The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-04-26


usage. great care was taken in Its manipulation.
The wire, though as thick as pencil was as
fexible as a piece Of rope Of the same thick
ness. 1t could be lOoped. tied and twisted into
any sort Of shape IN the toughest. shortest man
ner. and be undone without damaging 1t. twill
be understood without furthereXplauation from
me- that the purpose in having this army
signal wire made in this way was 70 secure per
feet insulation for the electric current. 1t
was expected that in certain emergencies the
wire could be rapidly reeled off the bose-car-
riage-l00zing vehicle that carried il onto the
ground, even during a battle, and signal com
muuigation kept up through 1t even WhIie 1t
Jay On the ground or in the water. A corps OF
men with wagons arranged TO carry cords Of
their little cIrCus-teut telegraph poles would
run along after the reel Ike a hOok-and-ladder
company. aud were drilled TO rapidly pick up
the v.ira aud suspend is overhead, where itWas
4lO1 Ifa5ie Ue II, t.-a.. 70 men or horses COM
ing against it.
Wei. ii seems as II there is a good deal
preliminary TO my talk with Gen. Burnside.
j didn't have to tell him all OF this, because ne
already knew all about IT.. The telegraph and
the wire were both Ia his sight continually. 1
merely said 10 him:
General. I viii take some Of that insulated
wire. suhmeTge il as cable under the Kappa
hauuocE and 90 over there myself and tele-
praHh your Headquarters every hour, If neces-
sary from inside the rebel lines"
Nby. my boy, IL you were to attempt to
take thar wire over there the first use that
W0uld be made Of 1t would be TO make rope
IL hang YOU"
But m not going over there with rope
IL my hands, ] said Then 1 fully explained
10 the General first, that ] could get into
Fredericksburg in apparent safety. under pre-
tense 30 3einga rebel, because / had actGally
been taken away from there in arrest and con-
fined IN old Capitol Prison, by Mr. Stantons
orGers which fact was Well-kuOwn by some
friends in the town. At thls the Generals
mouth opened in establishment, aud he proba-
bly began 10 think he was talking with crazy
man. Bur, after long talk about my former
experiences and NY recent personal troubles
with Mr stanton, which interested the Cen
eral. especially the latter, seemed to renew his
inter 81, and be apparently gave me his SYM
IatlT and encouragement. The poor Old Gen
eral was in great troable with the War Office
just then, and probably from this fact he was
able L. better appreciate my queer position.
How very Insignificant and tridiug my affairs
became - compared with bis own distressing,
breaking burden.
The Geuerali with q deep sigh as an expres-
sion Of pain passed over hIs face that shall
never 0rget said:
by dear boy. I should like TO avail Of your
offer. and VIII think over; but" with hesitan-
cy, as has brow WriHkled with something like
r y
the way Of secret-service confidence, that the
position and location Of the rebel forces has
been incorrectly reported 10 me by the War
Department Secret Service officials"
In this connection / can only explain this
voluntary observation by the well known fact
that undoubtedly Burnside was indirectly
obliged ly public sentiment. expressed through
Hslleck and Stanton. and perhaps the Presi-
dent 10 make his unfortunate movement over
the river, in the face Of an enemy intrenChed
on the almOst-impregHable nights, against bis
better military jndgm nt.
PeTHaps the War Department had inf8rma-
ton Oi the rebel army that would seem to have
Justified the attempt. / don't pretend to know
anything more about il than l have gathered
from Gen Burnside in the way I have indi-
Gated,
In after years, when Gen. Burnside became
8 Senator from Rhode Island, / was employed
IN the senate as telegraph operator for the
Associated Press Maj. Ben: PeTley P0Ore the
correspondent. learning from me that I had
served Hith the General, Incidentally men,
TONED The fact % him one day and in less time
than ! take 70 write II the dear old General
was in my Office shaking me heartily By the
hand. 1 met him iu business way frequently
during bis term. but he never talked on the
subject of the war % me, except IN q general,
pleasau. way.
0UTLISISG TIE sCBKHE.
further explained, 70 the apparent sstisfsc-
ti0n q the General. that I should submerge the
wire IL the river at night al a certain point
and not attempt 10 haul il out on the rebel
shore excerpt under certain contingencies that
were likely 20 occur, aud which I could make
use Oi rom the other shore. ! had studied the
subject carefully indeed, from my frequent
visits t0 The river bank I had evolved from my
fertile brain the plan to Kill two birds with
one stone / e, 70 pet 70 see Geno-at the risk
o. my neck-aud while there under the pro-
lection Of her father and friends who would
undoubtedly vOuch for me as q good rebel ]
should oe able % 90 about Uumolested and
learn tnc position ana perhaps the plans o. the
re5e. arlay, aud then trust to a fortunate CON-
biuztieh Of circumstances to 20 and fish up my
suhme ged wire and tap my important news q
beadg4aTteTs Any telegrapher will see that
this could easily have been done by the use 0
The llitlc Instrument that could be concealed
between the empty lids Of big watch-case
The current Or battery was 20 be supplied from
the other end. and ali that ] had 10 do 70 Sc
cure attention or to notify the operators al
Burns 5es headquarters that somebody was al
tie o-I-r end Cf their wire was 10 merely liz
the exposed end OF the ground or cut Of thj
water j can't explain all this, but that IS tht
fact "a s substaniialed. The only difficulty
about tae plan was iu getting hold Of this euC
o. tie wire without detection. This was
very serious trouble, bat, as I have said, hac
carefully studied the thing out aud thought i
ever night and day.
VIII admit, for tie sake Of argument tha
my thoughts and plans we're stimulated by TIA
hope Of getting over 10 see GeHO. In my fre
quent ics along the river banks in search 0
gees landiue-place for my cable / had SC
leC.e4 point Or the other side right below th
pler 3. t1e burnt railroad bridge. Those wh
have been there WI. remember an old mil
that was located n Eht on the bank the water
whee. II which seemed 10 be almost on tb
edge o. the water. From this wheel was
deep ditch Or wasce-way for the escape Of th
surplus water into the river Back Of IN
Hhee. there was o. course. the mill-race. whic
was quite deep and. like a canal sluggish
THIS race. rs it is called extended in a wind
ing way up into an Gaflegueuted part Of th
towu.
Sow, my scheme was 10 watch q fagorabl
opportunity from the Union side. and with IN
cOaHiv1Eee 81 our oWu officers, the FIRST dar
night ] proposed taking q coil of that Wiu
and under the prgteHse OF escaping over h
river iu q boat, j should, when near the rcb,
shore drop the coil with its anchor aud max
certain signal, at which
OUR PICKETs WE'RE To FIRE THEIR eUEs
as II they had discovered me and were in b,
pursuit.
OF eaErssfhersbel Picsets would be expecte
60 be on The aler, ali the time aud 10 prevel
detection j proposed sEspending the coil
wire in tae water from the start, attached