Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-06-24

] rank anu me- anu cdCu VI CGfahJ Va N-6 -
rank and file.
| SEC 13 Be il further enacted, That all pc
sons subject to enrolment, who are not now
the service, under the provisions OF tins &C
shall be permitted, previous to such enrolment
| TO volunteer in companies now IN the service.
Approved, April l6, 1862.
The TeIegraph-Ets Use by she Fedora
C0psmander.
The following letter from Parker Spring, SUP
erintendeut Of construction of L. S. militar
telegraph lines, gives an interesting account {
the services Of the Morse telegraph to the army
aud Of Gen. McClellan's use it:
From the Lancaster penn Express.l
Il. s MILITARY TELEGRAPH HEADq'Rs,l
DEP POTogAc, GAIN HuL,
miles from Richmond, June ?.
From the time the army of the Potomac frs
left Washington the United States military tele
grsph has never for an hour been allowed t.
Temsin in the rear. Before reaching bis new
headquarters Gen. Mcclellan almost invariabl,
lesrns that the wire is on the advance; that Al
office has already been opened at the point des
ignated before he left his old camp, and tha
Communication to the War Department a
Washington is open for him. In several in
stances, when the army had marched fifteel
miles in one day, the telegraph had reached tn
new quarters two hours in advance. When Ou
troops are obliged to remain a few days in ON,
position, wires are immediately run from Gen
McClellun's headquarters to the headquarters o
all commanders Of divisions, thereby placing
the entire section Of country occupied by ON
troops under his instant control. Assistance
ike this is surely valuable to our glOriOu:
cause, and am happy to say it is fully appre
caed 10y the general.
Saturday previous to the evacuation of York
town, Gen. Mcclellan ordered ne to run a wire
into cur battery, No. 6, in order to give hin
telegraphich communication from his headquar-
ters, which were distant about one and hall
miles. This battery laid half milo in front oi
Gen. Hein'zleman, and within half a mile Of
q long chain of rebel batteries. The Office at
BATTERY No. was to be located under ground
in bomb-p proof arrangement, in order to save
the precious life of the manipulator, who would
be IN his hole before daybreak next morning.
was informed by Gen. Heintzelman's aids that
it was a very hazardous experiment; that from
the point where the line must cross the fields the
rebel officers could be heard ditinctly giving
command; that the rebel pickets were within
two hundred and fifty yards Of US, and if we
attempted to distribute poles with our wagon We
would be fred upon. OF these facts inlormed I'd
all cur men. Regardless OF danger, they unani-
mously voted for the extension. Fortunately,
that night was dark, and promptly at nine P NJ.
we were in readiness to commence operations
After csutiORing all hands to work quietly,
detailed the men as follows: Cosgrove, Hoover,
GreineT, and Mcclure to dig holes R1te, Keller,
Benedict and Jones to distribute poles on their
shoulders, who had to carry them full a mile
John TIyer / posted as guaId-his duty was to
watch the fash of the rebel guns, and notify the
men, who were working and could not see, when
to fall on the sod, should the rebels hear us and
open. Thus far ell was q MET in the secesh qusl-
teIs. Scarcely had our operations commenced,
when q compliment from Gen. Magruder in the
shape Of shell was sent US. Through the
timely notice received from our guard, Mr.. Try
er, that " he saw a fash, aud that something
with a GIery tail was coming L ward us, we
were enabled to drop. Il came within fifty
yards Of US, burst, but did no damage.
After that shot and shell followed in rapid
sHcceSsioR, until We compl, ted our task, which,
owing to loss of time ia lodging, occupied fully
i've hours number of these missiles fell
within thirty feet of US, showing conclusively
that the rebel pickets had discovered our opera
tons, and were directing the fire of their artil-
efy. We have preserved pieces Of a shell
which knocked down pole behind US, which
had not been erected FIVE minutes before the
shot was fred. The line was run through soft
;OrBheld, and it was amusing next day, after
he evacuation, when we returned to this field,
10 see the ltelike pictures of Tryer, Cosgrove,
and several others, nicely portray ed in the mud,
aud which no artist in the world could excel
they were at once recognized by all hands, and
promised to give you the particulars.
The telegraph has been called upon to per-
form still more mysterious wonder For some
time past / have been ordered by Col Eckert
,our superintendent Of military telegraphS) TO
Try a telegraphic experiment from balloon
Saturday morning, when we heard that a great
Dlrtls must be fought, Prof Lowe notified me
hat / should extend the wire to his balloon, and
we would try it. In one hour we had brought
he wire mile and a half, and was ready to
ascend with the professor. The battle had com
uenced When i, had reached its zenith, Prof
Lowe and myself, with the telegraph, had reach
ID an titude Of 2050 feet. With the aid of
good glasses, we were enabled to view the whole
fair between these power ful contending armies
As the fight progressed, hasty observations were
made by the professor and given to me verbally,
III of which l Immediately forwarded to Gen.
Mcclellan and division commanders, through
he agency of the obedent field instrument
which stood by our side in the bottom of the
ar. Occasionally masked rebel battery would
Dpen on cur brave fellows.
would inform our artillersts of its position, and
he next shot or two would, in every case, silence
he masked and annoying customer. For hours,
nd until quite dark, we remained in the air, the
elegraph keeping up constant communication
With some point. From the balloon to Fortress
donroe, distance of over one hundred miles,
his wire worked beautifully. A number OF
messages were sent and received between these
40 points, snl had it not been for the tremend-
us rush of business on the wire | should have
eleg aphed you directly from the balloon, while
he battle was raging. Sunday morning at day
Dreak we again ascended. Early in the morn
ng the battle was renewed and with more
than the day before Incessant frirg
# musketry and artillery was kept up until
loon, VIXEN l had the extreme pleasure of an
lounce by telegraph from the balloon that we
.Ould see the enemy retreatiDg rapidly toward
At this time we could see firing on
James river to the left Of Richmond, distance
rom the balloon (some said) fifteen miles. This
ire was Of short duration.
The streets of Richmond in the morning pre-
ented deserted appearance, but very few peO-
lle to be seen in the streets. During the after
loon and evening of Sunday, nothing OF inter-
st tTanspired beyond the removal Of the rebel
lead and wounded, all of which we could dis
inctly see from the balloon. Every available
machine that had wheels was brought into re-
Iuisition for this purpose. From the scene Of
battle into the city Of Richmond, the road was
literally lined with ambulances, wagons aud
carts, conveying the dead and wounded. About
will ht We saw camp6res innumerable around
the city; smoke issued from all their hospitals
and barracks, which showed us to a certainty
lhat the main body of their army had fallen
back TO Richmond. Monday morning we made
5everIl ascensions, and found small force near
the last scene q action, and thousands OF troops
out from the city, so you may look
for report of another severe bat
tie.
FlRE-The grocery stores and residences Of
Patrick McNulty and Mrs. Monsgan, on Capital
street. at the railroad junction, We're entirely CON
sumed by FIRE last night. The ire was first dis
covered between eight aud nine o'clock, in a shed