New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-10
CONFESSIONS or 4 REBEL TELEGRAPHER.

From Letter by ex Governor Bullock, Of 0eorga.
Many times and in various ways through life.
ny practical experience rs a telegTapher has been
of valuable servire to me. IL is, perhaps, not en-
tirely forgotten that, a few wears ago there was
tbn t she oo on eabsr an. s
made good deal Of noise about 1t. Well. l was on
the South side Of that noise, and, being pstriotic
but not belligerent, gave my uniform to chap
who thought he had an enemy, and devoted my
energies to finding way to serve the Confed-
eracy efficiently that did not at the same time in
vOve the risk OF stray bullet deprivIng the Gov
eminent OF Icy usefulness There was quite
number of other patriots in the express company's
management who harmonzed on my idea. and, ~
o natural consequence. 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
were also stockholders in the American Telegraph
Company and when the noise heretofore spoken of
interfered with sound reading between WASH
ngton and Richmond, we felt it 10 be our duty to
take charge of tho lines this side. and we became
the Southern Telegraph Company You will SEQ
that. with all this array OF usefulness Is would, In
deed, be an unwise aud thOnRhtless, not TO say
hardhearted couscript officer who could believe 10
his duty to send us to the front as mnsket b-arers
II he could sse, as many of them did. the eless
industry with which express men devoted them
selves to the study of dots aud dashes-beatng .
tattoo for freedom office desks safes, eating
house tables in fact anywhere that would echo tho
evidence that they were teegraphers and entitled
to exemption-the certificate Of detail on tele-
graph duty would be sure TO come.
To pass the inspection OF the cOnscript officers IL
was necessary for the traveller to have "duty
ORDERS" "furlough,' exemption papers," or
black skin, and you can therefore imagine the sat
isfact OH patriot would feel when he exhibited
his detail telegraph operator aud knew that he
more likely to serve his country to the end OF
the war than the poor fellow with bnt one
one leg, travelling home on furough.
Many of the Inconvenience Of the early telegraph
DAYS were repeated here during the war; Insu-
latOrs were made of clay with common glazing.
or wire we depended on the uncertainties Of
blockade running and the Morris Wire Mill, at
Richmond which turned out only short lengths,
and fe Of those Old magnets were rewound and
old instruments rebuilt. Nitric acid was hardly
Obtainable, and substitutes had TO be discovered
and used but the wires were kept working and
new lines were built
When General Sherman started on his excursion
from Atlanta to Richmond. via Savannah, active
industries that route were iDnugurited for tele
graplers we'll as fighters The coast hines were
generally abandoned. and nearly all the business
was transmitted over the express wires.
On the morning of the evacuation Of Columbia.
left our Office and affairs there in charge OF Nr.
SOue, our telegraph operator and that night i,
being at General Beaurrgard's headquarters held
tclegraphic communication with SOule, he being IN
Columbia and within General Shermans command.
This presume, the only peaceful commuuea-
ton ever held by telegraph between the contend
ing parties during tho war. and might. perhaps.
have been less peaceful for Soule and myself IL 1t
had been known to either commander.
Probably the most useful service ever rendered
by our telegraph was in transmitting information
of the surrender and orders from General Sherman,
at Raleigh. to General Wilson at Macon. to cease
operations. 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 that time.