The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-08-15
THE TRIBUNE.
Spq s.TelegraRh---in Incident Of the
- Rebellion.

~AFsss
By j. H. HOWARD.
eniNoticing few days since in the obitu
airy column of a Southern paper the TO
lowing announcement, relieves me tron
an obligation I voluntarily entered int
before the close Of the late war:
ssDIED, at. on the 18th instant
d. NJ, aged A years. The de
ceased was long and faYorably known a
steamboat pilot, and throuhout the re
bellou firm friend of the Southern
cause, for which he made many sacrifice.
and rendered valuable services.
The promise | gave NJ. was that
would not divulge what he then told me-
but his death relieving me from thai
promise, | now offer it to the public
through your columns.
1t will be remembered that among the
many reasons which operated to prevent
the fab of Vicksburg, Miss. when it was
first attacked by General Sherman, and
afterward so lahoriously besieged by Gen.
Grant, was the certainty Of the lDforma
ton the enemy seemed to possess OF
every movement set on foot for that pur-
pose. Notwithstanding every precaution
was taken to prevent spies from obtaining
and transmitting information-notwIth
standing the river was closely watched to
prevent the least message from being
foated down to Vicksburg-nevertheless,
information, and that, too, of the most
positive nature, daily reached the enemy.
to the great annoyance of the officers and
men-who were slowly wearing their
lives away under an almost tropIca! sun
but also to the modification OF the Com
manding General
q It is my object, briefly, to show how
that information was transmitted. NJ.
was at that time an impressed pilot in
the service of the Union army, having In
charge one of the transports lying below
Young S Point. on the west side OF the
Mississippi. His plan for advising the
enemy inside the garrison of Nicksburg
OF what was taking place, or contemplated
IN the Union army, was simple and eff
fectual-so simple that 1t easily evaded
all attempts at detection. During three
or four hours each day, NJ, after gather
ing from the officers at headquarters what
information he desired-for officers tc0Ujti
talk would repair to a farm house down
on the point, and with a large mirror,
which he had previously taken from the
cabin. OF the steamer, amuse himself by
throwing the sun reflection an and down
the river, occasionally darling the concen-
trated rays of Il May or June sun into
the eyes of some gull or loon quietly
floating on the water causing Ii to dlye
down or fly up with a half frightened
shrek, and then turning it full upon the
enemys works along the Vicksburg
levee. No one thought OF suspicion-no
one asked him what he was doing-for
the employment was SO simple and APP
parently obstructed that none thought
for momont of aJtributing any other
motive to it than of mere idle passtime,
But this was his secret, previously
agreed upon between himself and Gen.
Pc mberton Vicksburg is mainly upon
a high bluff; the lower part of the city
during certain hours Of the day being
entirely in the shade. Commencing at
the upper end of the city and within easy
view, NJ had selected thirteen houses
along the levee, and thirteen others be-
hind and above these. TO each of these
From the window in the farm house he
threw the reflection first upon one house
and then upon another. an officer of
same time standing on the levee with
his DitCh 70 AZ, anu yct IcduliS every
word easily and rapidly. And he not
only gave information Of what was trans
piring in the Union camp at Young 5
Point, but also gathered from Northern
newspa pers important news relative to
the movements of armies elsewhere.
sending it across the river IL the same
manner.
Gni5 plan was kept up until short
time before General Grant made arrange
meats Tor going below Vicksburg, cross
ing at the Grand Gulf, and coming up IN
the ear just before that event, | was
ordered to another point, and subsequet-
lyqthe enemy had no hgi,t upon the sub
iect OF chat last move which finally re-
suite in the capture of that stronghold
of til e Confederacy.
In ese facts. | obtained from NJ HIM
self, while afterward an officer on board
one of our transports with him, and
have every reason to believe from expert
men Is made at the same place, that 1t
was "a plain unyarnished tale he re-
lated me.