The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-05-31

am a ropairman sent cut TO fix this wire
The Yankees were chased back by J. E. b.
Stuart to-day"
"Good enough. ] thought Jeb wouldn't al
low that were some Of the expressions which
We're used in reply.
/ conveyed these messages 20 the General |
and staff TO their great delight and amuse
ment. Tie General was anxious TO find out
whom We lad on the wire. They all saw from
The automatic ticking Of the little machine
when my hands were of il that it was some
thing ~ distance making the signals To
crafty the General and get around the ques-
fion asked: " Isit I'd? which is the sig
nal ] had myself heard used when ! was at
Beauregards S headquarters, from the Richmond
Office.
No: its supt's Office" That was enough.
Il was the Railroad General SupeTintendent's
Office. ] had reason TO think they had been
led of by this talk, and hoped that they would
notify toe Richmond officials that communica-
fion bv wire had been restored, and that the
Yankees had been driven Off IN reality, we
had more eLectnally destroyed their communi-
cation. Instead OF being driven OF. these Yam
KEGS proposed moving south at once toward
Richmond
The General and staff rode of, evidently
well satisfied with the little experiment. /
was dIr,eed 10 lose no time in following.
fixed this wire 10 the ground, as / had the
other SIDE o. the gap. and after reporting to the
SuperintlLdents Office that everything was ..
k. leir.
j have ue doubt that both the Superintend-
ent's Office and GorGonsville called each
other oEi1e a long time that evening, and per-
haps each supposed the other had closed his
Office ioI the night and gone home. Each one
Of the wires seemed TO be All right; in reality
ii was as far IS these two taps 20 the ground.
To nIake surer tap, or 70 more ehecJually
blind tae regular telegraph repair force, / car
Tied with ne some leather thongs rolled into
shape re5elaBlinE an ordinary piece Of line wire.
These bit> 0i leather " wires were inserted IN
the Telegraph line and connected by the twisted
jOint precisely IN the same manner rs the real
wire. I8e eject is 20 break the continuity OF
the wire 0r metallic cigcuit 4 piece OF this
sort OF leather an inch ia length inserted into
the win a. completely destroys the use of 100
miles ot wlre as if 80 miles Of i had been torn
down ~. course il viii be understood that the
leather Is . uou-cOndUctor Of electricity Not
wave q. tHe current viii get over 1t. To pre-
vent detection the leather or tarred twine
should a. I'D exact imitation Of the real wire.
In time l- Eill be detected Of course, bat an
ordinary IepairmEn on tue lookout for q break
viii B-feer the wire for days without discOy-
eTing tie hidden flaw.
j VIII euire not only time, but the scien-
tifc, Tedious tests Of an electrician olocate the
fault A. this consumes valuable time, and
or a "a ~ iB war time is everything.
! cal ~ the stand Col. Alexander, Chief of
Staf. WHO viii corrob0rate if need be- my
claims for he application Of these methods.
We trsyeted nearly ali Of that night, reach
ing ] lif.i4. nearly 10 the James River the
next Ilio TliHg. We did not all 20 in a body or
bunch. %. course. Every road was occupied by
detachi ais Of the raiders. We went as We
please Glvlng 10 the people Of the interior Of
Virgin, lght Of the Federal uniform Tor the
first and oHlv time
A great many Of these F. F. VS., whom we
called upon at their mansions. discovered, 10
their caagrin, that the despised " Yankee on a
horse w4- a good soldier and a gentleman.
Such men 8s Custer Fitzpatrick, Bu.ord and
Gregg wvle there.
Il Noal .l a gooi-sized pamphlet to tell all
that j Say On this raid SO ! shall cOndense as
much - o-sible. We had destroyed al the
Iailr0a3s iu cur rear, and were ready 10 move
on the -.recI line between Fredericksburg and
Richmond.
ssGNALISG By ROCKETS.
I shall Lave 10 explain here the system Of
Signals 5v rockets. IL viii be seen that we
were nos in the rear Of Lees army, and il was
important ttat we should communicate with our
army. The only method Of signaling that
could be aE. led OF under such circumstances
was over l4Ie heads Of tie enemy. The topOE-
EaphT O. Tie country about Charlottesville, ia
the vi. -eTtlss was not Al ali suitable f0T VS.
ual sign IL by flags from elevations.
j tE.Hs- z have explained that the one-tWo
Tisk G. petition ] VIII say here that rockets
are n.ae after the manner of Roman candles.
which hr0w out, while i'm the air at great
altitBce- a-t such coors o. stars and IL tie
precise ustler that may be desired.
& white STAR OF fash is number /, while q
red is nu..a ser ?; the blue or green is number
3 winch -.eu-fes 3 stop or pause. Now, for
3nsrance HAeu we want 70 form the letter A.
al THAI i- necessary is an A rocket, which
VIII sAlw n the air first, red star, or num-
Der =, al4a sitter brief interval a number !, or
white, A .es may be followed BIZ green or
blue, Wlic Is number 3. 10 indicate the end or
pause. ! rtd star dropped from a flying rocket
means waile q wAIle following means !, or
2L 4. Uill oe seen, therefore, a single rocket
may st..iF alternately any number Of these
white a-- 80 stars. 10 form IS great num-
Der oi ordinations a. can be made Out Cf the
TWO heerse. u. OF a white and red, il the oIdi-
mary f'iI45et is 4, ard 50 On.
But il racket signaling tire alphabet is not
ctten l-sl-- because TOO cuI- bersOme and Liable
10 be tla.ssi-ted by tae enemy. Instead Of the
alpl2tc,. Inc figures formed by the dropping
stars Ol -e and red represent cipher which
has bee. previously agreed upon. 4 simple
white -l4lt. " !, may be made 10 represent Z
Whole lteEce or command q white and red
or u. l-av mean Attack In the center %
while Il 1912 Or white red, white red, is given
BY The dropping ot the balls ot fire, glance al
the cililer-uO0k may show: The enemy are
4E--t'lt4l+- fttte-lA D8 LLe4E lElL or alA
else, a. desired and previously arranged. In
deed, tnt-= Is 40 end 10 the uses OF the signal
system thus applied 20 waT.
Rockies aEe prepared with all the numbers OF
eombina, ols plainly marked on them IL is
only eleaig, therefore, 10 select from the
stock sle. numbers as are required, set match
60 then. 4eu they gracefully sail into the air
and there. -ar above the trcc-tops and IL sight
OF everybody, The little balls Of white red and
green oroa alternately from the rocket. spell
Ing oGt theiT messages Oh the black bo2rd oi
the SKY, raere il eau be seen by the yiailant
sigma o1ieess from great distances.
MEssESGEE BALLOONS.
We hzyg al seen the little balloons al tht
1Teworss exhibitions that sail SO gracefully
Through ,he air, dropping their differently
c0ioTed lights. = signal balloon may be con.
Etructed o. THIS principle that viii carry into
The AIT above the heads o. the enemy a lOnl
dispatch ~ach ID may lcisuley let down ont,
tie earta ~ i sails. IN actual practice We dil
not Aarr aay balloons Of this sort with lOni
messalc- r write cut on the sky; but we diC
have T9c.-e,s however, which could be de
pended lFOa 70 give out Ia proper order tbes,
signal ID tts and numbers.
The Cs vantage q firing q rocket while Il
the eucErs country is that It's setting of !
very APT ~ attract the attention Of your enem,
IA ..s.r rr.r 20 q fE.s-s -