Smyrna times., 1867-01-09
The ClOthes-Line Telegra ph.

war HdIH lCS mysteries as wei as Cne sea,
| one of which will be explained by the following
extract from Frank Moore's Anecdotes Of
the great rebellion:
In the early part Of 1862, when the Union
army was encampcd at Falmouth and picketing
the banks Of the Rappahannock, the utmost
tact and ingenuity were displayed by the scouts
and vldettes In gaining knowledge of contem-
plated movements on either side; and here, as
at various other times, the shrewdness of the
African camp-attendants was very remarkable.
| One circumstance, in particular, shows how
quick the race are in learning the art of COM
municating by signals
There came into the Union lines negro
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
typography Of the whole region, and he was
employed as cook and body servant at head
quarters. When he first saw our army tele-
graphs 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
various movements as well as any Of his breth-
ren Of paler hue.
Not long after, his wife, who had come
with him, expressed great anxiety to be al
lowed to 60 over to the other side ass servant
to ''Secesh woman, whom General Hooker
was about sending over to her friends. The
request was granted. Dabney's wife went
across the Rappahannock, and in few days
was duly installed as laundress at the head
quarters Of prominent rebel General Dab
ney, her husband, on the North side, was won
derfully well-intormed as to all the rebel plans.
Within an hour Of the time that a movement
of any kind was projected, or even discussed
among the rebel Generals, Hooker knew al
about it. He knew which corps was moving
or about to move, in what direction, how long
they had been on the march, and in what
force All this knowledge came through Dab
ney; and his reports always turned out to be
: true.
Yet Dabney was never absent, and nevel
talked with the scouts, and seemed to be al
ways taken up with his duties as cook anC
groom about headquarters.
How he obtained his information remained
for some time puzzle to the Union soldiers
At length, upon much solicitation, he unfodeC
his marvellous secret to one Of our officers.
Taking him to point where q clear viey
could be obtained of Fredericksburg, he point
t ed out little cabin in the suburbs near the ri
: line with clothes hanging on it to dry. "Well,
said he, that clothes-line tells me in halt a
/ hour just what goes on at Lees headquarters
IS You see my wife is over there; she washes tC
u the officers, and cooks and waits around, an
:, as she hears about any movement or anythin
u going on, she comes out and moves the clotht
lr on that line, so | can understand it in a mil
ute. That there gray shirt is Longstreet an
when she takes it off it means he's down aboI
D. Richmond That white shirt means Hill
p and when she moves it up to the west end (
ID this line, Hills corps has moved up stream
to That red one is Stonewall Jackson he's dow
s. on the right now, and if he moves she wi
move that red shirt.
W One morning Dabney came in and reporte
,p movement over there. But" says he, 6
lie don't amount to anything They're just NAL
RS ing believe"
ut An officer went out to look at the clothe
ht line telegraph through his field glass. The
n had been quite shifting over there among Il
army hannels. 'But how do you know b
u there is something in it?"
at ''Do you see those two blankets pinned t
I'LL gether at the bottom?" said Dabney.
e. ''Yes, but what of it p said the officer.
ey 'Why, that's her way of making fsh-tra
OF and when she pins the clothes together th
W. way it means that Lee is only trying to drs
us into his fsh-trap."
~, As long as the two armies lay watching ca
ley other Onopposite banks of the. stream, Dabnt
1t with his clothes-ne telegraph, continued to
III one of the promptest and most reliable of Gt
ce, eral Hooker scouts.