The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-16
LIEUT.. FELT'S INVENTIONS.
rur sIGNiL CORPs SER'IcE or TIE
5. IRlIl PREPARED BY HIN

.,l,n,.Dt,roi the code oi signals which Gen.
,,srailitcd during the war. and aiterward
,lsin,cj Ds his own invention lives in Harlom.
,t"isn, n,,4iiy engaged just now in supervising
,,nuM. alton oi a book Of which he Is the au
49, When his attention was directed to the
Letters o.. Nj Augustus Watson who charges
Zen. Nyar with pirating another invention. he
sad -,-,
,,s,ter fhnew NIL about the signal corps dur
,r., The war. when was an officer Of it. This
veaiher tiathmen, has been brought cut since
the WA vl- over
81 cam say this in regard to Mr.. Watson's
,,oim. Ms very well known to everybody that
Inv. su,thins about the signal service that 1t
a. Admiral Filroys system which Myer has
sppropraied body and bones. and given out MS
HE own in iat. he swears toll before this Con-
eress1ua Committee. | was notified ~ this
Lva letter from Mr.. Watson. and prepared my
.elfto 20 before the committee with documen-
,ary pr,of % show the falsty Of this testimony.
and sent word to Mr.. Watson to that effect. But
when learned from Mr.. Watson of the evident
determ.uuupn on the part OF Congressman
Clark anil his committee to whtewash Myer.
although t must have been evident to them. as
theis rel TOR, shows. that his testimony was
string oi falsohoods. | was satisfied that the
friends t. cover up transactions which have
boon pa mt 10 the officers Of the corps for
gooi many years. They have seen many at
tempts al inv stgauon made and know how
they hgye failed
-" wns sent out Wcst on signal duty under
Cen. Grant IN 1862. | saw there that Myers
system oi signalling was worthless in wooded
country M iny'ntri s,EnAi rwwrh1t anu anI a u
with the rockets that had mnde They were ap-
proved. and was then ordered TO New York to
lave iue 70 Aets made ia tAe very best manner
possible. As thus improved, the rockets were
nlop'i. and number OF them ordered from
Wy his id at my own expense Col. Mycr,
who wn- in command ~ the signal Corps. prom
ising I" romunerate mc If my experiments were
ItLln brought nv rockets 90 the notice Of
The Navy Department. and they were approved
by the permanent commission. alter two trials
The c5mm.ssion comprised Admiral Davis
Prof. Horny. Prof Bache. Gen. Barnard. and
NY apparatus for firing rockets ON board ship
was also approved 10y the commission, and rec
ordered ~ be sent to Comm 1dore Parker OF the
poi0nn' iotlln. who tried them on the steamer
Don. and ho approved them a. very valuable.
il was aiirrwart shown in court of inquiry
that that chest " rockets made difference to
H." tonne nQtlhn OF over s-uouOO IN their
Ir.Z' money Signals sent VITA those rockets
have iren read lSO miles
BY that time, April. 1868. the signal code OF
Cd. Myer had become worthless because the
Tabels knew it rs well as we did. The sigma
pfl''rs were ordered not TO shake their fags in
thu urrs nee OF the enemy because II was ony
furnishing them important Information. Col
Nyer ordered me to get up n code. which did
ian " April, 1863 issued II a. his own and had
he signal officers instructed in II as Myer
code,
was at ths battle II Chanceorsyills. under
Hooker. our forces were in retreat across The
river There was gap - each end oi the
p'ntOou bridge by reason 4 the rnpil rise OF
the stream. The water Whirlrl along like n
mill-raor. so that nobody could SWIM arqss
i WAS No1oluteiy necessary T. repair tne bridge
a. once. In the mean time the army wns ia a
critical -iton Hooker want tu s"nl orders
T. the commanders on he other sid. ~ the river
hazards while the lrii - W = being repaired
H. inquired OF Lieut. Nlrkvrs whother The
d.,iph.rcd Hy the cnrniy Lieut.. Wi,krrs re-
Piled that the rebels knew II a. well - le did
Il was li the utmost 'imuoitanca Tor Hooker t,
koep his movement secret He offered promo
lion to aay man who should swim the short
Ei.tan q, a,ross r. fal' WIN a message
Cen. Hooker iinu.ly ask / Wicker II there
WAS wHy he. could devise oi sending M b.
I.Dui Wt.kers replied that hr and Lieut.. Tuck
erman, who wN- with the signal corps across
b" river had been instru tod IN now cod q
que u -, town camp. Which lhe rebttI- Soul,
HtreAi Lieut. Tuckernan was signallcd II a
!.e -tH'. N across the river He responded
troops which were falling hari. rptook thc!l
pos lions and held them till the bridge was re
oar signal on ,ers saw the rcbel signal on
,ers rrI"ht our signals and send them ~ head'
lunl' r. - be deciphered, II possible; but they
Eere Lot declphered, and HOokers retreat was
1Wi Nsned In safety.
"G.i Hookerafterward, in letter 10 the War
n'pnr W"nt. which is still on ilie there said
nat VI" successful sending OF this message WAS
he -aN ton Of his army At that time, and saved
hr'' milton dollars worth OF property to the
10 IN ne May following the adoption Of my
CO.. Ny"r, lie tried 10 have mg sent To ny
SHINING B1nrd; but called for a court Of IN
4Wry. ln that court OF INJURY | proved 10y
HUT hEt yrraciiy wns SO bad that he was not 70
o. hei"y"i under oath. nthatc court Of inquiry
also rroy that the code which Col Myer
"a pni iurih rs his own was my invention.
~. w r oI5red mo any position in ne
cory .nt wanted II would stop this court Of
i" SUBJECT was brought 70 the notice OF
s'."iIY stanton. but | obtained no redress
!, iae winter Of 1868 however, Senator Lane
q lntAun was trying 10 get s2O00O0 given 10
fBfr o. truunerhte him for my code, on tha
Shafpo,.' IN that It was his invention. then
NIt 'n pamphlet form. and sent them TO all
~. - Il Congress, The result was that
s'y. ro Yves relieved ir2m S5snai dMgty M the
'"MI7, anil Co. Myer was sent 10 the
!rou iha Mississippi Major Myer wrote a
i,.E iHa una alton 10 secretary stanton ask
iHg - Pee er'lu,ttel In May. 1864 in answer to
S,, ~. yrotoa letter to Secretary
'lnIlNh' "a which | said.
sN ~ 'Anuwu tn the rebels, aud this j. the
~ N"lpN 'iH tHruN obtained such clear Information u
RS during the ial Of 1851 and the year 1852
n,'t ltf' A' rnppn>ng that II obtained from the
N.4"ht ,'rnrtHi ulhct or from -pie, IN the army.
- Us f4 rove ~ tAt evidence Of sisnAl officers
49, nave been 'llE'd bN then Major MNeT nj i'm
iAh' ne ssh-e. an the presence OF the enemy and hH
n lny. ~ ~ %"
,o".Ip tho report Of Col, Nicodemus, Oct 81
1864. no said:
Tina, now been proved beyond all doubt that IN,
enemy the plans Of signals nrst introduced into uuI
ARMIES lis system has stood sll whereas ours hai
i'n 80 improved As to render Il secure against an,
eA.hcrj This enables to read his nessasss Will,
''r' can never be deciphered by him.
Tho Improvement referred 10 In the repor
81 capt. Nl'olemus was my code. This repor
was promptly suppressed by the War Depart
m.nl as teudlng to give important informatlo Oh
time enemy. Even the baggage Of the sigma
on'ols was searched for copies OF It. and Capt
Issued II.
n, Notwthstandlng the facts / have given here
nlNor Myer swore before Congressman Clark
Whltewashlng committee. during the presen
session oi Congress that he never knew AM
such man as Lieut.. George III. Felt Of the sigma
tofps during the war that Lieut. Felt was no
Uc inventor of any code and system OF signals
that had been ueed in the army, and that h(
ilnsell lnyentoa the code and signals used bJ
LIS corps during the war.
$40 IN ny letter to Secretary Stanton in May
NV. ! pronounccd the statements ~ Col
oiYft 70 pe witully, malicousiy, know ngly
ahu ahluhlnedly false aud urged as n mat
W uiJustlce tOAll parties that the matter should