The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1867-03-14

THE CLOTHES LINE TELEGRAPH.-In
the early part of 1868, when the Union
army was encamped at Falmouth and
pieketing the Rappahannock, the utmost
tact and ingenuity were displayed By the
scouts and videttes in gaining knowlede
of contemplated movements on either side
aal here, as at various other times, the
shrewdness of the African camp attendants
was very remarkable.
One circumstance, in particu lar, shows
how quick the race are in the art OF COM
municating by signals.
There came into the Union lines q
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 topography OF the whole
region and be was employed as cook and
body servant at headquarters. When he
first saw our systems 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 mean
ing OF the various movements as well as
any Of his brethren OF paler hue.
Not long after, his wife, who had come
with him, expressed great anxiety to be
allowed to go over to the other side as
servant to "secesh woman" whom Gen.
Hooker was about sending over to her
friends. The request was granted. Dab
ney's wife went across the Rappahannock,
and in a few days was duly installed as
laundress at the headquarters Of promi-
nent rebel General. Dabney, her husband,
on the north bank, was soon found 10 be
wonderfully we'll informed "a TO all the
rebel plans. Within an hour of the time
that movement of any kind was projec-
ted, or even discussed among the rebel
Generals, Hooker knew all 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; and all this knowledge came
through Dabney, aud his reports all turned
out to be true.
Yet 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 at headquarters.
How he obtained his information re-
mained for some time puzzle to the
Union officers. At length, upon much
solicitation, he upfolGed his marvellous
secret to one of our officers
Taking him to point where a clear
view could be obtained of Fredericksburg
he pointed out little cabin in the suburbs
near the river bank, and asked him if he
saw that clothes line with clothes hanging
on it to dry. tWell," said he, THAT
clothes line tells me in halt an hour Just
what goes on at Lees headquarters. You
see my wife over there; she washes for
the officers, and cooks and waits round,
and as soon as she hears about any move
ment or anything going on, she comes
down and moves the clothes on the line
so that | can understand it in a minute.
That grey shirt is Longstreet's, and when
she takes it off it means he's gone down
about Richmond. That white shirt means
Hill, and when she moves it up to the west
end of the line, Hills corps has moved up
the stream. That red one is StonewalFs 5
he's down on the right now, and if he
moves she will move that red shirt"
One morning Dabney came IN and re-
ported movement over there. "But,"
says he, "it don't amount to anything
They're just making believe"
An officer went out to look at the
clothes line telegraph through his field
glass. There had been quite a shifting
over there among the army fanneIs-
"But bow do you know there is something
In it ?"
ado you see those two blankets pinned
together at the bottom Y'' asked Dabney.
"Ges, but what of it ?" said the officer.
"Wky, that's her way OF making her
fish :rap; and when she Plus the clothes
together in that way, it means that Lee is
only trying to draw US into his fish trap -
As long as the two armies lay watching
eack other on opposite banks Of the stream,
Da5ney, with his clothes line telegraph,