The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-08-13
WAR NEWS.
Some Vivid Experiences in News Gathering
in the COS


Il suppose that I am getting old and
garrulous," says Pop" TaIcott. ''for l
could sit mp all night telling war remnis-
cences, if could get any one to listen to
me as you have done"
His real name is Mr. 4. G. Talcott, and
he was manager of the American Tele-
graph Line here in Washington during the
civil war; but he is known to all of the
veterans newsgathers as POP" and he
likes to be nicknamed the father of the
boys who disseminate the news.
I'VE had but Ole telegraph line and
only one railroad line connecting the Ma
tiOnal Capital with the remainder of the
Republic. and with the world. The Associ-
ated Press had right of way on the wire,
and the special correspondents sometimes
had hard sleddin' to get off their stuff
MIR. l.. 4. GObright was manager of the
Associated Press-a grand old newspaper
man whose name is now unknown to the
hustlers of the present generation. He had
hve assistants, and they managed to keep
in touch with current events.
Newspapers in those days did not want
such news as you fellows send out nova
days. They wanted nothing except infor-
nation about the war, the movements of
armies, the prospects of compromise, the
possibility of foreign Intervention, the
more than likelihood of mutinies or riots
in the Northern cities, the holiness of reb-
ell raiders; these and all other things per-
tanning to the excitement of the times
made up the bulk of every newspaper.
During the months between Lincon's
election and the firing on Fort Sumter the
representative men of the Southern States
freely used the telegraph line in CORE
spOndence concerning secession. Several
of the Virginia representatives sent long
telegram to Norfolk, urging the people to
seize the Brooklyn, as Virginia. portion
of the United States Navy. Senator Wig
fall, of Texas. used to say that he had
committed treason enough in his dis
patches to hang n regiment of men,
When the war began there were in
Washington few companies of Regular
infantry, some sappeis and miners, a cou-
pie of batteries of artillery and the Rcgu-
lar Marine Corps. In response to Lincon's
call for 10000 volunteers little more than
5000 young men enlisted in the District of
Columbia, and the majority of them be
longed to families which sympathized with
the secession, but We're opposed to the
capture of the National Capital
10 show you how rampant treason
was, l will tell you that Il certain newspa-
per correspondent during the month pre-
ceding the fall of Sumter was in constant
Geographic communication with Governor
Pickens. of South Carolina. and by stealth.
After the close of the telegraph Office
every night, the correspondent would go
there and friendly operator would send
and receive dispatches for him. These dis
patches We're not destroyed. but were left
on the paper strips which were used in
those days. SiBgularly enough. another
operator noticed those strips one morning
and, seeing at once the importance of the
information which he had discovered, he
kept his own counsel, but every day car
ried these strips to President Lincoln and
his Cabinet. so that they were daily in
formed of the preparations which were be-
ing made for the attack on Fort Sumter
Another fact which L believe has never
been published is this: When Fort Sum-
ter was cap tured all Geographic comnIuni-
cation with the North was cut off. 50 that
the Govern did not receive the news
until almost midnight after Sumter had
been surrendered.
DO you remember the famous Balti-
more riot! 1t was in May. 1852. that the
9th Mass. was attacked i'll Baltimore by
mob which took possession of the tele-
graph office to shut off all communication
with this city. Then something happened
which Illustrates the utter unpreparedness
on the Lincoln Administration for war
1--we weeks previous to the riot. Col.
WhNely. editor of the Baltimore Clipper.
had Off>Sed to raise a regiment of loyal
Maryland 4len inside of 4S hours, and
whole brigade of Maryland men inside of
week, ifl the Secretary of War would
agree to furnish them with food. clothing
and quarters as fast as they We're enlisted.
Simon Cameron, Secretary of War, de-
clined this offer. As soon as he heard of
the Baltimore riot, however, and one of
the wires was in operation, he telegraphed
Col. Whitley for that regiment, and the
reply came promptly: 1t is everlastingly
too late. They are all now on the other
side
The Administration was constantly
making Just such mistakes. and all OF
them fatal. | myself urged Col. Mcdowell
to go to Gen. Scott; and finally | went to
Gen. Scott myself, fully month before
Col Robert h. Lee cast his lot with the
Confederacy, and begged prompt action in
placing Col. Lee on duty where his abil-
tiles and influence would count for the
cause of the Union; but no matter what
Others may say about it, know that moth
ing was done for Lee until it was, as Col.
Whitley said, INCREASINGLY too late:' for
Lee had done as Whitely's men had done,
and east his lot on the other side
Poor old Gen. Scott, He was almost
on the verge of nervous prostration: sleep
less and anxious, but realizing that he was
too old to direct affairs A man of action
all of his life, he became hes:tant and dila-
tory. Lincoln relied on Scott; but the old
soldier was incapable of that great
promptness and aggressiveness which
should have been displayed by the Com
handing General at that time
"One OF these days when you have time
nj Nh hny he
men used to gather and transmit their
news, and how we censored them until
they were prOfanely wild. and angry to the
edge of insanity" SMITH D. Fry.
A Tragedy Of Travel.