The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-22
A New Story.

| y.
| operator ~ General Fisk during the War
| OF the Rebellion, recently received an in
| teresting communication from Captain
| Samuel IA Beckwith. Of Utica y - who
| has IN his possession over zoo cipher mas
saGes Of General ;, Grant 10 his subor-
! dinate officers. The letter tells the story
| OF how the courier deliNNed Sheridan's s
report Of the shcna ndoah Valley cam
| paign 20 President Iiucoln.
Eeckwith enlisted as a private IN the
| Eleventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry in
| Aprii, 1881. liis bravery brought him
| prominently before his superiors AZ the
battle Of Belmont lie was a sergeant
! lie was given an order by Grant 10 over
| take the columns Of Wallace and Oglesby.
and delivered Grants writteA message
ordering change ~ route. Beckwith had
| ridden through a country infested With
bushwhackers FOR more than - miles
Upon his return 90 Grants reg mont he
| vas promoted and followed the general
| throughout tho war as special operator.
! After he received hs discharge as a sol
der he was given a brcvet title OF captain
and was placed In charge OF al General
Grants cipher messages. Following IS
the story.as taken from Mr. Beckwith :
notes, of how President Lincoln received
! sheridans report. story that has never
been published until now
"In 1884 Abraham Lincoln visited Tho
front, and Grant lent his cipher operator.
sam H. Beckwith to Mr.. Lincoln during
his stay. The presidents tent was con
nccted with that Of the operator by an
awning
I'm March. 1854. Sheridan who had
swept up the Shenandoah valley with 20
0oo cavalry. halted long enough At Column
b'a. Na.to send three scouts with re-
port Of bis operations to the field operato
on the non-commissoncd staf of the
lieutenant general Of tho army The one
that went directly north through Rich
mond arrived first An orderly entered
BeckNith's tent and saluting, reported:
AIR Operator a courier from General
sheridan
" Admit him instantly cried the tele-
srapher, springing from his little field in
strument.
The courier.vas q sight 20 behold
'' I've got some writin for you-ur- In
hy my boot heel. IL I can scrouge IL out.
he said.
% Is # q report from General Sheridan
asked Bcckwith.
" i reckon. was ordered Ia deliver IL
in person to General Grants field opera
tor.
How would YOU like to deliver it 10
the president asked the operator
Them wasH't my orders. but Lord.
/ itd be the temptation OF my life
Mr.. BeckNith knew that President Lin
would appreciate the novelty, and so he
said to the orderly.
With my compliments, request the
president 10 step into the telegraph tent
TO meet a gentleman.
"'rho ORDERLY saluted, and moment
latcr Mr.. Lincoln entered Tho picture
was one that could never be forgotten
Tho tall, eaunt scout with matted hair
upon his shoulders, his buttern1t cloth
ing rags. literally plastered with red clay
mud tried 10 stand on one foot TO
scrouge Sheridan's report Of the great
campaign from the ohstnate boot heel
The president equally tall. standing with
h's hands behind his hack. watched wait
inS for he knew not what
Air President said Beckwtth. this
scout has pasGed through Richmond with
dispatches from General Sheridan lie
wishes the honor of delivering them to
the comma ndcr-ir- r-chief
~ courler from the front? This is in
deed pleasure NJ brave man yet me
shake your hand
"Air Lincoln held ont that great gen
crous hand aud tho scout was wipiug
the Virginia mud from his hand that had
been scrougiug that firmly peeged pa
tent leather box
"tiold'ug the scouts dirty hard, Mr.
IinC5in said
Quick, The dlsnatchcsg
"Nr., Bcctw.ih banded ,hc courier
hate hct LAYING bis left hand ON tho
prcsldcnts shoulder. the uuab shed scout
lcoscncd ihc hollow heel aud handed to
the president = paci,age sealed IN tin foil
"Wih hands Tint trembied just a vt
ilc the president oponco the package. took
ont the sheets 90 tissue paper, heid thcm
to tho rght of the tent opening End then
ng a smile troto over his face. where
smiles would sometimes come he said
" reckon ihis young chap viii have
10 gcf liuso fnto n littlc work before 1
shall hc mrch wiser
As Ho,Kwiih commenced his d',iphcr-
irg wofk iho president -r'd 90 The scout:
'Thc FIRST tiipn mtpt Grnrrai Shcrida ~
I may report that YOU stamped on hie
roport What do yon think be woud
ssy
~ ras too &c To- 90 into any ~ mo
e,hrr sontritprres said ihc scuttt and
theu. s-riHc sfl.'e nn fho preeido0iH
face he adar1 with Z grin. 'shor dan
worid f Forr hnror. Tint J ought 20
have a.fn ro~n sh lrehman
"fhs rfret W. tfeu u4Ifed th" scout
60 fie t,ni. arc in '' minutes Epckrifh
BAD ihe pleaeurp. Of hsndirE SIR Lincoln
sreriis-'s official report ~ bis wonderful
| c5mrdisa thicsso Regerd Hcrald.