The Portland daily press., 1867-06-01
MIS- EEL L A n "
A Telegrapher's Story.
NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH-sAvED
BY A DISPATCH FROM PRESIDENT
LINCOLN

LINCOLN.
About % years ago the first telegraph line
in the world was built and successfully operat-
ed, between Washington City and Baltimore
.t. Since then a network of wires has been @ On
strueted through this country, CONNECTING ev-
cry city, town and village OF the sslghtest in
portance, in instantaneous comm comlnu LIE has
there is hardly person now hviing, hig, VINO W. mas m'o
DID, 'if not some time or other, more or less, IN so,e
degree, been benefited by the teiegrapn ~
There is hardly to be found man oT Woihan
to whose heart or pocket the telegraph has not
brought words of comfort or sorrow AS an
operator have, in my long years 81 81 toll, NJ
ticed perhaps, more extensively than many
others the verifcation of this fact. Many,
many times have i, in my capacity as OPP
orator received messages of DEATH which
shuddered to deliver; and could not have tie
courage witness the grief, aye, the ago,.y of
f-.t. the bereaved Sadly have gazed upon the
anxious faces of husbands and wives parents
brothers and sisters, waiting intelligence fro,
the absent and forever lost. Joyfuliy have |
hurriedly sought parties bearing TO them wei.
come news of the absent and saved | have
seen eyes grow dim with sorrow-I have seen
them grow bright and glow with oy-I lave
thousands OF times experienced pleasure and
pain in consequence of these things, but never
rl 't slhave experienced the sensation as on
one OCCASION in 1864, when the life or death OF
Two lnnocent men were in my hands, a, ar, 1a out
one snort minute to save them IN, ana Oh nlles s
away. To give the public brief account oi
this occurrence is the object OF this sketch
During Hunters raid through the Valley Of
Virginia and down the Kanawha, two men,
3 o5 out w Ware fu & sehnd Of A. rest st
their names, condition in other circumstances,
fss r or the incidents connected with their enlist
ment, it is necessary to be specific, to
say other than that they were substitutes, and
L RI
ments. On that unprecedented march of Hun
ter's army up. the Valley of Virginia there
was not an individual M who participated in it,
but experienced great suffering and privation
Even now, whenever We meet with one who
participated in that raid, hear of the
extreme hardships of the men some exciting
story of a hair-breapth escape from the enemy,
who followed so closely upon the line of march,
4 Then Then it is $, not strange that these two men
straggled on account of their woInOut
dton, and fell into the enemys hands.
.i Father f believing their statement became
n vii thnnf IRWIN hn,n e,
repreve, he charged them to prepare for death.
1t being late in the day-too late to reach Wash
. 19ston ne determined to use the telegraph
M soness Ssod hssy of the es and appealed to
the poor cast-down prisoners
The message was sent at once by Mr.. d. j.
the W.r then nnn1ntnay military % operator at the ferry to
~A'' Father f. returned to the condemned prison
and remained with them until late hour
,J1i in the night, engaging in religious exercises
preparing the men to meet their doom
The operator remained on duty all night
anxiously awaiting the Presidents reply hui
there was none up to daylight, when all the
wires communicating with Washington and
Baltimore went down.
Nine, ten and t,celce o'clock noon came
and yet the wires were still death-not a
particle of current on them could be ''felt" OF
TASTED. taste dhe prisoners were to be executed
dent, all hope was lost! Sadly and anxious
iy did Mr. L. sit beside his instrument adjust
a''' '- Eighteen hours of constant and incessant
watch wa and yet his hopes were not weakened.
10 rel tn
save the men; and although they were to be
shot at o'clock he was sure they were nno-
cent, and that God would give them safe deliv-
erance. He remained by the instrument and
saw the procession pass his window with The
--> men seated upon their eotins and the band
playing the dead March" on the way to the
ts' place ofexecuton But 80 minutes more and |
they would be dead |
And now must give the part performed |
IN this interesting reminiscence. e sfa Il
t-ttt-sI L was IN the Baltimore office AT o'clock
to h m o the 6ay Of execution was called
nd 81,
lowing message: u ~
ExEeurIvr MANSION, Washington, --,,sc4.
e.. .... To the Commanding Officer, Harper's Ferry:
,,an Delay sGo the execution of - Until fur
With directions to get it to Harper's Ferry.
If nl,s possible ad in time to save the men, they
would be executed at one o'clock. felt the
responsibility resting upon the telegraph an..
s5,a upon me as an operator but what could do
anxiety which afflicted during the Sc hours
The lives of two human beings in nv hands |
means known to teegraphy, by testing re- |
yerslng batteries changing Instruments feel |
Noon had passed, and il o'clock a and pr[5 Is
minutes had come when heard the armature !
work vs,a upon the There was an Snmista Ms
men, eighty miles away whose reprieve had |
in my hand! In instant the lever Of the the
sounder fell with heavy click, and in another |
instant | had my key open calling "H ii" as |
fast as could make the letes.
called Frederick, (Maryland)" 'i-'.t
He answered
rs your ground on?" asked
Yes; no circuit west p he said. lss.E -
>. FOR Gods sake take it off, and save the |
Hves o. two men," and made "H. f." twice |
e. d3 broke in and said .Hs -ii'f6'-t s.
'-a Here am saved, thank God. Go ahead ;"
sent him Mr.. Lncolns message. Without |
..- waiting to say 30. X" he threw open his kew !
and dispatched an orderly, who was in watins |
on horseback, to deliver the message directing
f him to whip the horse and run eyery step of |
the way .l,~
7- The place of execution some two miles
away over the Shenandoah, and the road to
. the place, for nearly mile, extended up the
- side Of a steep mountain. ~ ! IiTfT l.
The orderly lost time. He made his \
horse fairly fly up the mountain side; but, |
when he had nearly reached the summit the
horse gave out and fell with him to the |
ground. s. ls..ft,.a s.lo ~ ~ t1-F I
Two cavalry-men standing near with |
their horses The orderly ran to them and ex- !
..r... cialmed I'm the name of President Lincoln
let me have one of your horses; have a par,
-fs1f don for those men, and them" - u
Without saying another word, he iumced !
.- upon the back Of the nearest and put his spurs
90 to the horses sides, '''V' A7-'' : ilaT III
.a.-.- AS he came in view of the party who had
M the work OF execution to PERFORM the prison.
,s ers We're seated upon their cofirs. and the
who were TO fire had their guns in hand. The |
orderly had several hundred yards vet to 90 |
He redoubled his exertiCns, urging his horse |
forward. He reached point one hundred |
yards from the party, when his second horse
gave out, and fell to the gcound dead His cries |
.i were, however, heard by the party and the
men, who had taken their aim and ready
for the signal to fire, lowered their guns and
tue men were saved.-Cincinnati Commercial