Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1901-11-07
GENERAL GRANTS COURIER.
How cantain Beckwith Carried shsx.
idaa's Message to President
Lincoln.

How Captain Beckwith Carried She1s
idaa's Message to President
Lincoln.
ZortP. Hotchkiss, of Oak Park, q field
operator of Gen. Fisk during the civil
war, recently received an intere sting
communication from Capt. Sam H.
Beckwith, of Utica, N. y, who has in
his possession over 200 cipher mes.
sages of Gen. U. S. Grant to his subor-
dinate officers. This letter tells the
story Of how the courier delivered
Sheridan's report of the Shenandoah
valley campaign to President Lincoln,
says the Chicago Record-Herald.
Beckwith enlisted as a private in the
Eleventh Illinois volunteer infantry in
April, 1861. His bravery brought him
prominently before his superiors at
the battle of Belmont. He was a SER
geant. He was, given an order by Grant
to overtake the columns of Wallace and
Oglesby, and delivered Grants written
message ordering a change OF route.
Beckwith had ridden through . coun.
try infested with bushwhackers for
more than 20 miles.
Upon his return to Grants regiment
he was promoted, and followed the
general throughout the war as special
operator. After he received his dis.
charge as a soldier he was given the
brevet title of captain, and was placed
in charge of all Gen. Grants cipher
messages. Following is the story, az
taken from Mr.. Beckwith's notes, Of
how President Lincoln received Sheri.
dams report, a story that has never
been published until now:
''In 1864 Abraham Lincoln visited the
front, and Grant lent his cipher oper-
ator, Sam H. Beckwith, to Mr.. Lincoln
during his stay. The presidents tent
was connected with that of the opera
tor by an awning.
''In March, 1864, Sheridan, who had
swept up the Shenandoah valley with
10000 cavalry, halted long enough at
Columbia, Va, to send three scouts
with report of his operations to the
field operator on the noncommissioned
staff Of the lieutenant general of the
army. The one that went directly
north through Richmond arrived first.
An orderly entered Beckwith's tent,
and, saluting, reported:
"'Mr. Operator, courier from Gen.
Sheridan
"'Admit him instantly cried the
telegrapher, springing from his little
field instrument.
"The courier was sight to behold.
"I've got some writin' for you-uns
in my boot heel, if can scrouge it out
he said,
"'Is it report from Gen. Sheridan?'
asked Beckwith.
ct reckon was ordered to deliver
it in person to Gen. Grants field opera
tor
"'How would you like to deliver it to
the PRESIDENT asked the operator.
"'Them wasn't my orders, but, Lord!
it 'ud be the temptation of my life.'
"Mr. Beckwith knew that President
Lincoln would appreciate the novelty,
and so he said to the orderly:
".With my compliments, request the
president to step into the telegraph
tent to meet gentleman
"The orderly saluted, and moment
later Mr.. Lincoln entered. The picture
was one that could never be forgotten.
The tall, gaunt scout, with matted hair
upon his shoulders, his butternut cloth.
ing in rags literally plastered with red
clay mud, tried to stand on one foot to
'scrouge' Sheridan's report of the great
campaign from the obstinate boot heel.
The president, equally tall, standing
with his hands behind his back,
watched, waiting for he knew not
what.
"'Mr. President said Beckwith,
this scout passed through Richmond
with dispatches from Gen. Sheridan.
He wishes the honor of delivering them
to the commander in chief
ga courier from the front? This is
indeed pleasure. Ny brave man, let
me shake your hand
''Mr. Lincoln held out that great, gen.
erous hand, and the scout was wiping
the Virginia mud from his hand that
had been 'scrouging' that firmly
pegged patent leather box.
Holding the scouts dirty hand, Mr..
Lincoln said:
"'Quick! The dispatches!',
"Mr. Beckwith handed the courier Z
Ratchet. Laying his left hand on the