Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-11
AFTER GETTYSBURG.
A REPORTERS ADVENTURES IN
SEARCH OF WAR NEWS.
Tsless aphing Under Difficulties The
Strange Signal *. IA Hasty Dis
paich-what Lincoln Told Gen.
Meade . Few Days Later.
fCroYut's New York Letter.

fCrOffut's New York Letter.l
"Now its your turn to tell a story" said
to a gentleman who had hitched up from
the other end of the car and listened. The
newcomer WAS A. II. Byington, editor Of
The Norwalk, Conn, Gazette, who has been
an attache Of congress for the last thirty
years. During three years OF the war he
served The New York Tribune as Washing
ton and field correspondent, and l often left
the quartermasters' accounts to look out
for Themselves and lent him a hand.
Lincoln is always in Order" | suggested.
u know what he thou hit about the battle
of Gettysburg" said Byington. But it
wouldn't do TO print it. Though, having a
newspaper of my own that Is always hungry
for gossip, have never ventured to air it.
As preliminary to what Lincoln said per-
haps, had better recall the beat ! got on
the other newspapers in reporting the battle
of Gettysburg"
We agreed, and he sailed ahead. at was
the latter part of June, 1868, that l got dis
patch from Culpepper court house, to hurry
out there, for our army was on the move. l
went at once, but the army had already
started north at n rapid pace, trying to keep
between the rebel army and Washington.
Hooker was in command. l went to the
headquarters of Meade. who was stationed
at Goose creek. He told me there was going
TO be a battle, but my best way was to go
back to Washington and hurry up to
Harper's Ferry, and there would head OF
the army and find the Seventeenth Con-
EeCticut whose Quartermaster had enc OF
my horses.
"When got to Harper's Ferry l found
Hooker in fume. l soon learned that he
had demanded to have the 10000 inactive
men Oh Boliver heights attached to his own
army for the battle with Lee, and that Hal
leck had refused. Hooker resigned that
afternoon and Lincoln commissioned Meade
to command the army OF the Potomac. Ihe
Seventeenth Connecticut was still ahead OF
me. Gen Bob Tyler Of the Connecticut
brigade was there, and he took my map and
marked red ring around on it on the Penn
svlvania line. and said, Within few days
there would be within that circle one OF the
( biggest fights the world ever saw. Go
around to Baltimore and head it OF at
York, Pa
Again l followed directions / tried
Baltimore, but news came there that the
rebels had burnt the bridges and torn up
( the track. l finally went to PhIla-
delphia and got to York by way OF
Lancaster determined to be the first re-
/ porter on the ground. The track was torn
/ up, but got minister to carry me twelve
miles in his wagon. J. E B. Stuarts rebel
/ cavalry had been to York, gutted the
/ provision stores and taken SO, 900 from the
/ bank. Occasionally heard a gun go off In
! the southwest i hired a buggy, telling the
/ owner to charge it to The Tribune II never
| came back, and drove in the direction OF the
| cannOnadIng.
] ,,,ila
some rebel cavalry on the way, and got to
| Hanover There had been u severe cavalry
fight there The town had a disorderly
appearance; people stayed close in their
houses, and the debris of arms and accoutre-
ments lay along the roads. The wounded
were gathered in the church. Telegraph
wires we're broken and strewn around.
- stopped at the hotel and asked the land
lord if there was no telegraph operator
there. Yes, there he is, said he, pointing
out little hunchback named Tone. l asked
him where his battery was. AT home
under the bed,' he said. The wires are all
cut, and there is no use trying to telegraph.
to 90 out on a hand-car and fix the wires, I
paving the men and making myself re-
sponsible for the value of the car. Then The
battery was brought out and We got Balti-
more, the operator promising an absolute
monopoly Of the wire for two days.
Then hurried to the tle-field, some
five miles Off Before reaching there met
Gen. Howard, and he told me Of the first
days fight, Of Reynolds death, and many
other things; l found j. r Sypher,
whom l had engaged at Lancaster
to follow me, and We sent off by our
private telegraph wire an account of the
! tscb- ~ tha t1y, ,IavS a ms
fcent feat No other accounts got through
that night, and between $3.50 and midnight
The Tribune sold Is, 900 copies ON the streets
of the city.
Tone kept getting the strange signal 'K.L,
*. l. What the dickens does n l. meanF
he asked. I'm afraid the rebs havr tapped
our wire. Finally he found out that it was
the war department at Washington. we
have got Byington's first despatch said
Stanton, and it is our first news. Send along
more. We are listening For two days
sent exclusive dispatches over my wire,
giving all particulars of the great battle,
while The Herald was running relays of
horses. | tele egraphed that the r'ilroad was
whole from Baltimore TO Hano Ter, and the
government sent out trains Tor our wounded.
The surgeon told me that that railroad saved
Gen. Sickles' life
after the battle l got a horse and
hurried ON after the rebels wondering that
Meade did not pursue. They were all broken
mn and dsmoralized the roadside strewn
with sick men. with dead horses and aban-
doned wearons- Next day came IN with
-, ,,,oi, or,y II vos bu5IIad ,d,a+ba-
- - -, 80 - pesoa
III hoiseshoe-sHapeu .enu vi uiie -'oiii,o
in valley surrounded by hills ON on. AIDE
and by the swollen and rushing river on the
other. 1t would have been easy TO ieg the n
all. Their hight was fatally interrupted