New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-10-22
eexy;ccs Of Military Telegraph VPer"'"
Interesting incidents and Persona HA-
70 ricuces,
rerieGces.

rtEfcnCSs'
rron, Our suecisl Correspondent
HAeERsrowS, Nd, Oct. > leee'
The escape Of Mr.. Cbas. Ways Military 1eies'"pH
Oueratcr, from Martinsburgh afew Gays Si"'0 -.
account of which cent you, recalled 10 NY l''1'
many instances Of bravery ard skiii ler'oiHve y
shese pstliotic ana invaluable aids to 'he niiA'S!
service, which have received no noVoe "h''e'ei
from Generals commanding departments, WIN "Poa
they sre necessarily closely assoc"'ec 1ne Fos'ol'
If cyrher operator is one OF the Se''eAt iespohs
biity All the important secret messages fom the
War peuartment in Washington TO the CenSai5
commanding denartments are communicated through
these trns1y and skillfui operators, who arc held
,4sneusble Tor tho least made In the transmits
sion of dispatch Receiving as salaries sum not
half as LTge "a the clerks IL the Departments in
WssAiog,on Hey render services OF infinitely moro
valve then nine-fenths Of them
m. Um,ed States Military Telegraph organized
80 Nav, 1861, DOW employs in the Eastern Depart
neut alone about oRe hundred rst-class operators,
who read entirely by sound, no paper INSTRUMENTS
being allowed on the lines. A large number of
these operators accompany the army in every ad
vance movement, carrying their instruments under
their arm as soldier carries his havorsack. Sew
eYal Of them have already been taken pfisosers.
Dir. Frank Drummond wac captured at " inehester,
Er. Buell. at S.rasbuIg, ana MossIs. LAMB ana
MORE AZ Trout ROYAL, at the time Col. now GEM
Kenly made so gallant fght against the overpow-
eFing nuuiheTs II Jackson DIR. Gregg Was cap
iured several months slne, and was bn recently re-
leased. The other operators nentiened are now an
LIBBY Prison Rchmcnd, and their art Is considered
10 mysterious Jy the Rebels that they confined
b. different cells end not allowed to communicate
win each otber. Oiher captures have been made IL
TIE West, whose names haze escaped Ire.
Instances Of the cOurage anu daring Of those oper-
stors are familiar 10 al WHO have spent rauch time
with tie army o. the Potomac or the Army Of Viz
finis. One Of them, Mr.. Leathrop, Won viii re-
member was killed 10y the exYlcson Of torledo at
Yorktown willie Ia the act OF experimenting the
lsyng Of line 10 the Headquarters Of Gcs. hcClel
Ian But one instance CT cowaTdice has yet been
heard Of, and tbat was Of young man who in she
memorable from before iichmond, made such
remarkable line thet he brought up IN his native
town IN the State Of New-York.
Operators have frequently been uu6er fire. The
Office Vt Point OF Rocks while Col. Geary was sta
toned there, was shelled by the Rebels The oper
ators eourageously stood by their instruments aud
were the la.t persons h leave the place. The same
thing occurred OF the chain bridge year ago, end
atjhe ksppohauuock River during the retreat OF
Ger. Pope. In the latter instance shell and sold
thot Passed through the Office, but tho operators
rsiusd Of tber Instruments until they were ordered
10 leave them.
While on tie Peninsula, Mr.. Nichols trspss tied
tITaieh from Divsion-GeueIai TO Gen. Mcclellan,
by climbing one OF the telegraph roles aad putting
bis instrument in circuit Willie citing the top Of
the POLE and the same tine was exposed TO severe
FIRE from Rebel artillery.
Among the many La'row escapes made BY these
opera oFs during TIE war; that of X. r. McCline
enc OF the most skilfui operators with the army, ex
bibiied the most GOODNESS auo feli-possession. lie
was with Gen. Pore during his unfortunate CAM
paign in Virginia, ne cyPher operator and was in
trusted with all tie important secrets OF TIE move
nent.
After the headquarters bad reached Msns .sas June
tioD the General requested Mr. McCaine 10 So n
TIE railroad and sec If tie lines in werking
order 70 Bull Run bridge. Accompanied by small
cavalry escort be accom- lished his mission On biz
return the clear waters Of Pogues Ran, which ruDs
parallel with the railroad neG- Bull Run bridge,
ttmpted him 10 indulge 10 q bath. lie tied
hs horse near the bank, and was sporting
In the waters, when Suddenly three rough
Rebel cavaliers made their appearance within ten
feet u ii n. He had seen these men riding along
the railroad, but they looked so dirty and ragged
that he supposed item 10 be negroes. Tie moment
they saw hiD, one u them, as II speaking 10 tis
companions raid, "Whats this !" hcCaiue from /
tis creek answered, What's what ~ Fiisi
Rebel then Fad, VIA. do yol telong 10 7, 60 To |
Virginia" said McCuiue. "Wlat Virginia." said /,
Rebsl; $50 the lst 2" aver" sail McCaine. |
"Wel, we thought it looked queer" said the Rebel
CLAIMING at the operators horse and clothing.
kcCuine had thrown La dusser over his military
coat as he had taken it of, and in that way the
Rebels lost sight OF thc bras. buttons and to blue
doth. The Rebel spokesman then said, " have
YES taid McCane. And the Rebels being sais-
led, rode few yards below him, wstored their
hoses. and retIeced their steps en- the Railroad.
As soon az hey were out Of sight, mcCaine hurried
on bis clothing and ealloped his boree TO head
quarters.
On Saturday, the Both Of August, McCaine left
Gen Pole at noon on ihe battlefield of Bull Run,
taking the road leading from Sadley Church 10 Man
kssss Junction About , p. M, accompanied by three
oderies he started 10 return 10 headquarters. After
riding ABBOTT four miles be met etragge ere who told
hin lie conld not reach Gen. Pope as the rebel
Army had driven him back, and had SUCCEEDED IN
getting IN between him and ManasiGs. DisbeheVinB
ihe story McCaine galloped bat took the precau-
ton to send one ID the orc les fifty yards in advance
mile farther on this orderly came suddenly upon
Rebel cavalier, who had Of or CDisn prisoners.
The orderly pointed his revolver a. the Rebel aid
nkei for his sabre which, without q word he handed
ver. The party reached Manassas Junction safely
and delivered their prisoner 70 Col. Batehelder,
Provost Mafahal. Some huIaIed yaIde IN advances
Of where the Rebel was captured, was long line Of
Enarts Cavalry stretching along the cres, OF HILL
kcCainee party were undoubtedly taken for Rebel
Cavalry or they would all have been captured.
The story told Of Rebeloperator, who put an In
rrumeut In circuit, between Memphis and Corinth.
and obtained important information from Gen.
Grant, IL correct, bat tho one Of a Rebel operator
exploit at Manassas Junction, in teegraphing TO
QaSrermaster Kicker, at Washington, over The zig
Ia,ufe Of Gen. Pope, for tents, &c, which wcie
sent, ia entirely untrue No such feat was oocom-
PIshed.
s;ace the military telegraph was organized nearly
800 miles of wire have beon used IN the Eastern
Department alone. In ten cases submarine cables
lave been laid
All the military lnes are under the supervision Of
Vol AnsOD Stager, and have been managed WIN
Vie greatest skill aud ability.
Tie above facts are all true and are not III the