New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-26

maintained with each OF the belligerent armies
as tuil OF not fuller STATS as those now repre-
Sehtins them in the East. So prompt was the
service from the German Army that The Trib-
uhe was enabled In editoriauy summing up
me situation at Sedan to announce with conf
oence mat the next day would probably bring
news OF the surrender of the French Army and
emperor. 1t came early the next morning: an
extra was printed In the afternoon in both Eng
hsh and German. and the next day a Sunday
paper, the first ever issued by The Tribune was
printed.
Inc tribune editorial suggests that TN OLD
times the war correspondent might accom-
pany headquarters, learn the plans Of cam
paiga, write about them as fully as he pleased,
and send the matter TO his paper without
harm He might. it is true. but for several
good reasons he never did. At least never
heard Of any such breach Of confidence by any
war correspondent in the Civil War. He would
not dare do it, If willing, for he was subject 70
trial by court martial, for all in camp lived
under martial law. a Herald" reporter with
sherman's army on the Atlanta campaign
thoughtIessly published that during the siege
Of Chattanooga Union signal officer had
learned the secret signal code of the Confed-
crates. and that had been reading their
signals for several months prior to the date OF
his letter. General Sherman ordered his arrest
and trial by court martial. but General George
H Thomas interceded in his behalf; though
Sherman expelled him from his department.
The ''forecasting the movements of the armies
as The Tribune says. may be done now by the
correspondents at neutral points in the Far
East. but in the old times all that sort Of rot
was written by the editors who stayed at home
and ''conjectured' intermina bly, .'on what might
probably happen" IL what was said by inrelli-
gent contrabands' or Southern Union refugees
who had come into camp was true. The Chi
nese Junkmen at Che-Foo and the intelligent
contraband" OF our war are much alike and
about equally trustworthy.
The suggestion in the editorial thar "the war
correspondent might easily become practical
spy" recalls an experience Of my own in the
Civil War Gt was in 1868. Frederick Hudson,
who was then the managing editor of the
Herald" In his History Of Journalism" al
ludes 10 ii, and it is worth reading in full at
this late date as an introduction TO additional
details. He says pages 1884. Harper & Bros
edition.:
With the breaking out Of the war a Southern
bureau or department was established IN the
Office OF The Herald" II was the duty OF the
chief OF this bureau 10 collect and file away all
information, OF whatever character that came
from the South. OF the instructions issued 10
correspondents, the principal one was 10 obtain
rebel newspapers. Neither trouble nor expense
were 10 be spared IN their acquisition. Contra
bands and oeserters. abandoned camps and vii
lagos were searched for them. Many were OBJ
tanned, and are now in the office library OF that
Journal The chief OF this bureau compiled
from these papers lists or rosters Of the mill
tary forces of the seCessionists, Occasionally
these IN an incomplete form, would be pub
lished but finally a very fun roster OF the
whole rebel army made its appearance IN The
Herald" When a copy OF the paper. with this /
wonderful array Of names and figures, reached
Elchmond II created veritaDle comInotion IN /
the war Office Of that capital Several Of the /
clerks accused OF furnishing the information .
were placed under arrest. on the evening of
its appearance in New-York one OF the attaches
OF The HERALD rode IN + our i!-lNe- car /
with Mr.. George NJ. Snow, of The Tribune a.
fellow passenger
IF anything were wanting" said Snow TO the /.
aforesaid attache "to show the intimacy be- /
tween the rebels in Richmond and OF the office /
OF THE Herald in New-York. the list Of the /
rebel army as published this morning Is the /
thing" 80
what 90 you mean7' asked The Herald /
what do I mean7 That roster OF the rebel /
army could only have been obtained from the /
rebel war Office That is quite enough, should I
think replied Snow, with touch OF proIes- /
sional jealousy.
..TVhv. snow, you don't mean TO say that The /
Herald obtained that list direct from the War /
Department IN Rlchmond7 That information |
vas wholly made up from advertisements and /
local news paragraphs OF the Southern news
pers which were run through our lines"
Nonsense" said Snow. Don't you suppose |
that The Tribune and The Times could have /
done the same thing?"
Of June, 1862. from what source and through /
what channels The Herald has twice procured /
for publication the alleged muster rolls OF the /
rebel armies Let US see by what means The /
Herald has been repeatedly supplied with rebel !
-
It is fair to suppose that The Herald" did |
not tell The Tribune how these papers were |
obtained,
In 1s64-'65 I had charge OF this bureau OF |
which Mr.. Hudson speaks. but was in the |
field with Rosecrans's army at the time I com
Piled and published rosters OF Bragg's and Lees /
armies. Their publication doubtless excited |
editors considerably. but the most
excited journalist over the publication was |
Henry watterson, then Editor OF The Chatta- /
nooga Rebel" now Editor Of THE Louisville |
Courier-JournaL" He published editorials de-
nouncing the Yankee spies in the Confederate
War Department, and demanded that they be |
detected, tried and hanged. And my old friend |
yyatterson never knew. nor do I believe he |
knows 10 this day. that he the culprit If
there vas any offender at all! Wattersons |
Chattanooga Rebel was the smallest In size,
but the most enterprfsing in spirit. OF all the |
rebel papers which came with tobacco and such |
through the lines in exchange for coffee and |
ouinine. The Union commanders winked at such |
exchanges; Grant when before Petersburg is
sued rations TO -beIligerents caught between
his and Lees lines. and President Lincoln him
self did not hesitate to let quinine go through |
10 the Confederate sick men and women alike
I noticed early after the occupation Of Muir
freesboro, Tenn. in January. 1863. that Waiter
sons paper was publishing many letters from |
soldiers in Lees and Bragg's armies each with
a date on, a formula apparently fixed by the /
editor Not only the place and date OF |
writing named. but the regiment, brigade d.
vision and corps to which the writer was at