Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-05-13

The following sketch Of one who has rendered
valuable service TO his country was furnished rs
BY Professor fLEroHu just previous to his I'm
timely end. and which, from that circumstance,
has melancholy interest to the friends OF both
parties;
When We read Of the movements, suiferings,
reyerses aud surprises of our armies now in the
held.we only hear associated with these the names
OF those who are soldiers-either officers or pri-
yates. Yet there are many who play an import
ant part, and who are essential 20 the well being
OF our army, who never wear the shoulder straps.
and whose names are not chrOniced by the putting
letter. writers of the regiments. One of the pc
culiarties Of this war has been the celebrity with
which the Geographic lines have sprung up in tie
wake OF our progress. Through the forest and
valley. and far away over the lonely mountains
~ the very threshold of the enemy, have the
wires been stretched. Could the story of the
army telegraphs' be written, it would abound in
widest adventure Few can realize the labor
and suffering. the watchful care and sacrifice de
manded 10 perfect the system that gives US every
morning as We sip our coffee, the news of the
preceding day. Who guarded the liHesg As YOU
SIT thus comfortably and complaeeRtly in yonr
pleasant bones, far away in a lonely tent lies the
ever active operator. The damp ground is his
couch; rubber coat his covering. All night
he has rode with or two assistants, TO
repair the line," then back to his tent
TO "cllck" To you the news, and then stretching
himself upon the ground endeavors TO catch few
moments sleep, and at the same time catches the
cold that will eventually destroy his constitution.
But our object was to say word of one ndyidu
al. We leave the subject, hoping that il may re
ceive the attention OF ADLER hands. On the eth
of June, when Gen. Mcclellan took, command in
ha had in moi
pal telegraph operator young man from New
Albany. When the former LETT for the Potomac
our operator continued with Gen. Sleigh; and
when our own brave Gen. Reynolds came, he was
still IN charge of all matters connected with the
Telegraph" IL was at Cheat Mountain Pass we
first saw him. He seemed never to tire, but day
and night the move. The lines were
being extended and had to be carefully watched
W messed at the same table with him and were
often entertained by the stories of his adventures
told in a modest. unassuming manner. When
the army was almost surrounded at Elkwater and
the telegraph wire cut that connected the
Generals quarters with Col. Kimball at the sum
init, our hero, all alone, wendell his way through
the woods filled with the enemy and delivered the
message which he could not send ON his ''pet
line" But we have not time to speak as we
should like of his services and exploits. We had
not forgotten him, and had often wondered how
long "A constitution such his could 'hold
up under such labors. A few weeks ago we
were accosted on the street by pale, feeble,
emaciated man, who seemed to have suffered
everything that flesh is heir to-" We only
recognized the trembling voice as that of our
friend +. X. Bryant, the Cheat Mountain tele
graph operator. Though he had not bee en-
rolled soldier" we ielt he had been "A host in
himself so far as results were concerned, and
whilst he bore no wounds he had vet sacrificed
healthy constitution tor the good of his country
Col Kicker, Superintendent of the I. and II. r.
r, has employed Mr.. Bryant as his principal
operator, and we trust that he will soon recover a
little OF his former vigor and strength
FRIEND