The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-01-23
VISITING WAR SCENES,
"reminiscences of a United States
Signal Corps Man.
BY A. D. FRANKESBERRY, POINT MARION, PA.

On page 760 Gen. John NJ Corse, in report
sent personally to Gen. Sherman, under date
of Allatoona, Oct. a. 1864, says: Started
from Rome, Ga, at $50 p. M, Oct. a, on
| signal telegraca from you via Allatoona, with
q portion OF one brigade of my division
Arrived at this place about midnight"
Again, Gel. Corse in his second report,
dated at Rome, Oct. 81, 1864, on page 762,
says: ION the 4th instant my command
was in readiness to move in the morning
either on Wheeler, if he should attempt to
| pass south, OF to the assistance of Gen.
| Raum at Carterville or AllatOona, in case
those places were threatened. At the re-
quest of Gen. Raum for reinforcements l
telegraphed 10 Kingston for cars, intending
sending brigade to Carterville, to be placed
at his disposal, but another signal from Gen.
Sherman directing me TO move with my
whole command changed the program, and
| Immediately got ready to move to Allatoona
| with my division as soon as the cars should
arrive from Kingston"
From private letter to me, dated Head
quarters Army of the United States, Wash
| ington, ID. c., Dec. "a, 1862, quote:
The messages sent by the signal flags from Ken
nesaw to Gen. Corse at Rome and Allatoona were
verbal messages of which record was had.
My purpose was TO bring reinforcements
10 Allatoona from Rome and TO hold OH to ALA
toona till could reach II with adequate force.
Yours truly, W. L. SHERMAN.
This entire letter is in Gen. Sherman's
own hanwriting, and is highly valued by me-
Besides all this the following letter tells
the importance of the message:
H'D'os MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI
In THE FIELD. QAyLEsvILLE. ALA. Oct. q, 1864.
Hon. L. NJ. STANTON. Secretary Of War.
SIR: Capt. Bachiell, Chief of the Signal Corps,
serving with this army, has asked my candid opin-
ion OF The services of that corps during the period
of my command ia this army.
have watched their operations close, and will
inRly admit their zeal. and any expression that may
have escaped me to The prejudice of that corps
suited from accidents OF nature; such fog. inter-
vening forests. etc. that impeded them when
was over-anxiOus for news
But i'm sayeral instances this corps hns transmit
ted orders and brought me information of The
greatest Importance, that could not have reached
me in any other way.
will instance most remarkable case, When
the enemy had cut our wires, and Rctuaily made -
iodgment on our railroad about Big Shauty, the
Signal Officers on Winnings Ill., Kennesaw, and
Allatoona sent my orders to Gen. Corse at Rome,
whereby Gen. Corse enabled TO reach Ala
toona just in time TO defend IT,.
Had ii not been for the services Of this CORDS on
that OCCASION an satisfied should have lost
the garrison at Aliatoona, and most valuable de-
pository OF provisions there, which worth to
us and the country more than the aggregate ex-
pcnse of the whole Signal Corps for one year tor
TINS war; am therefore willing to bear tcsti-
mony to the great utility of this corps well rs
the marked zeal which has always characterized
their personal behavior. During this campaign
several of their officers have lost their lives in the
front rank.
/ am. with respccts tsigned) W. T. SHERMAN
Major General, Commanding.
lOflicial copyl
Several years ago some persons made |
a claim that Lieut.. w. II. Sherry, Signal |
Officer, was the person who sent the famous
message, and that he. or his relatives had |
the signal-fag used on that occasion.
In the same volume, on pages 1879, Lieut.. |
Sherry says:
During Oct. 1, Q, 3, was in camp at East
Point, Ca On the 4th, started |
from camp. marched 20 miles. and
bivouacked at II p. m. On the 5th, marched
eight miles and encaInped. went to Mari
eta to assist in getting signal communica-
tions between Headquarters of Gems Sherman
and Howard. Oct. g. in camp at
Fifteenth Corps Headquarters. 7th, l went
to station near, Headquarters to see if my
services were needed shere, and afterward
went ont TO the front to look for signals ON
Lost Mountain. At noon | received orders
to 90 to Kennesaw Mountain, and started
arriving and taking charge of
station at p. m. During the three succeed
ing days was on the mountain, very busy,
and PASSED many important messages"
So Lieut.. w. III. Sherry says he went to
Kennesaw Mountain Oct. Z. The message to
Corsc at Rome was sent on the 4th, the battle
was fought and won on the 9th.
III the army commanded by Gen. Sherman
The Signal Corps used the Is code; flag
man stands with signal flag held perpen-
lcular. To make "S" the flag is waved to
he right hand from the upright position
% the ground and retured to upright posi-
ion. To make Il !" the flag is waved to the
eft in like manner. TO make IS" the flag
8 made to descend to the front to the ground
md return again to the upright. So one {
5" indicated end of word, two SIS" end
If sentence, and three " SIS end of message
The different combinations represented by
he numbers ON and "8" represented the
etters of the whole alphabet.
Here is disc used by the Signal Corps:
t is set with "1111" on "a" and was so ]
lsed on Oct. a and 3, 1864.