The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-10
SHY ON SIGNALS.
why the Colonel Did Not Like n Fire
works Exhibition.

Detroit Free Press.
A group of Confederate officers were seen
together the other night in the F~ifth-ave-
nue. Hotel, New York, and they were talk
ing away as lively as a party of schoolboys
about the days wien they wore the gray.
one Of them who had won his title of
colonel had related several interesting
stories which the newspaper man, lurking
near, failed to catch, but not once had he
spoken of himself, but one of the party re-
marked:
THE colonel knows all about the jokes
on the other fellows, but is a few chips shy
as to how he gave the wrong signal at Port
Hudson, and shall give you the story
The colonel looked nervous, but the
speaker went on:
The colonel was a lieutenant then, and
an oncer in a light battery that was sta
toned at an advance post at the Conted-
crate right, and dangerously close to the
Union line.
THE Union troops had been directed at
night by signals sent up from various
points around Port Hudson, and always
some hard scrap followed these skyrocket
affairs, until General Beale, second in COM
mand TO Gen. Frank Gardner, the COM
mander of the Confederate position, decided
to counteract these signals
Creeping out through the advance post
spoken of, through the ditch dug for the
purpose, General Beale said to the colonel
here, then lieutenant:
This is the very spot TO send up signals
tonight, as most of the Union signaling is
done from close to your post here
The lieutenant agreed at once with the
Now we can utterly confuse their sig
nails at all other points around the line,
cts ready, and if they send up two reds,
you follow with two blues quickly, or vice
VerSa-Seeg
The lieutenant saw, and entered into the
shirt of the plan with Measure
Two nights after, when taps had been
sounded around the Union lines-there were
no taps, by the way, within the Confederate
lines, as the men in gray were supposed TO
be Away awake-suddenIy up went from
right opposite to the lieutenant's advance
post, two blue lights.
He was good and ready, and with a
knowing smile and a word about knock
ing the Yankee signals silly sent up two
red signals.
THE result was startling, appalling, ter
rifle, for from all points, save from whence
the blue signals had been sent, there burst
forth a hell of fire, artillery, big and small,
well, turning upon the besieged garrison a
fire that was fearful, while the cheers Of
thousands of men in wild and desperate
charge mingled with the roar of the hun
dreds of guns.
The attack was beaten back, and within
an hour only the steady fire OF the mortars
and small arms was heard; 1t had been an
ordeal while it lasted.
General Beale was not long in putting in
an appearance, and the lieutenant asked:
How did the signals work, generals?
See here, don't fool with those signals
any more, lieutenant, for though L cannot
blame you, the ones you sent were wrong,
for it had been evidently decided to make a
night attack, and they had changed their
mind, so sent up the two blues, while your
two reds, sent as all believed, from the
same place, was the signal to attack
That is what 1 think, at least, and !
don't want any more fool signals sent up
Yes, and 1 have been shy on signals ever
since, and never enjoy skyrocket exhibit
lions, remarked the colonel very seriously,
in spite of the laughter of the others. And
he added: 1T taught me never TO monkey
with what was another man business"