The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-05-31


ory. About q o'clock the telegraphine
died out or was confined to the train
dispatchers at jackson and Vicksburg.
By this time Coleman was in the posses.
sion of information which it was i'm.
| portant to communicate to General
Grant at once, so he descended from his
| perch and started off.
About noon of the following day he
struck McClernand' S division of Grants
army near Port Gibson. General Nc
Clernand sent him to General Grant,
and at that officers request he made his
report in writing and was lauded for his
success by man who was never known
in the war to give praise where it was
not deserved. Although history has not,
and perhaps never will, record the
fact, l have every reason for believing
| that if Coleman's services in this,
Grants most brilliant campaign did
not materially modify the plans of that
| officer they at least served to confirm
his confidence, and so led to a success
which, at the inception of the campaign,
the ablest officers of the Army of the
Mississippi deemed impossible
After the fall of Vicksburg, Coleman
accompanied General Grant to New Or
leans. He had reason to believe that the
intention was to have him assigned to
the army under General Banks. This
field would have been safer if not more
congenial, than that to which he was
| ordered in September, 1868, which was
destined to result so tragically to him
self. From New Orleans he was sent
again to the Army of the Cumberland,
then following Bragg through the
mountain defiles of northwestern Geor-
gia. Although not a combatant, Cole
man fought gallantly with the Four
teenth corps at the battle of Chicka-
mauga and accompanied General Thorn
as back to Chattanooga. Here his serv-
ices were of the greatest value. The
Confederates had signal stations on
Lookout mountain and along the crests
of Missionary ridge, Bragg's headquar-
tiers being about the center of the latter
elevation. The southern code had been
modified since Coleman's desertion, but
enough of the former method remained
to enable him to read with reasonable
accuracy.
When Grant took command of the
combined armies at Chattanooga in o.
tober, 1868, Coleman was sent for, and
he remained with that officer till after
the battles Of Lookout Mountain and
Missionary Ridge, which were SO disas-
trous to the Confederaoy. Immediately
after these victories the Union left, un-
der the command of Sherman, was hur-
ried to the relief of Burnside, then be-
sieged in Knoxville by Longstreet,
while the Union right, under Hooker,
was pushed forward till it struck the
Confederates under Cleburne at Ring
gold.
1t was at the siege of Chattanooga
that became intimate with Coleman,
though our first meeting was just before
the opening Of the Vicksburg campaign.
A bout the 27th of November he started
on his last desperate mission, but
whether the undertaking was suggested
by himself or General Grant l do not
know, but am inclined to think it was
the former.
After his defeat Bragg's army halted
at Dalton and Tunnel hill, where it re-
mained till Sherman began his spring
campaign the following year. Coleman
was perfectly familiar with the country
between Dalton and Atlanta, and his
purpose was to intercept the telegraphio
messages between Davis and his unfoa-
tunate lieutenant. AS there was no ac-
tive campaigning in Georgia or Vir-
ginia at that time whatever information
Coleman might gain would have no i'm
mediate value, and this fact is my rea-
son for believing that he was not adVis-
ed to undertake the work | say "ad-
vised, " for at no time had the COM
manding officer under whom Coleman
served the power to order him to do
such work. His ability to make his way
through the most closely guarded lines
was nothing short of marvellous. Past
success did not make him reckless Even
in his sleeping he seemed to be on the
alert, and he had in an unusual degree
what Napoleon called "2 o'clock in the
morning courage.
With safety he succeeded in making
his way to point about i've miles td
the west of the town of Calhoun, on the
road to Atlanta. He set to work with
his customary energy the night he reach
ed the ground, but here his good fortune
deserted him.
1t was cold, dark night, with high
wind and driving rain that froze as
it fell and coated the wires and tele=
graph poles in an armor of ice. In what
he believed To be q secluded place, Cole
man climbed n pole which, with some
care, he had selected for its strength.
He reached the crosspieces and was
pulling himself u2 when his hold broke
and he fell to the ground, 80 feet be-
low,
When he recovered consciousness, day
was dawnirg, and he saw about him
group of Confederate soldiers, one of
whom had a canteen to his lips. He was
sore and stiff, but beyond a severe scalp
8oppd ne was nQt seriously injured.
The soldiers believed his statement that
he had met with his accident while re-
pairing the telegraph lines. and he
might have got away in safety had not
a Confederate officer Of more than ordi.
lary shrewdness happened along. This
officer had his suspicious aroused, but
he succeeded in keeping them to him
self.
'Wheredoyou live?" asked the officer.
"In Atlanta, " was the reply,
Sand your nameE'
Coleman,
care you in the RrmyS"
eyes but l never served with nv