The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-02-28
The Clothes Limo TELEGRAPH.


In the early part of 1868, when the
Union army was encampsd at Falmouth
and picketing the Rappahannock, the
utmost tact and ingenuity were display
ed by the scouts and yidettes in gaining
a knowledge of contemplated move
ments on either side; aud here, rs at
various other times, the shrewdness Of
the African camp attendants was very
remarkable. =
One circumstance in particular show
ed how quick the race are in learning
the art of communicating by signals.
There came into the ,Upion lines . ne.
gro from farm on the other side of the
river, known by the name Of Dabney,
who was found to possess a remarkably
clear knowledge of the topography Of
the whole region, and he was employed
as cook and body servant at headquar-
ters. When he first saw our svstem Of
army telegraphs, the idea interested him
intensely, and he begged the operators
to explain the signs to him. They did
so, and found that he could understand
and remember the meaning Of the va
rious movements as well as any of his
brethren of the paler hue.
Not long after his wife, who had come
with him, expressed great anxiety to
be allowed to 60 over to the other side
as servant to a 'secesh woman, whom
Gen Hooker was about sending over to
her friends. The request was granted.
Dabney's wife went across the Kappa
hammock, and in few days was duly in-
stalled as laundress at the headquarters
of a prominent rebel general Dabney,
her husband, on the other hand, was
soon found to be wonderfully we'll in
formed as 20 all the rebel plans With
in an hour of the time that movement
OF any kind was projected or even e.is-
cussed among the rebel Generals, Hook.
er knew all about it. He knew which
corps was moving, or about to move, in
what direction, how long they had been
cn the march, and in what force and
all this knowledge came through Dab
ney, and his reports all turned out to be
true.
let Dabney was never absent, and
never talked with the scouts. and seem
ed to be always taken up with his duties
as cook and groom about headquarters.
How he obtained his information re-
mained for some time puzzle to the
Union officers. At length, upon much
solicitation he unfolded his marvellous
secret to one of our officers.
fiitn To IL point Wucfe q clear ;
view could be obtained of Fredericks
burg, he pointed out a little cabin in the
suburbs near the river bank, and asked
said he, THAT Clothes nns tens n hr y: ID
half an hour just what goes on in Lees
headquarters. You see my wife over
there, she washes for the officers, and
cooks and waits round, and as soon as
oh hno al mn orSfo Nr
thing going on, she comes down and
moves the clothes on that line SO that
can understand it in 4 minute. That
there gray shirt is Longstrect, and when
she takes it off it means that he has gone
down about Richmond. That white shirt
means Hill, and when she moves it up
to the west erd of the line, Hills corps
has moved up the stream. That red one
is Stonewall he's down on the right
now, and if he moves she will move that
rcd shirt
One morning Da5ney came in and re-
ported movement over there. But
says he, 1T don't amount TO anything.
They're just making believe
An officer went out to look ut tho
clothes lire telegraph through his field
glass There had been quite a shifting
over there among the army flannels. But
how do you know but there is something
in it.
DO you see those two blankets pinned
together at the bottom z asked Dabney.
Yes, but what of it 2 said tue officer
Why that's her way of making fish
trap; and when she pins the clothes to-
gether, that way, it means that Lee is
only trying to draw US into his fish
trap
AS long as the two armies lay watch
ing each other on opposite banks of the
stream, Dabney, with his clothes line tel
graph, continued to be one OF the
promptest and most reliable Of Gen.
Hookers scouts.-[F. Moore's Anec-
dotes.
st. Louis has three synagogues, and
is going to have a fourth. There are ten
thousand Hebrews in the city.
Men arc never placed in such ex-