The San Francisco call., 1899-09-24
One of the Old Guard of the Civil War
Operators, Still Doing Duty, Calls Up
Some Thrilling "reminiscences
of Heroes of he Wire
"Reminiscences
of Heroes of the Wire.

own cavalry, under the noted Grierson, to
the front, giving the column a days start.
One day 1t became necessary for Smith to
communicate a warning to Grierson, and
Robinson started out with two orderlies
for escort to overtake the advance guard.
when the party was we'll outside Of the
friendly lines it fell into an ambush and
Robinson received the full contents of
double-barreled shotgun loaded with slugs
and buckshot in his arms and shoulder,
also his right leg and hip; He was
and then sent adrift in the woods. In
spite of his wounds the brave fellow
struggled back to meet Smiths advan-
cling columns and fresh dispatches were
sent forward in time to save GrterSon
from danger.
Even under fire the operator was the
equal of any soldier, and his case was
even more trying; for he was not prepared
evacuating Winchester pursued by
Stonewall Jackson's troops, the Federal
operator, Frank Drummond, sat at the
key until the last bluecoat was out Of
sight. The Confederate yell sounded
nearer and nearer, like the baying Of
hounds and from all sides came the rat
tie of musketry. Drummond had Sc
creted all his dispatch copies on his per-
son and was deteching the instrument
from the board to keep it out of the en-
emy's hands, when belated orderly
rushed in with message for the COM
mander of the reserves at Harpers Ferry:
With one hand on the key he managed
to draw out and burn his secreted dis
patches. His horse, standing loose at the
dropped the key long enough to tie the
frightened animal and give him an as
suring caress. Going back to the key
Drummond again called Harpers Ferry,
but getting no response he took out the
instrument and dashed it to pieces on the
stone pavement. The Confederates were
then firing down the streets in pursuit of
struggling or belated Federals. and Drum
mond ran the gauntlet of their bullets
only to fall into the hands of Ashby's
Confederate cavalry. A term in war
prison was the reward this brave fellow
got for sticking to his post.
From the Confederate side. through
one of our corps men, l have story
scarcely nan In Sodiepy dey9
army abandoned Little Rock in 1853
one of the military operators, David o.
Dodd. stayed behind and lived some
time in the Federal lines. He was lad
of II. Shortly after things had quieted
down under Federal control young
Dodd left Little Rock. ostensibly to go
turned and fingered short time in
his old haunts. A second time he passed
out of the lines unrestraned until he
reached the outposts. There the guards
searched his person and discovered some
curious pencil marks in a memorandum
book carried openly in his pocket.
at Headquarters. The strange marks
dashes, which. when written out, fur
nished description of all the new Fed
eral fortifcations and the distribution
of the garrison troops around Little
Rock. This information in the hands
of the enemy would be dangerous, and
the boy had forfeited his life in attempt
ing 10 pass the lines with it. When under
examination Dodd admitted that he had
accomplices and was offered pardon If
he would betray them. He refused and
even on the gallows, in spite of the ap-
peals of friends and relatives, put the
temptation aside, himself signaling the