The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-04-11
TELEGRAPHER's STORY.
Marrow Escape from Death-Saved by y
Dispatch from President Lincoln.
By WILL d. GENTRY.

About twenty two years ago the first
telegraph line in the world was built and
| successfully operated, between Washing
ton CITY and Baltimore. Since then q
net-w work of wires has been constructed
throughout this country, connecting eve,
ry city, town or village of the slightest
importance, in instantaneous communi
cation. There is hardly q person now
living who has not, some time or other,
more or less, in some degree. been bene-
fitted by the telegraph. There is hard
ly to be found a man or woman to whose
heart or pocke: the telegraph has not
brought words of comfort or sorrow. As
An operator, I have, in my long years Of
toll, noticed, perhaps, more extensively
than most others, the verification of this
fact. Many, many times have /, in my
capacity as operator, received messages
of death which I shuddered to deliver
and could not have the courage to wit
ness the grief, aye, the agony of the be-
reaved. Sadly have gazed upon the
ents, brothers and sisters, waiting intel
ligence from the absent and forever lost.
Joyfully have hurriedly sought parties
bearing welcome news of the absent and
saved. have seen eyes grow dim
with sorrow-I have seen them grow
bright and glow with joy have thou
sands of times experienced the same
sensation as on one occasion in 1864.
when the life or death of two innocent
men were in my hands, and but one short
minute to save them in, and eighty-one
miles away. To give the public brief
account Of this occurrence, is the OBJ
ject Of this sketch.
During Hunters raid through the Val
ley of Virginia and down the kanawha,
two men, privates, worn out with fatigue,
loss of rest and want of food, were left
behind. As to their names, condition in
other circumstances, or the incidents con-
nected with their enlistment il is not
necessary to be specific, or to say other
than they were "substitutes," and, I am
pretty certain, belonged to Western regi-
ments. On that unprecedented march
Of Hunters army up the Vally of Vir
ginia, there was not an individual who
participated in it, from the highest officer
to the lowest private. but experienced
great suffering and privation. Even now,
whenever we meet with one who partici-
pated in that raid, we can hear of the ex-
treme hardships OF the men, or some cx-
citing story Of hair breadth escape
from the enemy, who followed so closely
upon the line Of march. Then, it is not
strange that these two men struggled
on account Of their worn out condition,
and fell into the enemy's hands.
After being captured by the rebels
they were heavily ironed and closely
guarded for some days. Their case was
dcliberated upon by drum head court
martial. which determined that, as the
Confedracy was in great want Of men,
hos orti orfi 81 i,f h. fa1o
ate service and use their arms against
the Federal cause, or be shot The ulti-
matum of the court was presented to the
prisoners, and with a terrible death star
ing them in the face, after two hours
they determined to pursue the course
which promised life, and expressed their
willingness to serve the Confederacy.
Their limbs were at once relieved of the
irons, and they were given in charge of
. company officer, who, with his com
mand, imm mediately returned to the East,
and reported himself and company ready
for service against the Federals, occupy
ing the Valley of :he Shenandoah They
were assigned to duty in Moseby's guer-
rillAs, under the notorious Harry Gill
more, and soon found active service
against the Federals in q raid upon the
line OF the Baltimore T. Ohio Railroad
On this raid, which proved successful,
the party were am mbuscaded by company
Of Federals, and many of them, includ-
ing the two men who are the subject Of
my story, we're captured and taken to
EHaxper's Ferry in irons On arriving 1t
the Ferry, they were recognized, and al
'thoagh they told their story in . straight
forward manner, they were "substitues..
a1d fhs evidences Of their guilt il being
captured while bearing arms against the
0overnment in the character Of sRuerril-
las-abo~e all the most disreputable
means known-went against them, and
thAywere ordered to be tried by court