41amtere•t NIA iglmruce, the Nortb ba4 

».either Y1g•lf88 aipal.a :ilor baUoca. ob•enation. 

, ~!!ltZI ~l :r~e 8'ii''H ait'ZD 1be mq C~icatiOD 8;y9tell vbicll 

IUQCee4ed in~ the tYnim Army vaa the intant USMTC. But the Ccmtederate 

eyatem umier Al.exand.er, off to a goal atart at Dull Rull, throughout the war 

u4 

operated with both viB-ualAelactric telegrapb;y, an4 the Cante4eratea ~bought highly 

~ \ 9 AthJl,, I ffl:a Z. .J 

enOU(lh of their stpal serYice to e•tabl1•h it co an official baeiJA.. leaa than a 

tear after tbat battle. s2'm 1Jiiiill 8apa•'Ut bta 8:11fe&e_..••• .._ 1na1t•1W; 

Thua, although the CODtederate S1goal. 

' ~ . Corpe never becme • 41st1Dct and 1D4epen4ent. breach of the Ar9¥ aa clid the Unira 

L 

Stgaal Corps, it :rece1Ye4 ach •arlier recopit1on trca the Coute4erate"Govel'Dll8Dt 

than 414 the Sigrlal Corps or the Fe&eral GOV"erment. Again quoting Dr. Tb-.psc:m: 

Tba Ccmtedera.te Si.pal Corp• vaa thua eetabl1ahe4 nearq a year earlier~ 

it• 'Fe4era1 counterpart. It vu nearly as larp, nuaberiag sane 1,500, acet 

of the D\lllber, however, l•l"Y'iD& on detail. The Ccmfe4erate Sip.al Corpa uae4 

Myer's a;ratea ot tlap and torches. The mn were trained 1n wire telearaph, 

too, an4 U;>reaaed vi.re fac111t1ea u needed. But there vu nothing iD R1cb• 

•CID4 or 1A the field. Cc:ap&l"abl.e to tbe exteuiYe am\. tig)at~ controlled civ· 

1J.iall aUita.17 telegraph organisation which Secretary Stantcm ruled wit!& an 

ircm baml trma WuhiDgtm. 

We c.cae now 'to •-. : attss !If the codes am! cipUI-• used by both a idea ill 

the var, and 1D 4o1Dg sc we must take iato cans14eratica the :tact that m the· 

Ull1m aid.e, tbei-e wreA u I. bave lllt.1c~t•d, two aeparate .. or~1zat1a:aa tor •ipal (J)'~ ,""'1'1( \J l YlA ~ .s.~ '•(•\ I~' • j -t;: k e Oi,.;~_H f-V',I" 4.-{ e.d:NU:.,," 

c<amunicattma; ~<:"&ji-'8 I tile mMlt. ~ "f'Thrft betntp ta. MA 

,~~w;Jt 1--ea. settled bz.z.~tllleaa aot.-im.-~ Secsetary ot Waz Stmna,- tbe Otpal eoipa;f ti ... _,, 

Z'.!!t>~_;b1~1~.z. ~lY~ tor -•.ipal-iag-ltf '"Yih&l «---Mri.al: Cteleipap)i,y, *• M lJill ~?~ 

, res1u1u11hH 11if' te a+paltag _,. eleetiarle $eJ.ep~ We abould therefore aot be 

9 
REF ID:A62851 

too utcntehe4 to t~ that the CrJPtoayatellll ue4 by the ~yo ccapetU.C «'pRi• 

atiou were different. On the other ban4, cm the Ccmt•derate site, u .Jut "W\.~.1 t\ 

~ thert: w.s mq one o:rganiaation tor 1ip&l. cmmmicattma, tbe Sf.gaal. 

Corps of the Ccmfederate States Aray,. which used both v11ual aD4 electric tele• 

- ' . o.-tJ. ~ ,K.J!A wu.t. 

graphy, the latter tac1lit1et being taken over amt apl.oye4 Whlmil"vailabli". t ,) hTlil' 

. 

~v.HAI.~ 

L£ii.2ijp:d:t•~ ten ~5t't Ai tl2'alcr wee •'8• wa:&J""' •••IT ICO-.. 

for tbi• •rke4 cti:f'ference between tbe way in Vbich the untaa am the Ccmte4erate 

t.. ~fj'~~~h43o...wot~+o~~~~~Ae__ signal cperatiom wereAemari•'•" 'tAl!lell strange to aay, bad to 4o w1th the clif:ference ~ ,~ '' \.. 

between the crnto•ccmlllDQ.1cation arrpgeaents 1D the UA1m u4 in the Confeclerate J 

.Armies. 

We will di•cus tbe ceyptc:ieyateu uaed b1' the Fe4eral Sipal Corpa f :Lr1t and 

~~ then ~ d the Cantederate Stgu.l Corpa. Since both corps used viaual sigual.8 as 

their priMr;r meau, we ttnd them employing Myer's visual•111pal1Dg code ._. "U 

...... shown above. At first both aides ••nt UDeD.Ciphered mea1e.ges; but aom after 

learniDg_ tb.at their 1 iauals were being 1Dtercepte4 .::.;;.~:"ifj the ~·, each 

aide decided to do a~th1Dg to ~rotect ite •••*P••#GI Tnttt@q both 4ec1de4 

en the same &rtif1ce, viz, changing the v1sual-aipl:lag equivalent• tor the letters - of the alphabet, so that, for 1.Datance, "22tl waa not always "A'1

, etc. Thie aort 

of changing-about of values soon b*a .. 1Jlpractic&l, •1Dae it preventecl aemor1z1Dg 

the Wig-wag =:tee•--· caoe and far all. The difficulty in the Union A , 

Army's Signal Co.rps was aolve4 b;y tile introduction into u•age ot a cipher di•k 

invented by Myer himself. A tull 4eacriptiOD ot the duk. in :S.ta vari~ embodiment• . 

will be found in M)'er'a ManUal, but here'• a picture of three fOl'JIB of it. You can ~« t,,.,.. 

•' 

(Leave Half-page) · · 

~~.'"6...) readil.1' the v1.8ual wig-wag equivalents tor, letter-a)~- ... ...,. c~ .... b• cbuged 

JI'!'«-~ d·~· ~6•~ \ 

accord~ to scae pre-arranged indicator tar ~ -*tii .c_..Dtric u t E.. <J , 

r~.~ ~~1..l.t.~~~i.1>t'l~f..t4A.'>'"Jl.V\)~Lt · f'1* a ~011!1:tah ~'a J.~p?P' tPR•UMI l.ettet A 111 repreaeated " I .... '., J,.. 

by 112, B, by 22, etc. By movlng the two circles to a different JuxtapositiOD a 

~C.:C,.~."-'. 

nev set ot equivalent• will be"••• mp. ot course, it the setting 11 kept tilted 

tor a Whole aeHage the encipberment 1a •trictly aoncalpbabet1c; but Myer re""-

commends changing the aettiDg iD the ai44le or the message or, mre apec1f1cally, at 

the en4 of each word, thua producing a ao.rt of po~lpbabetic cipher wbtch vOllld 

delay aolutiOD a bit. An al.ternative way, Myer statea, would be to ue what be 

calle4 • "counteraip word':, but Which we call a lce;ywor4, each letter of which 

10 
-- REF ID:A62851 

~ 

woul.4 4etera1.ne th• ••tt:$.DI of th• d.illk tor a eingl.e word or tor tvo ccmaecutive 

' 

word•, etc. lf1er apparentq 414 not realise that retainiDg or •howi»g •xterball.J, ~..aJ~ 

~~~) 'l.~~~~~~~~~il.t:. tbe lengtba ot the vorda or the pl.a 1D text I\-=• u••Y .11 leca •c:atml$1 \ A "dit ~ 

A . """-~ later ve aball 4.ucusa the security afforded by the Mpr dis~ ill actual pract.1ce, oe. 

Ia tbe Ccmte4erate SigDal Corps, ~be syatea uael for enc1pb.e!Wmt ot v1Bual 

-· 

a ignals was apparentq the .... 88 that uaed. tat •• 1xmeo;fi'b ., telegr&phie ~·a-"4-t.J 

tJiptai4u and ve 1ball •om see wbat. it was • Although l(yer 's cipher diak we.a 

captured a nwaber of timea., 1t vu apparently 41aclainec1 by the Conf'eleratea, vho 

preterr-4 to uae a wbolly dittereat tne Of device, u will be aescr:be4 pre1entq, 

tor both visual and electric telagrapby. 

So mch -tar the cryptoaptem uae4 1D cozmection with vuual a1gnals by the 

Signal Corps ot both the North ~ the Souttl, ayatem which we 11&1 cleaipate a11 

"tact 1cal ciphers . " We caae now to the ayatema uaeo....a~-.~ro..JllW""Ml!!~ ... IAllAJtll 

•Y call "atrategic ciphel"su, because the latter were usually excba11ge4 between 

......... ~cf.I~~, ~ ~~ 

the seat of Goviriment"ill 9lte t:te~ or aacmg ~·•• •• zh1• m btae ttel6. In 

tbe cue of these ccmnmicatims tbe cr;nitosys~ employed b7 each aid.e were 

quite 41.t'ferent. 

- U>MT~ 

OD the Northern s14ytbe "'JsMle•~ i•~paf)l Q11,. uaed a system based upc:D 

what we now call tranapoeition but 1n contemporary acc~ts the1 ~call.ad 

~w. .. "route ciphere 11 and that uame"atuck_ .. The 4e•ignat.i~ tan•t too bad,.e~ 

becauae the proaeeaea or enc ipherment aDd tec1pberaent, thoucn ~ uet with 

' 

the individual 1.ettera of' the ••• .. e but vi.th elltire words, 1DVol~ foll.ov1Dg 

~CN~.:.....wta.te.~ .... ~~~. ' 

prescribed paths or routes~ I know no •ill.Pl.er or sore euccmct descr1pt.1oa of 

the rout)ilcipher th.an that stven by one of the USM'JX: operators, J. E •. O'Brien, 1A 

an article 1D Century !apz11ae, XXXVIII,, September 1889,, ent1tle4 11Telegraphing ill 

Bai.t:le": 

The principle of tbe cipher consiated 1n writi.Dg a message with an 

equal number of vorda in each line, then copyiD& the words up and down the 

col.UllD8 by various routes, throwing in an extra vor4 at the end. of each 

column, and aubatituting other wor4a for 1Jlportant ~· au4 verbs. ' 

A •ore 4eta1.led deeoripticm iD jmern technical terms VC'Jlil4 be u toU.OW.: 

\A\i> ' A .system in which1'.6nciphermen.t the worda or the plain-text meaaage are 1Dacr1be4 

I' ~~ ~ AJ ~ '@ ~ 

Yitl>ln a p•eL"li00•'.•·=-' P:i a -•• •11 'I w•~= -· 

of' rowa and columu, inscribing the vorda vithiD tlle •trix traa lAtft to right, iD , 

auccesaive 11.D\eS 8Dcl ran 4CJW11vari/ aa :bl ol'dillary writma, 8.114 takiDS the words 

ou.t of the mtrix,. that 1•, transcribing tha~accordiag to a prearranged rou.te/ 

to form the Cipher message. f These rmte c iphera were suppoae4 to have been tbe 

~~-- 11 

~v·}~A..@ 
--, *" REF ID:A62851 
REF ID:A62851 

- 1n.vent1cm of Amon Stager) whca I bave aeat1me4 btfore in connection vith the 

eetabliablaeDt or the USM'l'C, aacl vbo is aaicl to have firat clev1ae4 aucb. ciphers 

for General McC.lellall 's uae 1D West V1rg1D1.a, in the •'-'Ir of J.861, before 

- McClell.all cw to Waahingtcn to ua~ ccwan4 of the Ar8¥ or the Potaaac. 

Anson Stager ~~~ ••1 111 v thought tbat. he waa tbe or1g1Dal inventor or_ the.,., 

syatea, but ~A ~ ae i:'ta,..tte~w8a ~ qu1te 111 errorA ~"6a. )forc1-tranapCJ1!itiai •tho4s,.vere ~~~ ~- -~ --

1D use hundreds of year• before hia tille. For' inatance, 1D 1685, ill au unauccesef'Ql. 

. attempt to invade S_cotla!ld 1n a couapiracy to eet ·tbe Duke of Mcmaouth. on the 

thr~, Archibald. Campbell, 9th Earl ot Argyll, suffere4 u unfortunate "accident'! • 

.. , He vu taken priaoner and beheaded. bJ order ot Jame• the Secom. Tbe cc:ma.micat 1oDa of' the poor Earl were not secUl'e, an.cl when they .fell iDto government bmlde 

they ye:re ·~deciphered. The 11etho4 Ar17ll uaed ,,_ that of word t:ranapoaitioo., 

u4 if you are 1ntereate4. 1D read1.ng a canteapor-.ry account of hcv it wat aolve4, 

look m pagea·56 .. 59 or that little book I-mentioned before aa being one o:t the 

very firat books .in EDgl1ah dealing with the aubJect ot cryptology, tbat b;y 

Jwa FalcClller, entitled ~YR!ClJl!!&.l!ia Patera~ Or the Art of Secret Intoraation 

D1acla11ed Without a Key1 publishe4 1n LCllClon 1D 1685. There ~ will f'iDd the 

- U$~Tc.., 

progenitor of the route c1pbera eaploJ84 by the ~d:wail •MlllD' .!!!ltl:.• .. Wai ef •u . ' '1.~ - Bl &L&Cii, ~ 

-al 11!\..:t:.M yeara after Argyll'• abortive rebellicn. -

TheA.ciphe:i;s11,a4i-. employed b~_:~_..~S!!.1'C..11- •••••• ~ the Peie••l...,. tll ~.,. .... , ....... ~ ~= -'T~ --

~- J1SSG lie2' '' are fUlly d.eacribecl 1D a boo.k ent 1tled !he Military Tele£ap_h 

d~i!I the- Civil War, b;y-Colcmel Willi.ail R. Plwa, publ1•~4 1D Chicago in l.882. ' . I think Phm'• 4eacr1ption of tbea 1a ot cona1derable interest BXl4 I recca1end 

bi• boc._ to those of you vho aa7 wieh to learn aore about#\~?ep.~~ ~ ~ ~ 

~It I ahow you. me example ot an actual •saap and explain it• enciphenaeat 

and -decipherment I viU have CO'lered practically the entire gamut 01· the route 

ciphers uaed by the USMl'C, so baeical.q ney aillple and unif'o.ra were tbey. And 

yet, believe it or not, legend ha• it that tbe'Scuthem/tsnai.n were unable to 

eolve_ ~Y of the messages transatttecl by the_ U$f!'C. ~ia loag-hel4 lezjend I find 

bard to be1ieve. In all the deacript10D• I have encountered ill the literature 

-not one of th.ea, eave the me q,uoted abwe frc:m O'Brien, tries to make these 

' 

cipher• al •111.Ple as they really nre; a.caehov, it eeeme to•, a eubcCDlleious 

realizattm/ m the part of Northern writers, uaual.1¥ ex-USMTC operators, o1' the 

eyatem'• aillplicity prevented a preaentatim Vb1ch would clearly •haw now utter4r 

devoid it was of the degree of' soph1at1catim one vould be t1arranted in expect1Dg 

in the secret canmunicationa of a great modern army 1D. the decade l.860-1870, three . hua4re4 yeara after the birth of modern crypto&Mph1' in tbe papal etates of Italy. 

12 

~~."2=-">-__ ----....... 
l'I \I\ I ' 

e.~pw..: ~~·l~ 

REF ID:A62851 

IAt us take the pl.am text of a Mssage vh1eb Plum (page 58) ueea iD au 

e~le ot the procedure 1D enoiphe~t. The cipher book involved 11 No. -4 

~ 

and I happen to bave a copy ot·it ao,..can eaail)' check P~um'e. llork. Here's the 

measage to be e11c iphere4: 'r 

Waahington, D.C. 

July 15, l.863 

7 11Zt1 bw Pl.wrl a~~-'~ vord-tor .. -word ent:iphermant/ 1D a •trix of seven . . , columns. and eleven -rov1,,. He fails to tell u8 why -a •trix or t.b.oae dimemimla was 

selected; pre&lmabq the selection was made at 'ranclaa, which vaa certa1nl1' perm.1esibla9 

I , ~~ . 

- - --- - ;- ~/-:--·- -t~f --~57 ·--;~ 6/ ~ I l/ ~I . 3/ . -- y 

{~) ~~~ . ~~) . ' 

- <.. '¥\o . ---~ .. -- ~ .... --- ' ' ~- - - - -- _...:;, ...... -- ... - ..... _ - - .... -:., ·- - Incubus/ Stewart/ Brawn/ ' Norris/ Kn6o/ Madiaon/ . Waafii.Dgt~,D. C. Ju4r'"' , 15th iS 3 I ... _, far n-i:- -

-

I . I 

- 8 h \ .man .Carpmer OD . flea I woad. 
REF ID:A62851 

~ ;-~, ·~ o.&f'-t.~..., 

Note the 1'auuf/nm·•1P1fiaaDtJor '1bU.nd11 vortj}.t tne~ottcasof ..,-. Q01Um$., 

A ~i~~~~~ the•e being added to,..cODfuae a voul.4-be decipherer. At least that 1M9 the theory.; 

but bov ettecti#e this ~ubtertuge waa can be auraiae4J ~ Olld• it :) 

be- 1moe tba~ "'t~ llSUlll prac.tiee • .Ji.ot: .. e ~ ~~ l~~!! ... ~ ~ ~~.,(~ ~~h ~G.,,~. . .,~ ~ ').t\__,-. 

The c1purr maaage 18 thea copied ~own followtng the r01.1te prescribed by the I 

tncU.cator "BLONDE", as F •••a aa jase 7 ot Cipher :eoot No. 4. '1'be ill41cator r 

ml4 llavf!t alao been~~". _____ ... -· _ ....... • . _ ..... _ ~- ~~ \ 

------------/ ~ 7 ~!~·.!-. . .-. _ -~-- ~ _,.r, !~~~~~-~~ _.... _. F~iS .9 ~. :W ;1111 ••ID 'Ill! To explain the d1agram at the top or -~•••• I wilJ. ;f-:13 

lbow you the "Directiona for Uaei• wbiCb appear on the reverse side of the title -

page of "War Departmnt Cipher No. 4", because I'm afraid 1ou voul4n 't belieft 

"b(,4. ... ~ ~ ~ 1.:1~ • ~ f"""" .1;~ ~ - • if I •reR '-votecf :f:pQll *'hoe.-..liM1 M•• a.,.,. a picture of the title page 

~--::4:...I \ ~~'"' .I ,U.'>_ :tollov it vithf\a :photograph ot wbat'• cm its reverae •14•"D~~ ~~~ 

r~~Jt-1 -"1 f' Title - llo. i.~~~trecttcns for U1e:;-j - / :Po~ ~o. . Jt.o.:t -,-t\ :..J ---~ a.1111 IUl~J*' the -cha~o vu responaible tar pditing thiB cipher book approved 

ever thought about Wbat be waa doing Vbe11 he cauaed thoae "DirectiQQS for Uae" to 

be :printed.'! If doean1t seem poaaible. All he w0\114 have had to ask hiuelt waa, I ~ R.ro~ ~~~~~<I CO.-t*/NC t\~4-w;., 

uWby put thi~- piece of intormatioh 1D ttie boolr. ttaeltT /\ S.,,111 \IW eeeli falls into 

e~.:hal)d•j ~ 4z.ead, too, and at once learn about the 1Dtelide4 daceptiont 

Why go to all the trouble of iDcluding "phoney" routes in the book'l It the book 

dcesn 't fall into e-.;r baD4e What gocd are the "pbODe;y" route• &D)'WaYT Why not 

Just 1J1d1cate the rQltes 1D a atr•ightforward aanaer, as ba4 been done bef'oreT 

Thus: nUp the 6th column (1tnce "6" 1• the t1rst nuaber at the left of the d1agr&11), 

down the ]rd, up the 5th, down the 7th, up the lit, down the 4:t;ti and down the 2nd. 

, Thill mtter i• ao incredibly fatuous that it is bard to underataad how aeusible 

men - and they were aenaibl.e - could be ao~~.,.ts•"krlKK ·~~ • tb1Dkillg . \\ °ll'M.Ji....• ~ ~ II it 

procesaee. But there thel\ at&na.,tar all t.be vorp. to ~ and to .1uclge. 

Now for the transpoaitic:m atep~ '1'be indicator "BLONDEu signifiea a atrix or 

seven cclUlllllB and eleven rows, "1th the route aet forth abOY1!1 1 vi& 1 up the 6th 

colW.U, 4own the ]rd, etc., ao that the cipher tex.t with a "phoney" addre1a ar.i4 

aigDaturJ{ becmea ~ foll.on: 

. TO A. HARPER CALDWELL, Waab:iDgtoa, D .. c . 

Cipl!aer Operator, Ara:y of the PQtmac: 

Blonde bless of who u.o optic to get an4 illipreasim I .Macliaan square 

Brown c&all!r Toby ax the haft turnip• Harry bitch rustle •ilk Adrian coun•el , locust you another m4' of chUdreD aereaade flea KAox County tor wood that awl 

tiea get hound Who vaa wr him auicide on tor wae please vUlage large bat BuDyao 

give s1gb. 1.D~11s ~o..¥.y Norris on tramaelecl cat knit striven without if Madrid 

quail upright martyr Stewart an much bear ai.DCe ••• akeletOD tell the oppreasillg 

Tyler- monkey. 

4 - (Signe4) D. HOOR BATES 

~It vu the uaual practiee to uae 'far 

,..!I. .:Z.. -

•• ad •ipature O.Pera~ tbe ..... 

,...."'...· 

or "Jae ~ ~~ 
REF ID:A62851 

Note tbat the text be;1Ds with the indicator "BLONDE". ID heipb.emesat the 

steps are •i"PlY rever•ed. The 1n4iaator tells vbat eise •trix to outli11e; the 

1'0r4a beginning "bleu of Wbo no optic •.. " are in8cr1be4 vithUl the •trtx: 

up the 6th colum; then,aaittillg the "check word" or 11aul1~ &hic:h i». thta case 

, 1• the word 1'1quare" ~down the 3rd colUllD., etc. '1'be fiDal result. ahould co.rres4. , .. pod to what -1• shown 1J1 Fig. Jl(J. 'nlere then tollovs the atep of iilterpretiDg 

orthographic 4evtationa, such 88 1Jlterpret1ng "•1,.gh", "-11, 

11oammer", anc1 "•" 

. k1';-;:A.~ as S1llOD Cwron; the word ''woo4" tor 17VOU.l.4" ,·eta. ~teihb reprcluce• the 

or1g1n&l plain teat . 

. Save for Eme except ton) te ~· cliaa"Ua•4 a • ••. •• 111 ...._, au the route 

·ciphers uaed by the USMrC ccmtorme4 "t?o this baato pattera. The tb:l.Dga that chanpd 

tran one cipher book to the next vere the 1nd1~tora tor the d:tmeristma ot the 

•trices an4 tor the routes; an4 the "arbitrar1 .. " or code equtvalenta tor the 

vartoue items CClllP1'"111Dg the "vocabularyn, the nUllber of tbell il1Creaa1Dg frca aae 

e4itim to the next, Just as might be expected.~ ~~;h.1~~~~/ 

a. ll4tM ewp*;\Q.\.Mi·..tb~-\te11C~*9--',tllicrtlcmpaa...,_,~""' .r"rt:".::J""~"""-~"" .... \"I 

~ ~;:;-~··~;;--n:;-~;~;--~-~~~~ cme page ~the b~ok. 

· I will show you that page: 

\-, ,-f"~·i -~--._ ...... ~-~- ·~ 1 

G: ~-~~~~~:_Book !o. U 

What we bave here is a 4eviatim trea the •traighttorward rou.te tranapoaitiao, 

~ ~ - up the .• 'A down ~he ••• ,..,•tc. By 1Dtro4uc~ cme diagonal path 1A the routla (the -

6tb, 7th, 8th, 9th, lOtb vorcla in a •s•ap of f'lve eoluma, and the lat, and, 3r4, 

4th, 5th, and 6th words in a •••ace ot aix columa) the '•1'1Ple up and down route 

no longer hol.48 true. The wor48 on the diagoaal ..1nterrupt tile normal ~P and down 

patb8 ancl introduce complexitie1 in the 119:tbat.. In tact, t• cc:mplexitiea seemed 

to be a bit too auch for the USMit: cipher operator• because, aa tar as available 

records show, these ccaplicate4 route1 were never usec1. 
-:...'""'" .- - ~ REF ID:A62851 

.. 

I now ~•h to ..n a nlllber of' general and • rev epec:ltic comente 

. ••• AilU;id Jl)11!atJ& &c ......... 

~~-

ftnt, • ~ that although Anson Staetr·Y'J.aull'\.linu.:ma;i....-eU11-. I 

baa been c1'941.ted with trwentlng the tne ot oipher under coneideratt.on - ' 

in tbia 

' 

atud7 ~ 1 he •• anticipated :ln t1:- invention~ about 200 19an. 

Al•o, he ti gtYen tbe 110n11 1ure ot ~ c1ec11t tor drdetq thoae cipben 

- altho\lgb. he 414 ~ve- a naber ot aolla'bo•toft@41111 .?:• .._, tour or them, 

preeumbl7 beaaU89 he thought theJI voftlir ·at being 1ingle4 out tor 

particular attention. Plm and othera tell ua that copies ot -~ ..... 

hlllldle4 "7 ti. u/sjxF;c/{wat.s.~l-)~ 111 t11a - 11ut •. 

.;:...,.." e:l'C 

'ts• 1111 _. aol:nd. ,Be oitel no author1t1 tor thi• laat ltatwnt., 

.m,. -1DS -· ·-~ - +:i--- a~~ at - /Ii] ,' ~J&.G. ~~~.Ji~~~ wja~ ' 

Cont'edenc7 with"•"•at• felto h1.., ill tM1r 1olution. "111* it •7 be noted 

' ' -; 

tbat none ot the Cord'eclente account• ot wr acti'ritte• cite instance• ·or ' ' '' 

'i 

~ c1tat1one ot inatanc•• ot interception and eolution ot emiphea4 

-/(.,-
_...-·\ 

' ' 

REF ID:A62851 

~ 

visual Van1m111ions ot A "lederal. Ararr' 1 Signal Corps. DO'>&" 'II P.s" WID8'i 

Plum atatea that 12 ditterent cipher books wre empl.~ by the 

Telegraph Corps, but I £• ~ b._. then weze"" ~ onl.7 eleven. The tirat one 

was not numbered, and this la good evidence that. a long var was not 

~tlla* ~I'. H• llO ===J:.• ;...., •nil *W laec*ll 

16 printed pases. But for sane reason, nov tm.Poaaible to tatham, the 

sequence of num'beNd books theaatter was as tollowa: Noa. 6 and 7, vbich 

were much like the first (unnunibered) one; then came Noa. 12, 9, 10--in 
·- REF ID:A62851 

:lnto ettect on 23 March 1865, and that 1t and all other ciphen weze 

41acarded on 20 June 1865. However, ae noted, there wu a No. 5, vh1ch 

Plum ee.ya •• given a limited diatrlbution. I have a cop7 ot it, but 

whether it vu actually put into wse I do not know. Like Ro. 4, it bad 

USJ"'ll\C. 

4o page••~out 20 copies were 11ent to certa1n mni>el'll ot theA-IY:M•_,.' 

'lel.e9qill:41991''' scattered among 12 states; and, ot coune, Waahiqton ~~ 

had at least CDP C<>PJ'· 

We may assume ¥1th a f'a1r amount ot certa1nt7 that. .the tint (the 

ot tbe one Stager produced f'or the cOllllllUDicationa ot the govemon ot Ohio, 

Indiana and Ill1no:la, and ot which a copy 1• given b7 cml::y one ot the 

writers vho Jiave told us about these c1pheN;-jamel1', Devtd H. Bate119 ,_, 
REF ID:A62851 

f;t~~! 

. ~ . in hi• 1er1e1 ot article• entitled "Lincoln in ti. Telegraph ottice" 

.. tihe Centwz Kap!ine, Vol. LXXtV, Noa. ·l-5, May-Sept, 19@* ahc:nns a · 

tacsillile thentof' (p. 292, June 1907 issue), and I have had u goo4 a 

reproduction made of it aa is possible f'rcm the rather poor photographic 

f'aclimile. The foregoing cipher 11 the protot;ype upon vhich all •ubsequent 

cipher books wre baaed, t~ tint ot the War Departmnt aert•• being the 

one shown by Plum.te 0 ppe1uU.x l · ta tW• l:M'\me, 

When theee ciphers came into use it waa not.the practice to misspell 

certain w~.intent1o:aally; but a• the members ot the u;s/M/T/c (Who, 

' I I 

a11 I_ 'w told you, 1\0t only ... wed aa telesr&ph operators but also u 

cipher clerks) developed expertness, the practice ot using non-standard 

orthography vu .t~uentl.y employed to make aol~icm ot ••eagee more 

. _» _.,,p __ 

11 ~ . ""~ 

11.a" • ""'"" •••· " ·at Qlle t'ind~ hundred.a ot •---1 es or thia sort ~ ' 7 ~ . 

art1flce. Then, turthe!' to increa!'e eecurity, mo:re and more "adiftj!iii'ff.'i;!!. 

il!1'be aeries va• tben .put out 1n book font under the ume title b;y the D. 

Appleton-Centur,y Company, New York, 19C1'/, :reprinted: in 1939· 

' \ 
.... REF ID:A62851 

tb'' ,ta, code equivalent~'wre added to represent such thinga u o~inal 

I 

and card~ nual>en, months of the year, da;tw or the welt, hoUJ'I ot the day, 

, 8''4 s &Wk~-liiii•:otLpl&eas.>ut ·Ti~ punctuation, etc. M a 1alt 

~~~ 

•tep,/\oode equivalents tor trequenU,.-uaed :word• and phruea were 

introduced. One good example of two typical pages trom one ot theee book• 

V1ll characteme ti.a all .. 

.... ~-- .....__. I 4 " . . \ Photo ot p. l ~15 1 

, . tZ"Olll Ho. 12 $ 

You will. notice that the code- equtvalen~• aft printed but tbji)}r 

19ani.US* are written in by hand. Thia vaa uau&l.17 the cue, and the reaaon 

is obvious: tor economy 1.11 p~nting coats, because the printed "Code 

equivalenU ot pla1n ... text 1tema ·in c1phe~ booka bttlonging to the um 

series ue 1dent1eal; only their •an!nga obange tram one book to another, 

and ot·coune, the-ti'anapoaition route1, their indicators, and other 

variable• change trm one book to another. ·M u• Rs , ZS 1 tni I aa 

fortunate in haVing au ot the•• cipher books in my p1"1vate collection, 

ao that oomparieona among tha are nad1ly made. The :t'int teat\ll'e to be 

noted ia that the- code equ1vai.ttt1 an all good English dictionary wi'da 

(or proper nouns), ot nQt le•• then th1'H nor more then 1even (rarely -eight) ' ' 

lettere. A caretul scrutiny •hows that in the early editions the code 

w 

. .. 

' 
,o REF ID :'A62851 

-·-"a 

~ 

equivalent• are auch &1 are not likely to appb.%' as vol'dl 1n the pla1n-text . ~ 

meaaagee; but 1D the later editiont, beginn1na with Ho. 12~re than 5~ ' - ' ' 

or the words U4ed e.a oode !Cluivalent• ue such u mi.pt well appear in the 

Rlain-text ot 111!11!8!•· For example, vords such .. AID, AU., ARMr, 

names ot c1t1e1, riven, baYt, etc., appear ae~,fil&•••rs•z•, .. •• code 

' 

, equival.enta. ~name• used. ae code equivalents are SBEllMAN, LINCOLN, 

'f!I<MAS, STAM'ON, and thoae ot -.n7 other praninent otticera and ott1c1al• 

\J~ - ' ~f~o.l (~~~ ~~~~"~~~!.&~ ot the '9:lk1a1 Anrr.. ~d."~l'!l'IDentJ~ and, ~n moN intriguing, auch nama ~\' 

.. .· ~ ,, '" "-• ' ', 

were ft1Pl.Q'8d aa ind.icatora tor tbt n\J!Jlber ot col'Ulln8 and thtt routes u.edthe so-called "Coimoencementi Wol'da. " It woμld seem that netae• and vord1 

such as th~ I •·ve mentiont<l m1Sht ·oocaaionally have brought about 1n•tancea 

where d!:tticulty in deciphel'ing messages arose from this &OUJ'Ce ot conrua1on, 

,' 

but the literature 

' 

d°'an tt mitntion them. 3~~~~~ A:b:S:• later we etz 1J rt why •uch 

comm.only-usecl 'p~r names and words ve:te not excluded.. There vu, 1I!deed, 

method in this J!l,adneaa • 

.But what is 'indeed aaton1ah1ng t~ note 11 that in the later ed.1tione at 

1 ' ' ' 
REF ID:A62851 

these cipher books, in great major1 t1 of cases the words uaed u 

11al"bitrar:tes, n difter trca one< another b7 at leaat two letters (tor exa.ple, 

•. 

or by more tban two (tor example, M!M'LE and MmrIC, CARBON am CAB~ 

.ADDBS ~ ~~~·~•11111!!1&•- One bu to search tor cu.ea in vh1ch two 

wol'd11 ditfer by· only one letter., but they can be found 1t 10U search long 

eno~ tor them; as, for eDmpl.e., QUINCI and Q.UIBCBI PDE and PIKB, DOSI 

-

and R>SI~+ Otten the:re Aft wol'da with ~ same 1.nS:tial trigraph or 

/ 

tetragrapb) but t.ben tile rest of the lettel"il are such that erron in 

ot· ., MONS'SR and )l)NABCR, MAGRBT and MAGNOLIA. All 1n all, it is important to " , 

note that the ccnpilel" or conapileft ~ cipher booka had adopted a prtnc1ple 

known ~ u the "two-letter dittel"ential, " a teat\U"e tound only in 

codebooka ~ a much later date. In brief' 1 the principle involve• the uae, 1\ 

in a gtven codebook, at code _groups d1tter1ng frat one another by at 

least two letters. This pr1nc1pl:e 1• employed by knowlecJawable code 

ccapilere to this veey day, not cm:l.7 becauae it enable• the recipient or a 
- 0 

-. REF ID:A62851 

.~ 

+o~~.~~oJ. 

message to cletect errors in tl"BDSmlsaion or reception, but also"'• 'W• 

~~~""' ~ ~, Ao-~t~o-a.t' )f; the :pemutation tables used 1n ccmati-ucttng the cocle vorda AIMllttet#e 11h:::lr -

.. ~~.f,q.,~ 1~"\n;~~. ;. 

"ea1na•&•,.. without calling tor a repetitt:onl' It 1• clear, 1;henf"ore, that 

the compilers ot theae cipher boob took into cona1deat:llon the tact that 

errors are to be expected in Mone telepapby, and by incorporating, but 

cml.:y to a 11m1ted extent, the principle at the two-letter d1tte:rent1al, 

of these books C!hoae as cocle equivalents. It :la a :tee.tme that lll!mifeata 

~~~~t..~~~~ zeal pel"8plcaa1t7 on their part,~ A f'ev momenta ago I said that I would 

explain wlQ', in the later and improved editions ot these books, word• which 

m1gbt well be words in plain-text messages ven not excluded f'rom the lists 

o.t code equivalenta: it involves the hct that the basic natUl'e at the 

crntoaJatem 1n vhieh these cocle equivalents w:re to be used was clearly 

Neogo1sed by those who caqpUed the books. S1Dce the cr,vptoayatem. waa 

baaecl upon vori. t1"8D8pos1t1on, what could be JllOft confusing to a wuld·be -

c~JSt, world.ng with mesaagea 1n auch a a1Stem, than to :t1nd h1mselt 

1 A. ~lla.t~ ~"°+etc }o (J~ unable to decide whether a word 1n tba cipher text K-• actuall.7 1n the 
,, 

:. 

-· .. . REF ID:A62851 "• I 

with a secret •1gait1cance--or even a null, a non-aignS.ftcant VOid, a "bl.1nd" 

wll be -"good .. wms in the plaS.n-tezti ••saae•• A_n4 in tb1a cmmeat1on I 

have~ noted an ad41t1oaal 1nterel't1.lig t•tum: at the top ot each 

tl"1..~~ 

pep devoted ~o :f.ndicaton for atgnal ing the DUlliber ot ool-umna" :ln the 

~~~~ specific atr.tx for a ••11&81,-..11 1,...111n.'8"~•lmctal1 -

· ~ wr~·~ ~ ~ ·• ~! N11t11.~ ......... ~,~ 

10-callecl~"cClmlleDC~ words_,",._~ wora.a,tn Hts ot three, ~ cne ot · 

vh1ch ooul.4 actuall;r be a ftal. vorcl orJ-. 1D the plain-tut ••use• , . I ' --'"WoY-~ ~ ~ M; , ' 

Suah~~:i.caton could be ftJ7' ccmtus1.ng to •DeJQ' o~ta, e1pec1all.T 

-T"~·"+> atter the tftllapos1t1on. o_pention. "Bere;,.,,_are the "capwnaement vordl" on 

page 5-ofJls.pbe~1'ok. Ro. 9: Arm::/1 Anson,, .Action, Astor, Advance, Artille17, 

Congreaa, ChU.da, C&l.houn, Cl:iUl"Ch, Cobb, etc. Moreavwr, in Noa. 11 3, 4 

5, and 10 the "liDe indicaton, n tbat i•, the vorda 111dlaating the.number 

of ,horizontal. .ran 1n tbe iatrtz, ue also vord1 auch as could easily be 

' 

. ' 
• REF ID:A62851 

WOl'd8 1n the plain-text meaaaps. Por e~, S.n No. l, page 3,, the 

line incU.caton an as follow: 

l hi.th 

2 Pa"'lor 

I I \u 3 Cantine 

~~ 4 Be4 

5 Beef' I 

aume 6 Bind~ 

~'f) ~ Avalre 7 Aft11 \ 

"' 

~ Bnc-.p 8 Act1"fe t 

Bn1"ol.l 9 Absent 

Bnough 10 Accept 

Nate two tbtnga 1n the torego1Dg list: .first, there aze varianta--there 

are tvo' 1Dd1aators tor each case; and second, the 1nd1caton ue not in 

a':rict alphabetic sequence. 'l!hl• departure tram strict &lpb.abetic1ty 1a 

even more obYioua 1D the pages devoted to vocabulary, a tact ot much 

/,d ~ ·;~1 ~ce c~icall.y. Note Ws teatme, tor ellllll.Ple, in ftg. ~ 1

: 

a~ pagea 14 and 15 at Cipher Book Bo. 12• 

In this zeapect., tberetoN, these books partake acnewbat ot the nature 

~~~I at two-part;.i~odea, or, in British te:rm1noloa1 "hatted" codes. In the 

' second lectU1'8 ot this aerie• the ph191caJ. ditterence between one-pa.rt and 

two-part; codes -~i M I• t1111nl1R 111111.,. •• -~ ~~ ~ ~~Mr. 

*h zl tl1¥1w ~ an indication ot the teclm1cal d1tt'erence , ' /\ A 

between these tvo t)'pes ot codes f m ttr 1 a' t ci1 • t• • rtu:qpl c 1 '•i• ' I 

my be uaetul at this point. Two-part codes are much more ditticul:t to 

I 

I 

\ 

\. 

\ 

~ 

\ 
a:=i. .. ._o1 4'.,"" -

, . REF ID:A62851 

' . 

aalve than om-part; cod8a, 1n vhich 'both the pl&in-ten elelmlt1 and 

. leada to the 4etel'ld.Dat1on ot the •antnp 6t other co&t group1 abOft or 

' ~.,...;t ~ ·)l.~fAttfA "~ ~t: below the one that bu been aolftd •. ror un.ple, in the f'ollaving 1 •t" 

·~1f ,- . ' 

e-.i,e, S.:t the" cdae Sl'OUJl 1729 bu been cteWl'ld.mcl tO be "then," the} - -~ 

~----"":"':-- . . '-....~~~-~ ~ ;- --- ----~--~ ~ . 

1728---the 

1729---then 

1730---thezie .. 

- - . ' .A'JO····•J).... 

aocJe group 1128, could well be "'the,.f'ith:&t ot the co&t fll"OllP 17301 ''then". 

But 1~ a tvo-iUt code, datel'ldn1n1 the •anSna ot thli code- group OIJ12 10 ~ 

. ' 

-

... 

7621---'119 

OCJ72---'1ml 

1548---then 

~ "IH•e ths .- "then," gift• no clue whateftr u to t.he •rni~ ot 

" then must be a aection tn which the code ~· am listed in nmel'lo&I. 

""""'" ~ -~~~ ----- -r-- -- ~~ c...~ • /) ~-t.,4t~..-r.:I?.: !I t1.~lt~ 

Hquence," tlieir meamnga.,.,~"in a zendaa aeque~. The cmia>Uezia ~ 

' . 

~ a· p:ract:S:cal natUN between a etrS.ctl.7 one-part and a atnctl.1' two-part 

)..b 
REF ID:A62851 tn~· 

. ~ade, bee- tbe7 -.Uzed that a aade or tire ./j-r sort 1• tviae as \ 

~~}~~~st~~~ ~~~~~t.U~ bulky aa one ot ~ fo:nner eort,A "1lhe &J'l'&Dgemellt the7 chose waan 't at Ht 

two 

bad, ao tar aa cl")'pto-aec'!lZ'1t7 waa concerned. Aa a matter ot tact, and 

t\ 

speaking tram pet'SODal ezperience in decoding a rather long message 

addfttaaed to General Grant, I had a '4~ ~:Jtna time in locating JSD7 ot the 

code words in the book, because of the departun tram strict al.phabet1c1ty. 

I came across that :message 1n a work-book in 'at:f callection, the work-book 

~ ~.cl. ot one ot the important members ot the ujs1

1M,1t/c--none other*'• GD~ \) ____ , 

Plum,tram whose book, !rhe Military Telegraph during the Civil War, •comes 

~ 

r ~~~. 

nmch ot the data I've presented~ On the a.. f'l7-leat of 

Plum' a vork-'book there appears, pzreaumbly in his own handwriting, the 

legend "V. R. Pl11D Chf' Opr vith Gen. C. H. Themas". Ben's one ot tbe 

messages he enciphered in Cipher Book No. 1, 'the book in which, he a1l78, 

more important telegrams wre sent.than in any other: 

. c ~ _1 

Rote how ED1' "Ub1trar1e9i' M '•lli•AIM1la11t1.+Ma1nf.lw'; appear :Ln 

the plain-text message, that is betore transposition. After transposition 

-v1 
REF ID:A62851 

' - ~e~~k,~.~~-~~~~~~~~1 ~ ! 

the melange. ot pla1n-te~ 8ll4 eeck wol'itt"-•~• t·litte ~itying. * 

dM> :.J-. ~ ~k.~C. ~.J)'°'t ~ \ 04/ ~ -,-r i,--j ":.,} 

And yet, was the system~o ¥H~1nlcrutable"-1Ae• s'';' IFdoll't tMnk ·~· 

( Bven in the case ot the toagoing meooap theft &ft enough """'"""led 1IOl'da \ 

-wrHns w --ftJm= etpmr z ta, I ih:SM the tJ'a1lapoait1cm could be remand 

without too much d1ff'icult7 and the gene:ral tenor ot the message could be 

detel"JDined. There would nm.in, ot oourae, the busine11 otf!ndjng the 

specitic meau2nga ot the code 'VOl'da. In the case ot cipher book 110. l, which, 

case a Confederate ptgn•lnan bid in a ll'iiUlp tor several weekl and tapped a 

J'edeJ'lll telegnph line, obta1n1ng a good maDY' me1eage1. ;What 1uaceas, 1t any, 

~ did Contederate cryptanal.ylta haYe in their attempts to aolve IUC!' ,(C ')I .. ........ r1 ,. - -- , 

*In/seuching for a good example rq eye caught the WOX'da "Lincoln •hot" at 

the lef't ot the atrtx and I imediately thought that the •••ase had to do 

with Booth'• auas11natlan ot the Pftaident. But &tter hurriedl)" tl'&nllatins 

the meaaase and finding nothing in it .bav1ng 8!J3'th1ng to do vith the 8hoot1ng 

it occurred to m to look up the indicaton tor a matrix ot aia rows and eight 

columns. They turned out to be LINCOLN (message ~ 8 columns), SH<7l' (6 rows) 

The V01"d SMALL beneath the "Lincoln ehOt" 11 a variant tor SHOT, al.so meaning 

"6 1"0Wll ' " • 

- --- .- - -

I t 

' ' .. 

I l ~ • J 
.... 

\ 

\ 

I 

REF ID:A62851 

to the .tenliTe u4 t1gbtl.y-aontl'Olled aS.Yilian mS.lita.17 telesapb 

~ 

organi&at1cm which Sec:retar:Y Starrtion l'Ule4 v.lth"an tron hand tftlm 

WuhtDaton. A1mo8't u a ccmoQlllitant it would 1ee11., then as 1D the 

oH,e.,~llj et:c:i.bl l~ \..~ OonfedeJl'llCy, .-. tar two e~epb1cmal. cue•, me and onl1' one" cmtoa)'Sbea 

to aene the med tor protecting tactical u veU u strategic ecnmm1cat:lcma, 

and that waa the ao-c&Ued V1aeneze ' C!:pber, wh1ch &pparentl.7 vu the cipher 

j, "'· 

authozue4 tn aa afftctG. manual »1'81*ftd by c:apt."Aleam.tl' as the patial 

or the SOuth. fte atgnalwpn at thoae 41Qa called it the "Coult Cipr," 

so'(' 

this tem ziefen!.ng to the a19tem :ln cmaon use 'Jilt diplanat1c or "court"~ I\ 

co111111nn:lcat1ona about th11 per.lad 1D hi•tol7 • It ta tr"17 ••••Ill!' for • 

c-

,11.a~- Ma ae1edpt:la •••4:1lr •• a as-1 M: 

I\ 

*A ke1W01"4 18 empl.o;,ed to ohanp tbe &1.pbabet• ~lJ.callJ', thus wJdng the 

01phe7!1 what 1• called ~ a periodic or multiple-alphabet cipher oouh'Qllecl 

b7 the :l.ndirtdual. letten ~ a ke71 which 111&1 cona1at ot a W01"d, a pbiue1 or 

even ot & ~tence, repeated u naD1' timea aa nece•Rr.Y• 

l-; - - .. -....-,... .... - - -- _,,,.... 

( 
--

26 

1 a 

2b 

3 c 

4 d 

5..:;P 

6 t 

-7-g 

8h 

:9 1 

10 J.-

11 k 

12 1 

13 m 

14 D 

15 0 

16 p 

17 q 

18 r 

19 s 

20 t 

21 u 

22 v 

23 w 

24 .x ' 

25 7 

26 z 

'. 

•. 

25 24 23 

b c d 

c d e 

d e. f 

,e r g 

r s h, 

g h 1 

h i J 

i .1 k 

.1 k 1 

k l m 

1 m D 

m· D 0 

n o p 

.. o P q 

P q r 

q r a 

r S t 

B t U 

t 'Ii 

u v 

v y 

w x 

X·Y 

1' 

e 

t 

g 

h 

i 

.1 

k 

1 

m 

D 

0 

p 

q 

r 

8 

t 

u 

v 

m 

D 

0 

p 

q 

r 

a 

t 

u 

v 

,, 

n 

0 

p 

q 

r 

a 

t 

u 

v 

REF ID:A62851 

. 19 18 ,17 

h 1 .1 

i j k 

J k 1 

k 1 m 

1 m n 

16 15 14 13 12 11 10 -9 8 7 6 5 4 :r~2 1 .... k 1 m n o p q r a t .... -u v w x y z 

1 m n o p q · r s t·~11 v w x Y' z a 

m n o p q r a t,,..A v v . .x y z a b 

n o p q r s t_fi v v x 7 z abc 

o p q r s __ t .)I""" v w.-·z 7 z a 'b c d 

r 

a 

t 

u 

n 

8 

t 

u 

v 

o p q r a t u .......... v v x;· 1- z a b c d e 

p qr at u,,...."'v "" w "r•abcdet 

q r a t -·u--ft .. w. x, 7 z a b c . d e t g 

rs tu y/w x y zabcdetgh 

t u _1/w x y z a b c d e t sh 1 

v /v x 7 z a b c d e t g h i .1 

x 7 z a b c d e: t g h i 3 k 

fix::::: ;~::·~:H: Z b C d 8, '~- g h . i .j k 1 m n 0 

z c d -f' g hi J k 1 m nop 

z a b c g- h 'i j & 1. m n op q 

a .b' c d h 1 .1 k 1 m n o p q r 

b c d e 1 j k 1 •no p qrs 

a c d e f g J k 1 m no p q• rat 

z c de t g hi j k tn.~.n o· p q r-s t'u'vwx 

a 

c : : ; ! : . : ~ ~,Nk : . : : : ; : : : ; : 

c d e t -s If · i J k 1 m n o q r a t u v w x 7 

f-':~..o~~lll!~ --

. To put into ci;.r the first message, which is put up b7 us:f.nt 

''Manchester Blutt" as the ke71 and the second by the key term, 

"Complete Victory," find at the left-hand side -ot the table the first 

letter ot the first wo:rd to be ciphered, and at the top ot the table, 

the first letter ot the tem. At the Junction ot the columns in 

which these letters are so found, will be seen the arbitrary letter 

which is to be used in lieu ot the real one at the left. Continue 

. 1n this W97 with each aucceasive letter ot the maaage and key term, 

repeating on the latter till f'1n1shed. Thus, "She:nan ts victorious," 

put in cipher b7 using the first ke7, would read, as ahovn b7 the 

capital.a, c-o-m-p-1-e·-t--ev--i-c-t-o-r-y. C-o-m-p- Ot course, any - U V Q G X I G MN D K V B F P K C 0 H. 

change in'the .key word, term or phrase changes the &Jbitrariea, and 

if neither the real • .-a .. nor the key is known, it would be somewhat wmt1"'18 worldng it out, unless there wre same such suggestive "'l 

words as occur in Davis's ••Sage above, which indicate the ciphered · ' 1 ~l 

words very clearl7; e.g., 1'B7 which you m&7 effect" o tpqgeJC1k "'\ __. ~-\... ~!,}).Ko-~ 

( 

a crossing j ;..,,,....;..~,. fr"" 

"above that part 11

J ot 

1\j 

the 

opg kwmct 

riveio. 

This meaning occurred to the author, ~~ :( .... - at first sight, and doubtless weuld be to any one familiar With ~_!J;.,.Y military atta:lra tn that section. JJaving guessed real wo:rds, it is 

·very easy to work out the letters ot the ke7. The toll~ng two 

important ciphers were t:ranamit'tsed as divided below; 1.e., each 

word was sent separately, not all mixed, as in the Pemberton cipher. 

Thia d1Vision does not tacUitate translation b7 the ke7 at all, but 

materially assists Without it, and was, thezetore, 'bad practice. We 

glve below, each •ssase, with its translation, because these telegrams 

were very important. The curious reader 'llJ87, at his leisure, b7 using 

the ke7 board, study out the key te:rms, one of which w1ll be f'ound 

entirely..., :new~ quite apropos, in the light ot what apeed117 tollowd. 
REF ID:A62851 . .,, 

CONFBDDA9.'B STATES. OF AMBRIOA, MILl'rARY ~GRAPH, Dated 

/ Head-quarters, l'ebruar.r 25, 1865. Received at Richmond, 

I Va .. , 12:25 minutes, A.M. 

'l'O BClf. J .c. BRECKBNBII8, Sec' 1 ~ War: --I reccmnend 

- 'l that the t•J'SJDEM! tn qoutwp rtatvvmp ubwaqbqtm e.xtn:j and ia1~, waqJ:ru ktmtl are not ot 1med1ate necessity, uv kpqfmbpgr 

- mpa thnl.fl. should be lmqhtap. ( Sigaed) R.B. LIE 

\ ~ . : 

I ' JI '.rRABSUm:ON. --I recOUlllend that the :removal ot public - , property, mch1ne17, stol"es and archives which are not of 

{ :Immediate necess1t1, be commenced. All powder lhould be 

~ sec~d. r - - - r'" -

~---- --- ;;- Vil 

f'f BIAD-QUARl'DS C.S. AalllS, Much 2!f,, 1865. 

mm. B. KIRBY SMr.rH, ccmdg. ~s--M!aa. Dept., Oen: --

Vvg eciltQmpn wcog u1 llu:ann1dea k:f'ch kdt wasptf' us ttcf'ato 

ab:xa bjx u~khmgjsiimivbceq qb ndel ue1su ht kt.g auhd egh 

opcm mta uvajwh :D"J!DCOCS. 1U dddxtmpt :Lu 1c3q.kp:lt, ea vv J•u 

mvrr tvhtc abxc iu eoies o rdegx en ucr pv ntipt)'llleC 

rqvar11Jb rpq rspx rkaJcph ptu np ekez necdatrzpt 

mzmseb acg nstqvvt me ktg smhe ttrt vb. mn kkge pJh tetm 

ckf'rliaytJZ]. xj 3tbbz iwq, htm Wbhz &WY td aeg aTXWZVV 

Jeiag oe m71'9t lpa acuh. 

\ 

\ 

j 

/ 

I, 

I am most respeetf'ully ~ obdt. aent. I 

(Signed) R.B. LBI 

'rBAISLAUOllT.--Gen: The pzeaident deems it advisable 

that you should be charged vith the mil1tar.Y operationa on 

both banks ot the Mias., and that 70U should endeavol' u 

pramptJ.7 as possible to orou that river w.lth u large a 

force u 1187 be prudently vJ.thdnwn tl'OJl1 your JJ1'8&ent De,1*. 

You will accozdin&l.7 extllmd JOUJt command to the eaat bank 

at the Miss., and m.ke ar:rangements to bring to thi·lide 

such ot J'OUZ' present torce aa :you ma:r deem beat. · 

~-..&. _ >I • most :respectt\~J' 10\JZ' obedient senaat. ~ : . 

~ 'rbere are certaln cCllllll!Jrta to be - on the tore~~ I 6 ' ,f ,. ¢' .. 

·"'2P't u tar •el~ aee~~~- ctae111'1>··g\Ttar~"""lmf'-o~aJ.a:,..."1e 

: - ... t .. " ... .. - ~- .,....._,r .... rr.,_": r- .. 

- I ' ~ .,. - ... _ ... - - '.. .... ., - --~ ' C: ~ 

.... ....-- . ... _._,, .. _~ 

,..,.. peoeedna~•- ••:2tn• we_;Catal clefec~ - -. ·- . e "~_.-- ~-.... 

~--

1\'\D lf '1~ the tint place1 note that 1n the tint •••ase certain word.a are 

left unenoipheNd; 1n the aeeond pl.ace, in both the first and the second 

mssage, the ciphers zeta.in and clearlf ahov the lengths ot the words which 

have - .... ~. - ot --taul.t;y p~~i;:.~. i ~...., ~ ... -.Jt-~~- ~.~~~~o--e)...~~ ~w-btib.~ ... ~:. If'"'*•••< .-mis • .,..~ the maaagea. We know ~odaJ'.tbat~pher ~~ 

mesaapa ~k1vl!i 

~ 

leave nothing 1n the cle~. lven the address and the eignatUl'e, 

-"" 

3\ 
REF ID:A62851 

the date, time and place ot origin etc.,fsbould it possible be h1dden; and 

'~j the cipher text ahoul.d be in completel.7 regular groupinga,.ao as not to disclose 

~~ the lengths ot the plain-text vol"da, ~.._to ~ranote accunc7 in 

transmias1on and reception. 

So far as rq studies have gone, I have not tcnm.d a single example of 

a Confederate Vigenere cipher which show neither of theae two fatal 

walmesaes. ~-rhe second ot the two l1r •·-examples is the onl)' case 

WI 

I bave found which then an no unenciphered W01'da 1D the text ot the message. ,... 

And the only eX&DQ>le I have been able to find in vh:lch word lengths are not - ' 

shown (save for one word) is in the case ot the f'olloving message: 

Vicksburg, Dec. 26, 1862. 

Glm. J .B, JOHNe.rc>N, JACKSOB: 

I prefer oaavvr, it has reference to Xhvkjqchf'ta'bpzelreqpzwnyk 

to prevent anuze;vxswstp~w at that point, raeelpaghvelvtztautl.Uaslt 

lhifna1gtBDlllltgocaJd. 

A certain Dr. Charles E. Taylor, a Confederate veteran (in an article entitled 

"The Signal and Secret Senice ot the Confederate Sta+..es," published in the 

Confederate Veteran, Vol. XL, Aug-Sept 1932~ at-ter giving' an exmqple of 

encipherment according to the "court cipher" says: 
REF ID:A62851 
~ ..... ·~ 
REF ID:A62851 

It hardly needs to be said that the d1v1a1on betwen the worda 

ot the 01"!.ginal message as given above wu not nta1ned in the cipher. 

Either the 1etters weze run together cont1nuoual7 or bnaks, as 1t tor 

wol'de, 11ere made at :random. Until the toll7 ot the mthod was 

revealed by experience, onl7 a tev special wozda 1n a meaaase vere 

put into cipher, while the rest ms sent 1n pla:f.n language. Thia 

afforded opponunit7 for adroit and sometimes succe1atul gueaalng • 

• • • I think 1t m&7'be' s&id that it waa impossible tor well p:repared 

cipher to be cornctl)' read by ~ one vho clid not knov the ke7 .. worcl. 

Bcmetimea, in tact, ve could not decipher OUl' own meaaapa when they 

came over telegraph wi:rea. Aa the operators had no mean!Dg to guide 

them, letters eaa117 became chanaed Ind pm-t1ou, at least, of me1aaae1 

zendered unmeaningly §ti/ thereby. 

J'rankl.71 I don't believe Dzt. irarior' s comments axe to be taken aa 

characterizing the ~tiees that wre uauall.7 tallowed, Ro other essignalman who ha8 VJlitten about the c:l.phera used by the Contede:rate Signal 

v1ctol"1' fef! which itr~f'ought ao ld.Sht:ll.7_, but I do feel wuranted at this mc:aent 

1n aay1Dg that turt.."1er naearch ~ well ahov that cel'teiD battles and 

campa.1gns were loat because Qf'A 

·~~~- .. &tis 0159'ooe:P.,1l11H1g '6 UCMii!U•n•1eab::tea 

&a12ea:• 

A tev mcments •/ I said that., eave tor an excepts.on or we, then vu 

:S.n the Contecle:racy one and onl.7 one cl'1,Ptos)'Btem to serve the nee¥ r ~ 

tactica.1. u wll aa etratesic o01111111m:lcat1ons. ODe or these ex.ceP'iona 

concerned the cipher used by General BeauzegUd. atter the battle ot Shiloh 

,,_,J._ 

(8 April 1862). Thi• cipher•• punl.J' monoel.phabetic 1n natuze}\ la ••• 

..._____ - ----- --- - - ~ 

' t 

. \ 

\ 

' ' 

" -' 

' I 

,J;\ 

1 

I 

l 

\ 

\ 

\. 

I 

... . 

~\ 

' ,\ 

\ \ '. -- _.,.;..... --------;---=--=--
REF ID:A62851 

~ "llaii:•tmple eilhel' waa dlacU'ded aa soon aa the of'ticial 

\,I 

cipher"' ~ was 

. ~;,.~to~~~,...,..... <l,r.,_~ preacrtbed in Alemder's manual.,... a;VM ai''b ae w:Ys -..R19amegll'l"\!'''S"1'! 

,.. u,,...,,. 1'••• the deciphered •••age came to the attention ot 

and then it adopted the "oourt cipher". 

The ather exception 1nvolved a system uaed at least once before the 

~ ~~~1(,...~~·cr ott1cial. s)'Btem was adopted and it"'ehoulil be mentioned. _On 26 Much 1862, 

- the· Conteaerate state• President, Jetterson Davis, sent General Johnaton by 

special meaeenger a dictionary, with the f'ollowins acc0Jlll1f&DY1ns :lnstruction:* 

- I aend 10\1 a d1ct10DU7 ot which I haYe the duplicate, so tbat 

you ma7 camrnmtcate w1th me by cipher, telegraphic or wr1tten, as f'ollows: 

J'irst sive the page b7 its number;_ second the cal.umn bf the letter L, 

M or R, as it llla1' be, 1n the lett-himd, middle, or right-hand co1umna; 

third, the number of' the V01"d in the column, counting fl"QIB the top. 

Thus., the word. junction would be desigaated by 146, L,, 20. 

~~~~~~IWl.O&&oJl.t~~~~~.>~ 

~~ of' the tn>ea ot crnto&JBtema used 'try both aides during , 

the Amer.Lean Revolut1on&l'7 Pel'iod almost a oentU17 beto:re., except tha't 1n 

th:l.a case the d1ot1Qlllll7 had th1'ee col\DllDS to the page instead ot two. I 

~'Zt.. - haven't tried to tind ~ dictionary ··n 11r' but it Bhoul.dn't ta1re long to 

I 

J < 

\ 

., 

l 

locate 1~ since the code equivalent ot the word "junction" waa st.ven: 146,. L, 20. 

at~ Moreover, there is e:xtantAone tairl.7 long message.,vtth 1t• decode .. ~ Bow 

mrq other measagea there ~ be in Jfaticmal Al-chives I don •t know. 

*Battle• and Leaden ot the Civil War, New York: 'l'he CentU17 co., 18811., Vol. I 

P• 581. 

' ' 
REF ID:A62851 

Coming back DOW to the "court cipher," '1'U w1ll p'l'Obabl7 find 1t just 

~ 

u bud to beliew, u I tind it, that eccordiDs to all account1,._fem'"and 

~. . ~~~~~ 

ODJ.1 t-- ke19 •re used by the Ccmteden.te• during/\ time •• 19an ot 

~- wri'uy tram 1862 to"l865. It ii true that Southern s:lgnaJmeD make •ut1on 

ot f':requent changes 1n key but ~· •ll tlat H••---ODl.7 the follOWing 

~ c>..~·. 

~ ue spec1t1c&U.7 ,..,8'!«••: 

l) 

2) MABCJ:IBSJD BLUl'I 

3) 

I 

! 

I' 

I 

!\., 

,,~ 

' DI COD WB 'IRUft .I - .. -<-....-.._ I 

. It seems ~bat all veft used conaunentl.y. 

- ,.,.-' 

A 

1"-

Ille "-* ""5 tlr•• 

c...-..e-

•• UIM 

... ~~J . CJ 

Lt-.3~--·Jr'~ ............ )......._~~ ........ ~,,.Qiea.'~~'.' 

'q8V -s···Jf>}J9 489-cA.aJ,I ~ a•t don tt Jmov b• ..... -,.~ I .. ; , .' '\ • 1 

·,.,.,or ·~~~ ~~~"-~· ~Rote tbat -~- •••• GI 1*1 • •' ~·• ,., Ira• con11ata ot 

·. ·. ¥~~ 

exactl.7 15 lette~, but • th11 ~ 1-e •• ~· not clear • .__. Bad 

~-~ the rule been to make the cipher meaaagea If' "6 5-letter groups, the 

explanation wul.d be easy: 15 1a a multiple ot 5 and th1• voul.d be ot 

~ 

preecrJ.bed, ao that then *"• •& lte Do advantage in choo1ing ._ ke71 which 

--~1s· coutain/\,UIE tlJ U letten. And, 'by the 11&11 doesn't the key caa 1VrRIBt1!ICB 

' .~ 

aound atber Cldnoua to you A these dQI T 

-..____, ___ _ 

--- ·--.. ---

"/) \ . ' ' / \. ' ,, 1\, ....... 

I' '\ 

'l ". \, 

I ,· ' .... 

/ 
REF ID:A62851 

Sooner or later A••• """ ae tclll Confederate s1SD&]. otticerf w.s bound to 

ccme up with a device to s1mplif7 ciphering o.peratlona,. and a gadget devlae4 

by a Capt&in V!lltem B. Barker seemed to met the need. lB-~r'a Manual . / 

- ' 1.3-.... there is a picture ot one to:nn ot the deV1ae, ahown hen in Pis-.% l 

don't think it necessary to explain hov lt W01"1md, for it ia al.moat self-evident. 

s~ ~ k.. mau>el! of these devices rs capt~ dur!Dg the war, one of them being among 

. {rt~.,Lt). , rx1 {, 

the items in the NSA Museum.'f\ But ~n'" a photogra:PhAot the one found in the 

• 

ottic~ ot Conf'edeate Secretary ot state Judah P. BenJ-;n after the 

How uany ot these devices ~~ wen in existence or use 1a unlmown, 

capture ot Richmond. 

tar 

, l"u· • +. \ ~-\";/,~~~ 

their construction was an individual matter--it was not an item ot regular {\ 

In practic≪y every acccnmt ot the codes and ciphers ot the Civil 

J 

I 

War you will t1nd Z'ef'e:rences.., a am .... ~ to cipbers uaed by Con:tederate 

eecret service qenta engaged in espionage 1~ the North u wll as in canaaa. 

, ' 

( 

' l 

3b 

I 

\ 

~ 

\ 

\, 

' 
REF ID:A62851 

In particular much attention ia pven to a set ot letten tn cipher vhieh 

wel"e tnteraeptea. b:,y the Bev York Cit7 Poatnuter and which were iDYolved 

1n a plot to print Contederate currency and bonda. Much ado was made about 

the solution ot these ciphen b~ cipher operators ot the u;s14jr/cj in 

Waahlngton and the coiis~uent bl"eaking up ot the plot. But I won't go into 

these' c1phen tor two ~·· Pi.rat, the alphabets wen &U at the simple 

mono&lphabet1c tJPe, a total ot a1x altogether being used. Since the7 were 

composed ot •JD!bol;a1 a dittennt aerie• tor each alphabet, it was poaaible 

to c~ae a cipher word b:,y Jumping tr<n one aeries to another without 

\~~\.) I 

llD1' external inclicatd.on ot the shift,. ~ good eyesight and a bit ot patience ' 

were ~ that vu i-e~ulred for aolution.in th11 cue because ot the_inept 

mnner in which the a19tem was used: , ~ole wordj > aametimea several 

aucceasive words~ wre enciphered b:,y the aame alphabet. But the second 

nason tor 1IJ7 not going :lnto the ato'7 is that my colleague Edwin c. J'11bel, 

whom I •ve mentioned betOl'e, bas done 1ame J!'&search -.ms the records in our 

National Archives dealing with thia cue am\ he has found aometh1Ds which 

1a ot great interest and which I tee1 bound. to leave tor h1m to tell at sane 

~jfuture time, as ~ is his ator.r) ljl# not ms.ne. 

So Vf!'?7 tra&menta%7 was the amount ot cl7,Ptologic 1nto:rnat1on known to 

' 

. \, ;, 

I 

j 

' 

"\ 

\ 

'\ 

· . ~v.1a-0r .... .J.... ~ ~ ~~ wU pthe se~:ral public :lD those clap that when" on John Wilkes Booth' a b~ aal -ia.. 

~·-~· ~ 1•*1 ·•~ta--l>atsi'~~=~~ ' 

wa~ 1louid:1 a eQhH4 •t 'K erw ta."Ti'liiit.r"'i"il1ii0ii!11i8i9Wi,Bldijta 

.................... ""' .. 

/\ bal 'lGI lee d;a &1~U£UJ eai*de&ew·1m?rm..fmn pd•Q118R.rM-:.9ttlu•sr 
REF ID:A62851 

~f'"~~~~M'GiG~W~ 

tim...autug "'tliFwr~-iiiilttti_., waa...ae~'impl:lceteeole&ael'A..ofO<~~ 

· ce.e. Mmc1 :hC'lli""~Waa"iiiira111e lltue~"'>lfl9r'd!lfeNi •• --'~.to 

Mr'4A-" ~ ~t IAA.:te., 

m mrb·t•~~~ the cipher square which had been mounted " . 

on the cipher reel t,~ nn:t;cm Anb- Seanta;m.y~ 4lunt:e•~ 

~ ... ~ __ _,__ .. ___ ......,. ........ ...,.,-.. 

~Conteae:rate Secret&1"1 ot State Jua.h P. Ben3amin's office in Richmond, i«.a. ~OM-'ttto'U.\ 

41-w~x~ "''n>e--, attempted to':Prove that th1• neceasarll.y meant that the Conf'ederate 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~*"' c:;t..40~~ t...~u-e_ ~ 

leade~"had been giving Booth 1natruct1one 1n cipher.--.,~:So:·i4ihe ~ e... ~ Ok 

~ ~ ,.~,,. ~ c- '1Sw'1fv,, o-4l af4.o ~ o-~ w. f..A ~~-- Ld4M~r. 

~d:..U.:r lndi tile Mta .. 'c ,., a~1•eeaal'tll. The following 11 quoted 

,~ . · tram Philip Van Doren Ste:rn•a book entitled Seczet M1as10ll8 ot the 01V11 War 

(Band McNally and Co., Nev York, 19591 P• 320): 

'l?o the foregoing I will comment that I doubt ,,,l'J' much whether "evel"JOlle 

in the war Jlepartment vho wu f'em' Uar- with crntograpq knew that the 

Vil!llDQll WU tbe .,__ c:anteclente cQl!er." :~ not me ot 

them had even heud the nam VtgeneN or had even aeen a e<>P)' ot the table; 

ft.~ except~ 1.a eaaaa .... ._. cia.ptund in open.t1ona. I doubt whether f&D10De 

' ' 

l 

. 
. ,

REF ID:A62851 

least ot au, that a Genaan Anq :reaernat named Kaaiald J 1n a book publ111hed 

in t863;showd hC?V the Vigene"' cipher could be aol.ved by a stn.ightforwud 

I b&'98 devoted a good deal ldoZ'8 attention to the methocla &Di! mean• .tor 

crypto--camnmn'lcat:l.m• 1n the Civil War than they -cleaene, becauae protea•ional 

cryptol.ogS._ata ot 1961 can ~ be impreaaed either by t~ ett:1.cac7 tran 

the point ot view -ot ease and nptd!t7 1n the cl'J'Ptopaphic proceaa1ng, or 

by the degree ot the tecJmie&l. securi:t7 the;r ~ to the ••sages the7 

wen intended to protect. Bot much can be eaid to:r the aeeurs.t:r ~ the vi•ual. . ' " \ 

slgaal:l.ng systems used 1n the aod>at zone by the J'ecleal Signal Coi'PI tor tactical ', 

purposes, because the7 wn practical.17 all bued upon s1m,pl.el monoal.phabettc 

ciphen, or variattona. thereat, aa tor S.Utance, vb.en 11hole wol"ds were ' ' ' . . ,_ ~~~~:tt.~ 

enciphered b7 the &1118 alphabet. ~ ts ~aaaae m.16cld~ 

' 

Confederate signalmen va11e moze or less zieguJ.&rJ.7 ree41Dg an4 11ol:v1ns those 

s:l.saals. Wbat can be said about the aecul'1t7 ot the route ciphers usecl by . ' 

the ujsjM}'i/cJ for 1tratesta or h.18hcammand cODlllUDic~t:l.ona 1n the zone ot the 

interior? It has al.rea41' been indica~d that, accoi"dtng to account• by ez1 U s.,m,'l#CJ ,__,~ men, 111•••Mi7 ~~ 

1tlm!P wsie be10J1d the cryptanal.Jt:l.c capab1lit'8 a 1lR~ I\- · . , ' 

of' Conf'edezate crntanalY&t•J but can we really believe that thia waa true? 

\' ' 
REF ID:A62851 

Considering the simplicity ot these route ciphers and the undoubted 

intellectual capacities ot Contedeste officers and soldiers, wey- sbou;td 

messages in these systems have resisted cryptanalytic ·attack? In many casee 

the general subject matter ot a message and perhaps a nuniber ot specific 

.- f 

items ot intol'll&tion could be detected by quick inspection of the message. -L 

<1.....-t~~) 

...bee• l'!")J.t it were not for the so..:called "arbitraries!' e• 89ie4181'1ia the 

genel'&l .sense ot the meaaage could be ~found by a few minute• work> ,. - ........... 

since the basic system muat have been known througb the oaptU?e ot cipher 

books, a fact mentioned several times in the Uterat~ ft Ham• e1PGA-

~;u:-:~~~=~~:;:i:·:-:nerally alike) would 

have told Confederate aignalmen exactly how the .system worked and this 

would naturally give away the basic secret of the aupeneding book. So we 

~ o.%t~,~~ must aee that whatever degree ot ueun•~/\ these route ciphers i\w depended · . o 

al.moat enti.re\y upoo. the number ot "ari>itrariea" er t'h PNO• actual.l.y 

used in practice. '61 A review of such meaaages as are available shows wide 

II ll 

divergencies 1n the U$e ot ip1!' arbi'traries. ~ In any event the 

number ac~ually present in theae booka lllUSt have fallen tar abort of the 

number needed to give the real protection that a well..conatructed code can 

l~ give, "f' tlhM 1t seems to me that the application ot native intelligence; ·~•rat. 

- ~,.i.:~._)~......, /USM-re.. ~"1;~-

witb some patience,"• sutt1cient to solve ~--or ao it would be quite 

logic&l to assume. That such a.a usumpt1on is wll warranted is :readily 

demonstrable. 

. , Jinr' ns :ta:u01ll'JW;:Qt;J;tte1•1f'h8. ~£a lactua.,-._«eted :d~ol~,--
mate1"1al fer euch a Clemcmatratlon. In J~ ot 1960, Ml'. ft1hel~ ' given 

' ' ' 

Mr. Phillip Bridges, vho is &lao a memer ot NSA and who* nothing about 

the route ciphers ot the u/Sff fc/, the following authentic meeaage sent 

on l July 18631:'- ~ General George G. Meade, at JJaniaburg, Penns7l~, 

to Oenenl. Couch at Vaahington: 

.,,..,,.. 

(Me••ase to be turniahea > r (\ · I 7 

- It -took Mr. Bridges only a tew houn, five or 11x, to solve the 

cr:;ptogn.m, and he handed the following plain-text to Mr. Fishel: 

~hcmaa been it (-----"Nulls" 

For Parson. I shall try and set to you by tanmoJTOV mondng a 

zeliable gentlemen and scme acouta who ue acquainted with a 

comt:ry JOU viah to know of. Babel• this way have all concentrated 

in direction ot Gettysburg and Chmriberaburg. I occu;py Carlisle. 

Sf.'gned Optic. C:eat battle Yer,y soon. tne much deal <E-"Bulla" 

The f'oiegoing solution :l.a·conect, aave tor one pardonable e:rrorz 

·'Tb.~s' ~· not a "null" but an indicator tor the 41mnaiona ot the •triZ 

and. the route. "Parson" and "Optic" aze code nmnes and I 1mag1ne that 

Mr. Bridges reeogniaed them as such but, at courae, he had no Wll1' of 

interpreting them, emept pe:rbapa by •kSng a cuef'ul atud.7 at the events 

and canman.ders involved 11l the impending aetion, a stud:y he wean 't called 

upon to undertake. 

The foregoing message was enciphered by Cipher Book No. 12, 1n which 

the 1n~cator 'l!BOMAS apec1:f'1ea a "Mesaage at 10 line• and 5 column•" • The route \ ... 

was quite siDQ:>le ancl stl'B1ghttorward: ~ the lat (column), up the 3rd; down 

- the 2nd; up the 5th, down the 4th." 

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REF ID:A62851 

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It :t.a obviOWI that in this e~ the abaence of~ "Ubitarley'' 

--or-=~ ----·-- tat ,., ~· ..-i' 6jCla:tt:tc ·jtijih=tm miazd:aP • ••tpeclc:-:lni=41he 

OWW1c•J. made solution a zelativel)' easy matter. What Mr. Bridges wul.d 

have been abl.8 to do with the crntosrmn had there been ~ at them S.s 

~ Jii~~'r'4' ~ problematical. JwJ8'ns by~.,_ workaheets;_l1r. Bridge• r1a::ft*od ;Mi 1e=r 

~Li.~~ KA. ~°'2f- ··=- I i §• 9 414 not J"Ulise "that a tnnapoation mtrix vu involved; and on 

questioning him"ae """'~ •e ·~~knew ~ w &U9Jlbebed tait.111 when he e__.ea 

,~--- ~,--~ 

~ ~-. anewr waa in the negative. Ile zeal.1ze4 this cml.7 later. 

A minor dnma in the fortunes ot 1Ca3or Genel"&l D. c. Buell, one ot 

in two cipher telegnma. ~e tint one, aeD't on 29 Sept. 1862, b'OID Loui•ville, 

O"ll\Jl.1e ~ U5~TC.. Kentuclq, wa in~ cl :r book_s:t•• I ,,_,~ wll .-.. and waa exte1"DSlly 

\J ~MTC..J 

addieased to Colonel Anaon Staser, head ot 'tbeA.MQ&t_,. 'l'elepapl!: e~ 

Di lPI a' -- but the :Internal. addftasee WU M&Jor General Ile W. Hal.leek, 

lfui_ 

"General·tn.:.ruet" [i our pzeaent aa7 "Chier ot statt'!J. ~ ••aase was 

, , extema.117 Biped by VUU.am 11. Drake, Buell' a cipher open.tor, but the J'JSljl ~~ 11«..e.. ~~· 5~) 

,... aenaei;~a :tn41catea.1ntemall7. EPvr aome ,., ... , .n ••••• ,_ WMb:tnston 

- fllt .... llY.M--e_,a.3.-...-..a-i• ~ ...,.__ 

•edare&W 'iE'Ose w w mlg)e~ Bere 'a the telegnm: 

cm.om, ANSOB ftAalR, Waah:lngton: 

Auatria awUt I 1• aver to requ:ir:t.ng oz:aera z&pture blleaf\ll 

tor your imltant cCJll!Mn4 tumed and inat:ruct1ons and rough looktng 

further ebal.l tui'ther the Cmnden me ot ocean September poker twnty 

I the to I command obedience repair orders quickly pretty. 

Indianapolis your him accordingly my fourth received 1862 wounded 

nine have twenty turn have to to to al vord hasty. 

WII.LIAM H. DRAKE 
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REF ID:A62851 

Bather than give you the pla1n-te.xt ot this menage, perhaps 70U 

would like to work it out tor JOUMlve•, tor VS.th the intonation you've 

aJ.rea47 Zecfl:Ved the solution should not be d1tf'1cult. 'rhe meaaage contains 

to Major Gen.e:ral. Balleck, but it,.. in another cipher book--apparentiy the two 

books 1uvolved weft uaea cOJJCurnnt~. Ben :lt 1a: 

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GIOBGI C. MADABD, Washington: -

Begula1'8 ol'deftd ot rq to public out auapencling :received 1862 

epoilecl thirt:r I dispatch canmand ot continue ot belt otherwise wont 

Arabia iq camand 41.achu'ge dut7 ot mr. lal't tor L1D.cal.D September 

period :vour rrcm senu 8ll&U dutie• the uutu Seward abutt:r to the 

I a zemot"al evening Adam he1'1Ll.d tribune.* 

PBILIP BHJDR 

u 

- Aa betoze, I will glve ~ the oppoztumt7 to aal.ve this message tor 

10Ul'9el~a. (At the begS.mSng of the nest lecture I ahaU pnaent the pla:1n-

'!he fint dec1pheriDS ot a Nbel aigaal code ot which I 

find aq nccml vu that made b7 Qapt. J. a. Ball and Capt. P. A. 

'l'aylor, nported Nov. 251 1862. Pour daJ'8 later, Ma.1· M;yer wrote < to C&pt. CU8h1ng, Chief Sigaal. otticer, knt.J ot the Potomac, 

.not to pemit it to became public "that w tnmalate the a1gaaJ. 

measagea ot the l'ebel UJQ'". 

April 9, 18631 Capt. ftaher, mar J'almouth, reported that one 

r-;--ot hta otttaen had na4 a rebel ••sage which proved that the 

I Nbela were in poaeas1on ot our code. 'l!he nezt ~ he waa 

•, inf'or.d that tbe rebe1 code taken (trm) a rebel a1goal atticer 

l was identical v1 th one taken pNViouaJ.y a't Yorktown. 

Be received tram MaJ. l·~:r the following orders: 

. *A curious c01nc1dence--or was it a tonuitows fOftshadovblg ot an event tar 1D 

the tuturet--cau be seen 1D the sequence ot the la8t tvo WOl'ds ot the cipher 

text. 'l!he message 111 dated September 30, 1862; the Rew York He:ral.d and the 

Nev York Tribune canbined to make the Hew York Heald~bune on March 191 1924--

62 ~ later! . 
.... REF ID:A62851 

--- ------- -- 1l¥-rMe.- "---~-1-~rr-..t-

-----~--tr'-~.~h>--~~-~-

-----~-~--~~-~--h~- -

------~,-~',~~~~~II~ -

_______ \'(;"~~---~vi-~-~-~~-~. -~-_ct-:_-~-~-~---- - ' .. l . 

~-~~=--~1-t'\.--~-~~~~~-~~-~ -~-~~~~Y~7!~~ 

. - - ---------- - - - - - ---~--~ ~-------------- ------ --- --

o:::::==o.----.-----,.,,,P------------ - - - -- -

- ------------- - ---- - - - ------ ------- - -----------· - ------ -- -

-C" .... - -- - - -- - -
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REF ID:A62851 

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"Send over your lines, 'trom time to time, mesuaea which, if! 

1t 11 :ln tlie p0wer ot the enemy to aecipber, them, will lead 

them to believe that ~ cmmot get llD1' clew to the1T 11.gnala." , 

"Se~ also occaaianall:y messages untrue, in reference to 

tnlagJna17 m111tal7 movements, as tor 1natwe, --"'?be S1zth .. Corps 1s ordered to reinf'orce Ke;vea at Yorktown' • " . 

_ ~ou'i:>te4J.1', what we have heie an references to the gene:ral. c1}>her 

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system used by the C.PDi'ede~s_, 1n their electr1c-tele~~ ccnmmm1cat1ona, ¥ , 

}'Cite the -esp~sa:lm:. ''Send ove:r ~ l1nea ar. 'l'his cC?uld ~ l"eh~ to visual_ 

, 

cammm:lcat:l.cms. Here We also have ver,y earl7 1natances, in _telesr8Ph1c ', , 

communications, ot what:_,., ~+rand deception, 1.~_.,-er.aplo)'ing certain ~ / 

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ruses to tr,y to hide tile tact that el1eJQ' s1snaJ.s could be read, and to tey 

... 

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to deceiv~ him b:y sendingAmesaqea tor him to naa,~;f'::1f..,,,~P.f • l1,a1t11'L 

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' - . f~ lh~-~F!'"~~· ~..o.r..wc..:. f Brown' B ac~ountA continues Lr· ~'S]: "rl"' .. I 

I"n October, 18631 C.pt. Merr.f.ll'S part:y deciphered a code, and 

in November ot the ·same 19&1" Capt. 'l'h1ckstun and C&pt •. Manton 

deciphered another ... :ln Virg:lnia. , \ Lieut. Howgate and Lieut. l'loalt, tn March, 1864, dec1phe1ed 

a code in the Westem. Anry, and at the same tlme Lieut. Benner found 

one at Alexa.ndl'la, V1rs1ziia. · · · Capt. Paul Babcock, Jr., then Chiet Signal ott1cer, Department 

ot the Cumberlandj 1n a letter dated Chattanooga, Tenne1aee, April 

26, 186Jf, transmitting a copy~ the rebel signal code, say1; 

'j' Capt. Cole and Lieut. Howsaw, acting S1gnal. otticers, - occupy a statiOD ot communication and observation OD WhS.te I oak Ridge at Ringgold, Ga •••• On the 22nd 1nat. the rebels 

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l changed their code to the one enclosed, and OD the Ame day 

I ·- 1\0 the above-mentioned officers by unt11"1ng zeal and energy succeeded 

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;r ~ in translating the new code, and these otficen have been ever 

/ ~ ~.~::io - since reading every message sent over the rebel linea. Many ot \ ~ .}(_~ ~ ' - - these mesaapa hSVe turniahed val:uable :Lnto1'mtion to the general \ ', 

/,.,;..o. ~onmmna1ns .depe.rtmont. ....... _ L _ "R _ '-. - \ _. ,..-fV W $. ~.J.., Jo ea....-h~~ ..... · ,; I U~ ~ ~n-~l.!lh.~ ~~~ i · - ·. 

n /\ 'BrG41W4e:M&t1.miU • • "'"8 the foll~obiel'V'at1ons of considerable 1nte:restf"r ;,,._ .,.,Ai:~~ -:.i I "\ 

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The absolute necessity·ot using a cipher when s1gn&U.1ng in . I ' 

-the presence of the enemy was demonatrated dunng these autumn months 

.. b7 the ease with which the rebels read our messages. 'lhia led to the 

issuing of an order that all irq>ortant messages should be sent 1n 

cipher. Amons the mllititude of messages 1'ltercepted b;r the enem.y, the 

following were same ot the -more 1mportant:~it? · 

+. --~- _ _ -~Brown thereupcm c1 tes 25 such messages but he give& DO indication ~ - · whatever as to th~ source tram which he obtained tbeae examples OZ" how ~~u he knew they had been intercepted. They all appear to be tactical 

""" l .. ~ messages sent b:y visual signals. - ~ ~-

~ -r·:lf ~ f'ollow1ng :ta al'"'s(;-fram Browq..-(p:' 279): ..,..-~ T. 1 • • ~ r.J.~~ ...! / ,, , I ~ ,' .,,-- r" iL._ ~~ " "-';'- I 

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_ , ..r I / 11- I ·ir : About _th~ tirs-t/ ot ~ '(1864)1· Se:rgtve{al.rtnJ.:w4a a oned ,./' I ~c: -7 --ati F9rt,...St~:iOD MOrr1~.-Island, W1~-~~aeve:ral c*8' ~~re ' 

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REF ID:A62851 

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, ""lh..c.. ~'lo~ cJ2A.r; ~.., ~~'""'"' r-:!~.,~J: . --: . ~ AS~;t"~ -~~ v~\.J J~.,.:...- (1~L4); !S.Att,6:,C.~ .v..r~jl)~lo\M'£. tJ- ro.-u- $.~~ ... ~, ~ )Yl~~ T1...C~il-) ·.c....-v.'(..-~ ~~1"&"..t~ ce..c-~ ~~ 

used by the rebels, tor the puzipose of madins ,the enemy'• aigaa.1.• 

1f pos1ible. For nea:rl.7 two wew nothing could be made out ot 

tb.e1r e1ga&l.s, but -by penever1ng he tinal.l.J succeeded in learning 

thier codes, MeSaages wen l'ead by h1m t:rca Beach Inlet, Batte17 

Bee, and POJ't Johnaan. Gen. J, o. Foster,. who had as1umed canmand ,, ot the Department of the South, May 26th, wa so much·pleaae4 with 

_,,..,,.,/ .. , Se:rgt. Colvin'• WOJ"k1 that in a let~r..adareased tci Gen. Jfalleck, ,,... .... .....- - .he ieconmended ''that he be rewarded by promotion to Lieutenant 1n 

the S1gDa1 Corps, oi" by a b:rev~t or •dal"" ot honor." '~11 mcam- - mendat1ol'i was subsequently acted upon, but, through ecmgress1onal. 

and ott1c:1al wrangling over appointmenta in the Corps, he waa not 

ccmm18a1oned until May 13, 1865, his aanmia1ion dating t:ran F-eb. 14, 1865. . ./ 

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· (p-28i) Duriq the month, Sergt. ColVin added adclit1anal 

lauziels to the tame he bad ea.med u a succeaaf'ul 1Dte~ter ot 

rebel a1gaal.a. The -C!RJellG' had adopted a new cipher tOr the tnmsm1••1on ot :S.mportant meiaase•; and the labor .. ot deciphering 1 t 

· -devolved upoii tbe .rerseant. Continued vatcJitulneaa at lut lecured 

the deliired zeaul.t, and he•• again able to tnnala·.se the :lmpOrtant 41apatcJJe• ot tbe eriemy tor the benefit ot our .ccmanandanta. 

The tntmmaticm thua ga.ined ._. frequently ot •peo1al value 1n our 

ope:r&tion•T and -the peculiar ability exhibited by the •erseant led 

-Gen. ro•r once more to· recommend hi• promotion • . , (p-286) About the same t1me an expedition under--Gen. Potter 

WU orpn1zed to act 1n con.1umt1on with the '/J&VY in the V1c:l.nit7 

al Bull's~· L1eut. Fisher vu with th11 cognand, and by minta!ning comimmicat1cm• between the land and mwaJ. tOl'Ces hc111tated -ireatly the conj01ned action ot the c()llD&nd. Meanwhile every means 

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· was emplo)'W!d to :tiJteJ."Cept rebel 1119a1ase1. Serst. Colvin, uilisned 

to this parblqul.&r_ clut7, :read all the •suaea within •1ght, and 

when the evacuation at Charleaton vu detendned \ll)Qrl by the eneJQ', 

the t1rn not1t1cat1on ot the tact came 1D this W&1' betore the :re-

'f:re&t hac1 actually canmenced. Ae a 1'9-.rd tor aon11>1cuoua aerV'icea 

render.a :ln th1a capaclty, Capt. Mel'1"111 reciomended tbat the 

""'-.. Ill 

- -sergeant· be allowed a mec!al., h:S.s zeal, enera and labors fu:uy 

WUT&nt1Dg the hO?).OJ"• 

After the occupat1an of Charleston, ccmimmicationa was established 

by 11gnal.1 w1 th Port Stl'ODS# on Mon'ls Island, Fon Jobxulon iand Jame a 

I1land, Mount Pleasant, and. Steymneyer• a Milla. A line was also 

opened with t-be poa1t1on occt\l)ied by the tl'OOpl an the aouth •ide of 

the Aahley 1'1.ver. 

In many ot 'the caae1 oited by Brown it 11 ditticult :to tell whethe~ 

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111&-vaS or electric ~graph meaaaae• were 1Dvol.~~· But in one eaae, -

[~uat1on ot Charle1Jton] it ia :pertte~ el.ear that viaual •••ase• wen 

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invo.tved, when Brown 8&78 that Sgt. Colnn "nad all the .me11age1 w:l.tbin s1gb.t." 

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