The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-02-09

the Burnett House. have always had PEN
chant for first-cass hotels and in reaching a
new place always ask for the best and that's
the way we two rough-looking chaps got into
the Burnett House.
Another point that / usually hunted up in
those days on reaching city was the telegraph
Office, that / might announce to my folks at
home that had again ,retnrned to the earth
for brief visit to them 1t was always q sur-
prise to them to hear from me after one of
these secret-seryice trips. They never knew
exactly where | was of course and could not
make any calculations as to what point on
the earth my balloon would land me next 1t
will be remembered that had come upon them
suddenly, after being widely advertised
having been hung by both the rebels and our
own officers at Fort Piekens, some time previ-
Gus, from New York. This time it was from
Cincinnati.
Being one of the boys-that is, a telegrapher
II usually had free access to the operating
rooms of the offices, where / frequently met
with some of the fraternity with whom l was
well acquainted-by wire. You know it is
fact that there are old acquaintanees and even
intimate friends amongst telegraphers who
have never met personally; their only method
of knowing each other is through the mysteri-
GUS and magnetic pulse of the electric wave
over the wire.
IN THE OPERATING ROOM
of the Cincinnati Office up on dingy fourth
floor, l found the night manager, a gentleman
whom | had known familiarly by wire, though
| had never seen him before. Introducing
myself, was at once made at home, and felt as
if | had met the first friend since my return.
After giving him brief account of myself,
was courteously put in instant communication
with some of my old associates in the neigh
boring city with whom [ was personally ac-
quainted, and who had, by the way, heard of
my mysterious disappearance and subsequent
adventures. For the time being all other
business was laid to one side on that telegraph
circuit, aud the entire system was turned over
TO me.
Remember, if You please, that had not heard
a single word from home for over eight months.
did not, of course, know that all were we'll. /
almost dreaded to hear first that some one dear
to me had died during my long absence. had
! sent some communications through the block
! ade from Richmond, but this had been some
! time before left East Tennessee.
! OF conrse no replies to these could be re-
| ceiyed by me- Now, if the reader viii put
! himself IN my own or my fathers place, each
| at the end Of wire 800 miles long and try to
| imagine, if he can, the agony of suspense and
/ fear that hung over me at that hour, he will
realize in part my feelings Ny nerves were
at such q tension that fguratiYely speaking
! they were strung out as long as that wire, that
reached over miles of mountain and plain TO
my Pennsylvania home. With my own hand
| trembling on the telegraph key, sent my own
message, as follows:
! To Father: am heresafe Are all well at home 2
While waiting for the answer which knew
must come soon, the moments seemed hours Of
suspense. While / tried to entertain my friends
| who were about me with a brief sketch of my
adventures, one of the operators took from the
wires and handed me the reply, which L had
| failed to catch with my own ear while engaged
in the talk. He read aloud the exact words of
bona-fde message:
had little hopes OF ever seeing you again.
| Come straight home. Your Uncle A. is dead All
| the rest well. FATHER.
That was all. It was enough All were
well at home. The uncle who had died in my
absence was the one relative ] had last visited
on the day heard OF the battle of Bull Run.
/ would like here to tender tribute to my
| father, but feel that ! am not competent To do
the subject appropriate justice
He still lives, an old patriarch, and viii read
| these notes, and for the 6rst time fully under
stand the entire story of his wayward boys
| adventures. Ny father was the one true con-
slant friend Of my chookered career, and to
him and his untiring interest in my behalf
owe not only the preservation of my life, but
what little have attained in this world.
can sincerely thank God, as Beecher said
THAT | was born of srents who gave me q
sound constitution AMI noble example and
can never pay back Wat | got from my pa
rents. If / were able y raise monument o.
gold higher than HcaTen, it would be no ex-
preston Of the debt Of gratitude which / owe
by the heritage of their body and the heritage
Of their souls to me"
If | may be permitted to make so marked
A DEPRESSION
here, | will remark that since l have beer
writing these chapters of my adventures have
written to my sister, Mrs. Pattie c., o
80 Fayette Place Allegheny, Pa, for corrobora
tion of some points in the narrative Of event
Of this period, from her recollection Of tha
time, and she can fully vouch for many part
of the story / have also received a lette
from Mr. G. w. Hoffman, of Latrobe, Pa, wh'
says: Il am the fellow who ran away from
you in the mountains Of Virginia in August
1861. l went on quite a distance that day ant
5 slept on the mountain that night. The mex
{ day / returned to the hotel at Sandy Hooh.
: near Harper's Ferry. | had quite time of il
l saw several Of the rebel cavalry, but | al
! ways made it point TO keep out of their way
: as / had the blue pants aud blouse on. Thos
fellows made their headquarters next to wher
/ you made the inquiries of the old woman il
the log house. 1t was wonder they didn'
0 catch me. Wasn't there a rebel camp nea
Leesburg, or is that the name OF the town nea
q that mountain? ! suppose it is about eigh
t miles from Harper's Ferry; / could hear drum
q beating plainly, as / was near the town. Whe
. / returned TO our camp ] vas put in guard
/ house as a rebel spy, but l got out all right.
4 Accompanying this letter is Mr. Hoffman
= business card as a matchmaker and jewcler i
e his town.
; Mr.. Hoffman was brave, fearless three
/. months man, who had been detailed as a scou
o From subsequent correspondence | learn ths
4 he served through the war in the 10Th Pa
and was among the first to get on to Fort Sun
e ter, while pursuing his vocation as a SCOT
| down there.
s To resume my story. l only remained i
Cincinnati that one night. Of course | W.
2 most anxious TO get home. Early the next morn
8 ing my clever Ohio officer and companion, who:
j; nane.I have forgotten, accompanied me to tn
A. Little Miami Depot, where we separated, pr0I
e ably forever, as / have never heard of hii
d since, and can only hope that he may read N
l. acknowledgements of his kindness to the scot
D. in THE NATIoEAL TRIBUNE.
II / had no money excepting that which ha
been kindly furnished By these Ohio boys {
it at the Gap but when / reached Cincinnati an
le a telegraph wire / was all right. l had frien
d in ID. w Caldwell, who was at the time I'll
u General Superintendent Of the Railway, 81
ne located at Columbus. We mad been associate
to together as Superintendent and clerk in CC
a Tom Scott's Office at Pittsburg.
A message to Mr. Caldwell, at Coiumbu
promptly secured pass from Cincinnati
Columbus aud when the train reached the Ia