The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-10-14

From Letter by ex-governor BULLOCK, OF Ueor'

IRON keucT Wy eA-uUseia"i D""~-f~
Many times and in various ways through
life my practical experience as a teie'
grapber has been OF valuable service TO me.
II is perhaps not entirely forgotten that q
few years ago there was "misunderstand'
ipgo among the politicians, and that ulti-
mately the able-b0dIed men oil either side
made a good deal OF noise about it. Wen,
was on the South side OF that noise, and,
being patriotic, but not belligcrent, gave
my uniform TO a chap who thought be bad
an enemy, and devoted my energies TO md
ing some way to serve the Confederacy efii-
GENTLY that did not at the same time Involve
the risk OF a stray bullet depriving the Gov
eminent OF my usefulness. There was
quite a number OF other patriots in the eX-
press c0mpapy's management who hariDo-
nized OH my idea, and, as a natural conse-
ouepce, we were soon impressed with the
great necessity that existed for the express
company to build and operate telegraph
wires over routes not covered by existing
lines. Several OF us were also stockholders
In the American Telegraph Company, and
when the noise heretofore spoken OF inter-
fered with "sound-reading" between Wash.
ington and Richmond We felt 1t to be our
duty to take charge OF the lines this
side. and we became the "SOuthern Tele-
graph Company" You will see that, with
all this array OF usefulness, 1t would IN
deed, be an unwise and thong htless, not TO
saw hard-hearted, conscfipt officer who could
believe IL his duty TO send us TO the front as
II he could see, as many
of them did, the tireless industry with
which eXpress.men devoted themselves 10
the study OF dots and dashes--beating tat
too for freedom on ofice-desks, car-saies,
tables, in fact anywhere that
would echo the evidence that they were
Ielegraphers and entitled to exemption-'he
certificate of "detai on telegraph duty
would be sure TO come.
To pass the inspection OF the conscript
officers it was necessary for the traveller 10
have "duty orders" furlougb," "exemp-
ion pspers," or a black skin, and you can
therefore imagine the satisfaction patriot
would feel when he exhibited bis detail as
and knew that he was
more likely 10 serve his country to the END
If the war than the poor fellow with but
que arm or one leg, travelling home on FUR
ough.
MANY of the inconvenience OF the cary
DAYS were repeated here during
The war. Insuators were made OF clay With
A common glazing. For wire we depended
On the uncertainties OF blockade-running
and the Morris Wire.MiI, at Richmond,
" bich turned out only short lengths, and
levy of those. Old magnets were rewound
and old instruments rebuilt. Nitric acid
was hardly obtainable, and substitutes had
% be discovered and used; but the wires
we're kept working and new lines were
built.
When General Sherman started ON his
excursion from Atlanta to Richmond Ola
Savannah active industries on that route
ere inaugurated for telegraphers as well
as fighters. The coast lines were generally
abandoned, an d nearly all the business was
over the express wires.
On the morning OF the evacuation OF Co
Iumbia left our Office and affairs there IN
charge of Mr.. Soule, our telegraph-opera-
tor, and that night |, being at General Beau
regards headquarters, held Geographic COM
munication with Soule, he being in Column
bia and within General Sherman's COM
mand. This, | presume, was the only
communication ever held by tele-
era oh between the contending parties du-
ring the war, and might, perhaps, have been
less peaceful for Soule and myself IL it had
been known to either commander.
Probably the most useful service ever
rendered by our telegraph was In transmit
ting information OF the surrender, and or
ders from General Sherman, at Raleigh, to
General Wilson, at Macon, to cease opera
lions, thereby saving Macon, Augusta, and
other places from hostile occupation. The
express wires through the interior OF the
country were the only ones in operation at
f,af INN