Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-07-04

would naturally contribute TO Z sue.
cessful defense. And, q N sx-confed.
crate, am disposed to take full credit
to our side for oil that II can rightly
clam.
Imean the fact that the confederates
habitually read the federal signals e.
changed between the land and the
naval forces, and thus had full knowl.
edge Of every contemplated movement;
SO that anything In the nature Of .
surprise was impossible.
How did the contederates ret those
signals? That Is an interesting story
and one that has = moral, too. As I
first heard 1t told, 1t was simply that
some Of our scouts down the coast had
captured . federal signal station by .
surprise no complete that the union Of
fcers had not even time to destroy the
book containing the cipher code. Our
operators soon made out the code and
were able to read the signals with ease
and certainty.
There IL reason to doubt II this Is Q
correct statement Of what took place.
Many years later I heard from for
mer staff officer y different and, l be-
lieve, the true version.
He said that when the federal signal
station was taken, the book was de-
stroyed before 1t could fall into the
hands Of the confederates. But they,
having the operator as their prisoner,
were determined to secure his precious
secret. Every effort was made to in
duce him to part with It, but in vain
bribery and intimidation equally
failed.
Then. acting on the principle that
'all Is fair In love and war;" the au.
thoritles adopted q procedure which
nothing but military necessity could
justify. A man was detailed to do the
special work Of worning himself into
the confidence Of the prisoner.
He was given unlimited money and
the opportunity OF plying MS intended
victim freely with drink and every de-
moralizing influence. He succeeded.
The man who, while ne was in posses
sion OF bis manhood mad steadfastly
refused TO betray MS countrys sacred
trust Tor any reward, weakly yielded
when he fell under the power OF VICIOUS
indulgence, and gave to his enemies a
secret which proved TO DC priceless
While l cannot vouch for this story
! believe IT, because OF the source from
which received ~ Az an events, we
got possession OF the federal code OF
signals 81 some time' mink, IN Inc
spring OF 1865 justin season. therefore
TO serve US during the period OF active
operations which opened with the
great attack OF the ironclad neet In
April OF That year
From that time forward knowl-
edge OF oil that the federals planned,
70 tar as 1t could DO gained from their
signals was . regulsr feature OF our
defense and believe that 1t explains
more than one federal failure.
We had men detailed 1or the solepur-
pose OF Watching the enemy with
glasses; and no sooner was q message
sent from tho fleet to the land forces,
or the reverse, than our men took It
down, and telegraphed II 10 headquar-
tiers IN Charleston. Inc system was
complete, and worked ike . charm.
Let me give now one or two SPECIFIC
instances Of the advantage we derived
from this knowledge:
When the ironclad feet was repulsod
by our batteries on April 7, 1903, we
were fully convinced that the attack
would soon be renewed, and II was
difficult to anticipate the result.
Serious damage had been done to the
walls Of Fort Sumter. In two in.
stances. proiectiles had gone clean
through the masonry. The formida.
bic effect Of heavy guns, at close range,
on brickwork had been amply demon.
strated Indeed, 20 convinced was the
commandant Of Fort Sumter Of the I'm.