Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-10-19
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans OF the Rebellion Tell of
Whistling Bu1lets, Bright Bayonets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, Etc, Etc.

! Fort +. HotchkiSS, of Oak Park a
| field operator of General Fisk during
| the war of the rebellion, recently re-
ceived an interesting communication
from Captain Sam II. Beckwith of
Utica, n. Y, who has in his possession
| over 200 cipher messages of General
U. S. Grant to his subordinate officers
The letter tells the story of how the
courier delivered Sheridan's report of
the Shenandoah Valley campaign to
President Lincoln.
Beckwith enlisted as private in the
18th Illinois Volunteer Infantry in
April, 1861. His bravery brought him
prominently before his superiors at the
battle of Belmont. He was sergeant.
He was given an order by Grant to
oyertake the columns of Wallace and
Oglesby, and delivered Grants writ
ten message ordering change of
route. Beckwith had ridden through
country infested with bushwhackers
for more than twenty 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 soldier he was given the
breyet title of captain, and was placed
in charge of all of General Grants
cipher messages. Following is the
story, as taken from Mr.. Beckwiths
notes, of how President Lincoln re-
ceived Sheridan's report, a story that
has never been published until now:
I'm 1864 Abraham Lincoln visited the
front, and Grant lent his cipher opera
tor Sam H. Beckwith. to Mr. Lincoln
during his stay. The Presidents tent
was connected with that of the >ope-
rator by an awning.
I'm 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,
oAu, SdAulluS, IepOECeu:
"'Mr. Operator. a courier from Gen
eral Sheridan
Admit him instantly cried the tel.
egrapher, 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 T can scrouge it out he
said.
g. is it a report from General Sheri-
DAMP asked Beckwith..
II reckon. l was ordered to deliver
it in person to General Grants field
operator
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 a gentleman
''The orderly saluted, and a 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
cf0 midi 1,S1
back, watched, waiting for he knew not
what.
Mr.. President said Beckwith, this
scout passed through Richmond with
dispatches from General Sheridan. He
wishes the honor of delivering them to
the communicating chief
"A courier from the front? This is
indeed a pleasure. My 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 peg
ged patent leather box.
Holding the scouts dirty hand. Mr..
Lincoln said:
"'Quick! The dispatchesr
"Mr. Beckwith handed the courier a
Ratchet. Laying his left hand on the |
Presidents shoulder, the unabashed
scout 1oosened the hollow heel and
handed to the President a package |
sealed in tin foil
with hands that trembled just lit |
tie the President opened the package,
took out the sheets of tissue paper, held |
them to the light of the tent opening. |
and then, as smile broke over his
face, where smiles would sometimes
come, he said:
81 reckon this young chap will have
to get himself into a little work before
shall be much the wiser
''As Eeckwith commenced his deciph- |
ering work the President said to the |
scout:
"'The first time meet General Sher- !
idaD NAV rpnOFt that Won famno6 on |