The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-08-25

4
had l,eeH received to have the train detained
for further orders, Immediately on Its arrival
from Louisville told him all right, aud
asked hiln 10 take drink with me- He said
he should like to do SO, but had nothing in
his office. At this point our conversation
dropped.
when he stated that he had just received
a telegraph, via Danviile and Lexington, that
the rebels had destroyed the bridge and
wires near Lebanon, was taken by SURPRISE.
This was a new line to me--put up since we
were last in Kentucky. My replies to his In.
qufries, however, satisfied him. Fearing,
however, that he might get to rejecting on
the matter, and again bother me with gucs-
fions, seut Il lew business dispatches 10
well known firms In Clneinnaai, pasportisg
to come from parties in Lebanon. This ]
could do successfully, knowing the tariff of
charges on the line. AT 9o'cloek received
the following dispatch:
LEBANON JUNCTION, July 4th--1o Ks,ctt,
Ag't, Lebanon Why did you telegraph mc fo
hold the train and report 10 nic the burning
Of a bridge and destruction Of the TELEGRAPH,
by the rebelss Your operator says your
dispatch is a hoax. Explain.
l gave the operator at Lebanon Junction
the usual 80 k signing ~. b, the sig
nal OF the Lebanon operator, which / had
luckily guessed at, and which | perhaps
would not do again in thousand cases |
waited lsfh,ps ten minutes, during which
manufactured The following. AID sent i IN
reply: Sseass
LEBANON, July A.
''1o D. u, Sppf: Two Irish.neu came in
on hand-car from the first sccion aud re-
ported it to me. . They were Intoxicated.
have since then sent out, and The bridge they
reported burned IS safe. No signs of any
rebels in this county. KNOTT"
Hoping this would satisfy him, l waited
for him to report the passing OF the train
South. SoOr, however, he called and asked
NE: what is the name oil that book yoH
promised to send me-" Itold him TO wait
few minutes, Us lady was in the Office writ
ing dispatch. ] then manufactured dis
patch, addressing 1t to an imaginary lady in
Louisville, signing q lady's name to it, My
object was to Kill time, and how anxioasly
did crave the moments to fly swiftly by, SO
the train would leave the junction before he
discovered my real character. He called me
several times. l waited as long us l dared,
not to arouse suspicion. l sent forward the
lady's message had manufactured, but il
did not satisfy hin;'he again asked me the
name Of that conlounded book 1 played
drunk on him, and used some harsh words
at his suspicious, winding up with an invita-
tion to him TO come down on the train that
morning aud spend the day with me.
*llG GShtu Ilc W ustt NdS Roius Oif III i<cpt-
non. told him nothing particular, but that
if he would come down | would treat him to
many q mint julep. He consented, saying
he was the night operlt or, and could be back
| in time to go on duty. The promise of the
| mint juleps settled all his suspicious, and
| was asked no more questions about the
book
Time passed Off At 10 O'Clock seke,l
Lebanon Junction what time the train left
there and was Informed that il passed at
$50 Immediately informed Capt. Sheldon,
who at once had L rail removed, N Il posted
his men on either side of the I. ack. | put
away my instrument and went to house
about 2OD yards distant to get something To
cat
While was ut the table the train arrived,
about II O'Clock, aid was thrown OFF by the
missing rail Such IL crashing seldom ever
heard Five coaches, two baggage cars, and
the engine, weie considerably smashed up.
Several passengers, who were very mulch
fright enel made their escape into the field
| near by. was returning FROM my breakfast
just III time to arrest them. y small man,
dressed in blue, was in the lead, making 2:4O
| time through hay field. | called on him 10
halt, but when he did not heed 1 tried the
virtue of my repeater, when few shots con
yinced linn that ne had better stop When
came up with hin / asked where he was
FROM and il he was in the service. lie re-
was a telegraph operator at Lebanon june
ton, on his way to Lebanon upon invitation
of the operator there to visit him and spend
| the day. l told him that was the man who
+ had extended to him the invitation, and that
had ordered on the train. He seemed greatly
relieved, and even oyerjOycd, When he found
| that was an operator, ifOr though enemies,
| operators are always generous tocaeh othef)
| He acknowledged the sell, and said IL was
| his treat instead Of mine, though had IN
vited him to take mint juleps with me.
An operator whom i afterwards captured
at Bar,lstown junction told me that the OPP
orators had the joke all over the lines, At
water having told it himself. ..
| The next telegraph station arrived at was
| Osgood, small village on the OhiD - Miss.
| r. r., (r;nniDg from Cincinnati to st. Louis }
| 80 miles west of Cincinnati. AS usual, Iieft
| the main body OF onr forces when within
about six miles. of the place, and Went
| alIead-taking with me Il men. found the
| operator, one Frank Crawford, at his board
| ing-housc. provisions in that country are
pleuty, and operators like To iniest and hang
around sections and places where there is
| good eating) | soon brought him out to
! the Office, aud after being at the instrument
| few minutes ! found that a special train
| with two companies OF soldiers would ar
| rive there soon. packed up the instrn-
| tiltftS, atlu putting tue ,optfaiol ou Il hoiet,
| WAS ready for retreat, ii necessary. The
| whistling OF the iron horse soon gave me
warning, and ! took nv departure. The
very foolish '.we6-footed' e-quicked
! itcr us three or four miles, and if mistake
not were handsomely ambnshed and sent
| back minus Us men.
On arriving at Versailles, Ind, found the
| column moving in the direction oi Fierce
| Vile, station on the same road, seven hi'ies
nearer Cincinnati Here took down the
telegraph lines, and with the assistance oi
! Crawford soon gave Gen Burnside an idei
| whore Morgan was-nof. He Swallowed lbt
| bait without hesitation, never suspecting The
messages were not genuine. gave the Gin
einaati operators tCrawfor.) experience az
!, prisoner in the hands ot thu: rebels for ioui
hours. This was necessarys as there was ai
! operator on the train that arrived at Osgood
who had tclegraphed back 10 Cincinnati thai
| Crawford had been carried OIL by the rebels
| | played the part Of Crawford, representing
him ,s being 1T his own ofiice. He sat ant
listened at me, occasionally breaking out IL
. hearty laugh, when | would tell Cincinnati
something directly the reverse af I lac Eets
and make them believe il.
---------@--s-----
MARRIAGE A la MoDE--The Northern "a
pers announce in engagement between Ex
Gov, now Senator, Sprasue, oi Rhode j.
I t,ol In Ai:a kste (thase .lfuvlffer tf fla