The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-07-08
sAvED FROM SURPRISE.
Queer Story Of Cipher Whose Reading
Startled the Federal Army.

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Startled the Federal Army.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: After the
assault by our forces on May o. 1863, at
Vicksburg in which 1926 Of our men fell
under the storm of rebel hail from rebel
heavy artillery and smal:-arms, our forces
were obliged to fall back, after having
planted the Star-Spangled Banner on two of
the enemy's ramparts.
Grant, with the counsel of his other Gen.
erals, withdrew from further assault on the
rebel forces within their strong ramparts
He reorganized the forces and changed tao
tics, cutting off all means of supply for the
rebels within their stronghold, and guarding
the rear from the approach of Jos. E. John
ston.
Time rolled on with the details of the
camp at Vicksburg till the 29th of Juno,
1868, at which time 81 days Of Grants
starvation siege tactics of Vcksburg had
been carried out. There appeared about the
Union camp citizen Southerner who re-
sided nearby and had at his homo . log
stable in which he had mule team. One
night this stable was appropriated for camp
fires, and the team wandered away near the
rebel lines and in plain sight of our own.
Being discovered by their owner he went
to headquarters for permit to pass our
plckeis to get his team. This was granted,
as he was well known by many who had so
often seen him at our camps. He went with
alacrity out at the post with the pass, which
he presented to the Corporal of the Guard,
who received it and called for the counter
sign, which the Southerner could not give.
A search was made of pockets, shoes and all
parts where anything would be likely to be
hidden, but nothing materialiZed and he
stepped off with an elasticity that inspired
suspicion in one of the members of the
picket post.
A halt was called and the citizen brought
back. Another and more careful search was
made. About the middle of his Bingham
coat collar the inner fold Of it protruded q
half inch and had different stitching from
the rest of the collar. 1t was ripped open
and there was Withdrawn piece of tissue
paper < inches, on which appeared the
following:
"Lyamqql Oguq, Lspc Wig AZ VI, 1861.
Nggsv lcp, L. A. RcozgPomp. Emo
kclfgpe. Empdgbgrcrg hntogu. Xgein-
zivpi. Oguq. Ugt. Amwp emokwlka-
cromp I'D Wig 46 VT klurclv ky tcecktgb.
K Kmnb hyur CT GIN qbfuvgnjk tccaj
amw ygnj fgxgbc ow hmtecu elf cv-
reel Eyef ygpe CT 6 qanmei O. K. Lsnw
Wig grj CO amw. Apgync vfg ecprgp.
Amwgu. LmucrE G. LmjIuql.
The suspect was taken under guard to
Headquarters. Members of the staff went
to work to obtain the meaning Of the paper,
and all got puzzled with it. A member of the
staff said he knew q man in his regiment
who was an expert cipher-writer; that he
would be more apt to find the key than
anyone else he knew Of
The following note was transmitted to
Michael Mason, Co. E, LIST Ill L. A., at 8
a. H., June 20:
You are hereby commanded to appear
with the bearer at Headquarters at your
earliest possible ability"
The message came to hand at $50, and
after q trial with the letters "qd" and
"vfg ""46 VT" the die was cast, and the key
found which revealed this message:
jackson, Miss, June 90, 49,
/" Lieut-Gen. j. G.. PEMBERTON, cO.nmand-
ing Confederate forces at Vicksbu-g, Miss.
"SIR: Your communication of the 28th
inst. is received. Hold fast at all odds till
/ reach you. will divide my forces and
attack each wing at a. M, July the 5th,
while you force the center.
JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON"
At II o'clock all was commotion along
the Union lines, with six brigades on the
fly for the rear, and at the Big Black River,
90 miles east, they met the enemy with
10000 men and gave him battle, pushing
him back as far as Brandon, Miss. Pember-
ton having no reply from Johnston, with
Gen. Starvation in command of his troops
sent in flag of truce, asking for an armis-
tice. Grants reply was thus stated to Gen.
Bowen, who was taken blindfolded to Head
quarters: Nothing will satisfy me but All
surrender of your forces, arms,
and munitions Of war;"
Gen. Bowen replied: eve cannot submit
to that, but will consult my superiors in
A compromise was aged to, and on the |
glorious Fourth of July we took possession,
put our Stars and Stripes on the dome of |
the Courthouse, and rallied around it singing |
the Star-Spangled Banner.-BLUE COAT.