The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-11


Spreading them out on the table, she
drew her chair near it, and after once
more casting her eye about the room be-
gan to study them.
Miss Baggs had been endeavoring to So
cure the information required as to the
methods Of the general commanding the
Army Of the Cumberland, in following
the retreating Confederates ever since
the request had been made Of her in
June previous. Here IL was September,
and she had effected nothing. True,
she had taken a number Of dispatches
in cipher from the wires, but they were
very long. and the longer the message
the more difficult she had found them
to decipher. Within few'days she had
intercepted two very short ones. Taking
them from those before her, she began
to study one consisting Of only few
lines.
1t read as follows:
WASHINGTON. Aug. s, 1858.
Banks here army the Benjamin cat to for
your report shinney daily are advance the cart
orders Of peremptory applause.
Here is the other, little longer:
WASHINGTON. Sept. q. 1863.
Congress long with advise applause mar
BILE your possible your ago To party was con-
meet soon TO movements spot his ordered as 10
Burton pin OF and left ordered Benjamin.
Taking up the dispatch she had in
tercepted when tho Army Of the Cum
berland began to advance and some pa
pers showing that she had been trying
to decipher ii, she began to look them
over. This is the dispatch:
MURFREEsBoRo. June 2s. 1862
Volunteers Garfield with circling between
you possession turn an he cob Bundle at to get
that possible by move Benjamin pony chief
rapidity around that put Of the hours ready
shingle to notice enemy's Tullahoma your
point the by Of poliwog Of plateau Niggard II
desire and hope forward to haha move me
right command and mountain order staff.
Miss Baggs had had this dispatch by
her since the latter part of June and
had puzzled over it for many an hour.
She had never succeeded in finding
key, but had at last drawn something
of its meaning from the tumble Of
words. After much study she assumed
that the words, when laid down in their
proper order, would give the proper
meaning. But there were certain words
which either did not mean anything or
stood perhaps for some place or general
She began by taking out a number OF
such words as ''polliwog," 'haha,"
"shingle" and pony" The dispatch
was doubtless from Rosecrans, as the
word Garfield (his chief of staff) mp
peared, and the words "chief Of staff"
were scattered through it, Therefore
either Benjamin or Bundle or Niggard
meant Rosecrans Subsequent dispatch
es which fell into her hands had con.
vinced her rfFat Rosecrans was desig-
mated as Benjamin. Then she began to
try TO fit words together in this wise:
Your command
between Tuliaboma and Niggard
get possession
enemy's right
Circling around the mountain plateau
desire that you ct possession If possible
point bss~spen Tullahoma and Niggard
Move with rapidly
BY order of Benjamin (Rosecrans) Garfield
chief Of staff.
Other groupings gave her better re,
suits till she obtained the following:
To Bunblc tprobabiy cavalry general on
tho left fankiBc ready To move at an hours
notice. / desire that you turn the enemy's
right. Move yoCr command IL possible by cir
cling around Tho mountain plateau Get pos
session Of point between 1uilahoma and Mig
gard probably some point in rear of the
southern ar.ny) Vit74t-r----t-ffty. BY order of
Rosccrans, Garfield, chief Of staff
The dociphering. so far as il went,
was OF no avail, since it did not come
in time, but it helped her with the
shorter and easier dispatches. which
she now attacked She begair with this
one:
Banks hero army the Benjamin cat to for
your report shinncy daily are advance the cart
orders of pcremptory applause.
Miss Ba2gs had learned that proper
name preceded all these cipher dis.
patches, possibly having something TO
do with the key. At any rate, she threw
out the first word (Banks) and the
words ''cat, I" 'shinney" and cart" as
check words Benjamin, she assum.
ed, meant Rosecrans Applause" must
be the signature of the sender, and as
the dispatch was from Washington it
was probably either Lincoln, Stanton
or Halleck. The word ito" taken with
Benjamin" must mean ITO Rose
crans" and "peromptory" and "or-
dors" evidently must go together. The
word advance" doubtless explained
the two other words This only left
report and daily" as words of i'm.
portance These combinations did not
come Mt once, bat after getting them
she inferred that Rosecrans had per.
emptory orders 20 advance and report
daily to Washington.
81 have got something at last, she
exclaimed, getting mp from her chair
and walking back end forth excitedly
This is indeed important p"
Then she took up the second dispatch;
Congress LONG ith rs advise applause mar
Bile you possible your ago 70 party was con
meet HHpu 10 r4DvcrlCats SPOT his ordered as 20
Burton fr le.t ordered Benjamin.
Continued Tomorrow.)
Pal,1ed.