The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-05-23
RICHMOND HAS FALLEN.
How the Glad Intelligence Was Tele-
graphed to the Capital
PHILADELPHIA Times

How the Glad Intelligence Was Tele.
graPhed to the Capital,
Philadelphia Times
1t is safe to say that no message evel
: sent by telegraph was of such national
interest as the one which Mr. William
Il. Kettles, then an operator in the ser
vice of the government at the war de
partment in Washington, received from
Richmond on the morning of the Sd OF
April, 1855. Mr.. Kettles, then mere
boy of fifteen, but an expert telegraph
operator, was working the Fortress Mon
roe and City Point wire at Washington
Shortly after 8 80 the Washington and
Cherrystone operators were engaged on
a long message, when suddenly both
men were taken aback by what seemed
to be most foolish demand from For.
tress Monroe: Turn down for Rich.
mond, quick 20 Had flash of lightning
struck through the walls at that moment
the shock could not have been greater
than it was on the part of every man in
that room. Such a thing as communi-
cation with Richmond, which had moi
been known since the beginning of the
war, notwithstanding the frequent sue
cess of the Union army of late, was en-
tlrely out of the question in everybody's
mind. Richmond, the great onghoId
/ - - SOoNA' OO0Au
There was great alacrity in turning
down the adjustment There were trem.
bling fingers while it was being done.
and there was gathering around of
many operators, with curiosity, suspense
and Impotence combined, to see what il
meant. Sure enOughi the signals of the
operator in Richmond were bounding
along the line. No signal was ever an
swered more promptly. Then came the
question:
DO you get me well ~
| 81 do; go ahead"
| "All right. Here's the first message
for four years:
| "RICHMoND, Va, April 3, 1S65.-Hon.
E. NJ. Stanton, Secretary of War: We
entered Richmond at 8 O'Clock this morn
ing. G. WETTZEI.
Brlgadler General Commanding"
Mr.. Kettles comedies that he copied
the message, but he could never tell how.
He remembers of starting up from his
chair and upsetting inkstand and instru-
ment, OF kicking over tin that sat at the
fireplace, in order to make noise; of
rushing for General Eckert's room, where
sat President Lincoln and Mr.. Tinker,
the cipher clerk, talking in a low tone.
AS Kettles was about to hand the mes
| sage to Mr.. Tinker, the President caught
| sight OF the body words, and with one
motion and two strides, message and
President were out of sight on the way
TO Secretary Stanton's room. Mr.. Tink-
| er and everybody else were dumbfound-
| ed. Kettles quietly returned to his in
| strument, walking like one in dream :;
proceeded mechanically to turn the ink
stand right side up, and to straighten up
his overturned machine. Then he sat
down in his chair and stared before him
In blank amaZement. Around him were
the other operators, every man alike flus
tered and unable to get their minds back
to their work or to utter connected words
IL was time, great time, but mighty
good time
In less than One-quarter of the time il
takes to write this, the Operating-room
was hlled with officials and subotficiais
President Lincoln and Stanton came in
and shook hands with every one in the
room, and then every one in the room
shook hands with each other and then
with the Secretary and President again.
Then they all gathered around the For
tress Monroe instrument, hungry for
more OF the particulars. Kettle sat at his
instrument and questions were showered
IN on him from every mouth. He was
asked more questions in those ten min
utes than he will be likely to be ever
asked again in that space of time At
last the information came that Richmond
had disconnected itself for the present.
All retired to Gen. Eckert's room except
Mr. Tinker and Kettles, who stood bv
the window endeavOring to hear them
selves think. Neither had dawn per
ceptible breath for ten minutes. Out
side were the broken grounds of the de-
partment building. Looking from the
operating room window, the prospect
was clear; not single person was to be
seen. Suddenly Georgetown horse car
appeared in the distance. On it came at
the usual rate. Near the building it
stopped. A man got off and started with
SLOW, lelsurly steps up the centre walk to
the door. Inside the operating room the
thrilled operators looked out on his slow,
steady pace, and could scarcely contain
themselves at his unconcern. He was
meditating, actually meditating - as
though there was nothing to throw off
his hat for and cheer until he was hoarse.
Keeping on he presently lifted his head
and looked at the window. Tinker was
there and knew him.
ANY news ?' he casually incurred.
Tinker leaned far out of the window.
"RichmOnd's fallenr' he said.
No tongue can describe the features of
that man while he was coming to him.
self. DE turned red and white by turns.
till suddenly realizing the meaning of
the two words, he waved his arms, then
turned and ran. Down the street he ran,
spreading the news to every one he met
Soon there was great crowd. The ex-
citement rose. The people seemed al
most wild. The war department was
soon beseiged. Outside was multitude.
Inside were excited officials, clerks, OPP
orators and an excited president. The
outsiders looked in at insiders and the
insiders looked at the outsiders. Dues
tions came hot and fast from the multi
tude, and answers were shouted back
from every man who could get his head
to one of the two windows. The crowd
got the news fairly in its mind, and then
seemed to want three cheers. The
three became four. Then they wanted
speeches. They got them. Half doz-
en- speeches were under way in less than
that number of minutes. Some were
good ones. Andrew Johnson was there.
he was saying:
"GOd bless the old flag! fl was pres
ident of the United States ="
At this point something exciting oc-
Cured.
Secretary Stanton entered the operating
room leaning on General Eckert's arm.
General Eckert pointed out to him the
boy who had received the messages.
They were formally introduced. The
next moment Kettles found himself seiz
ed by the secretary and held at arms
length out at the window above the crowd.
The Secretary called to the crowd that
this was the young man who had received
the dispatch of the fall of Richmond.
Inc crowd wanted speech from him.
Kettles gave them a speech in a few
words, appropriate and pointed, for he
was in the humOr
Then followed other scenes. Fire en-
glnes were brought out-any thing TO
make noise. In the evening the city
was ablaZe with Examinations. Kettles.
who Is now an operator in Boston, saws
he can never forget how father Abraham
started for Secretary Stanton's door after
receiving the dispatch-hop, skip and
jump, shouting, "Clear the track ~