The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-01-04

!are confederate telegraph operators
prevented the almost complete sur
prise Of the Southern army at Nicks-
burg. The story has never been pub
lished before.
AS is we'll known now, telegraph
operators were at premiums in the
confedcracy during the war Of 1861
1868. Most Of the operators then
we're northern men, who returned
Iomc when the struggle began. Maj.
q. S. Daniel, Of Victoria, Tex, now
on General Van Iant's staff, United
Confederate Veterans and Colonel
philip II. Fall, Houston, Tex, on
General S. ID. Lees staff, United Con
fcdcratc Veterans, early enlisted at
Eickaburg, one in an artillery COM
epany and the other in the Nicksburg
gSouthrons company. They were soon
found out and detailed fot telegraph
work. The writer has recently come
IN possession of some interesting
minutiae Of their work, which played
IAN important part in preventing the
almost complete surprise Of the con.
federate army at Vicksburg in Deoem.
>ber, 1862, and being personally cog
infant of the incident Of the breaking
up of the dance or ball Christmas eve,
1882, at Vicksburg, he feels it is due
to the two operators to put on record
their valuable service. It brings out,
TOO, The important part played by the
: telegraph in war, and how the real
scoutins duty in many ways was per
formed. The operators frequent y
ran great risks and endured many
Aardships in common with the SOL
oilers in campaign. The incident,
TOO, givesan insight into the vigilance
of both armies in that mighty strug-
ygle.
The second campaign organised to
capture Vioksburg was ably launched.
Che confederate army ce General Van
55.Dorn, recently defeated at Corinth,
was at Grenada, Miss, about $4,000
sstrong; while General Grants union
army, about sc, 600 strong, wos below
Uxford, Miss. General Grant was to
ATTACK Van Dorm. and if he went to
<the assistance Of Vicksburg he was to
follow him up by jackson or Yazoo
City coward Vioksburg. General
Sherman at the same time organized
an army Of 80, 900 men and sixty pieces
OF artillery. which, with Admiral
Porter's Mississippi gunboat feet and
some seventy transports, was to move
rapidly down the Mississippi river and
sattaok and capture Vioksburg before
"sshe garrison $1,000 strong) could be
reinforced. The part General Grant
was to play was frustrated by General
Forrest, who raided into west Tennes-
'see and tore up the railroads supply
siug Grants army, while at the same
stime General Ven Dorm with oonfed-
crate cavalry captured Holly Spripgs
with its accumulated supplies, de.
stroying them. This necessitated
General Grants falling back through
zthe country TO Memphis to feed his
sarmy. General Sba-nan, however.
-was dot apprised of General Grants
! !, aroub'es, and he got safely of from
gMemphis, December 20, with the
. ssgreatest army and fotilla with gun
boats combined escorting, known at
/, fshat time in tie war. He arrived at
fshe mouth Of the Yasoo river near
& lVicksburg Christmas dey, proceeded
Sap the Yazoo river and disembarked
ssl1is army December 26 and q, 1862,
land attempted to reach the bluffs near
the city Of Vioksburg. There was
ssevere fighting on December 27, 28.
I sand on the 10Th ne was defeated ct
Uhickasaw bayou, s miles from Vioks-
! s1sSsarg, with a loss Of about 2, 900 men,
Eaua resmbarked HE army and left the
vicinity OF Vioksburg.
SsA With this introd duetion the writer.
sahowaB at the dance Christmas eve
sand can vouoh FOR the details, will let
ase}assaaajor Daniel and Colonel Fall tell the
interesting details. AS early as
Iss lotober, 1863, after the fall Of Mem,
sssssSaais and the river was open to the
Es asaion gunboats slow down as Vioks-
& 4 burg, . telegraph station was estab-
sshed at De Soto on the river bank
ssss,nosite Vicksburg, with Colonel
s0 Hkslip II. Ball as operator, and oon-
sssssSied with station ip tho woods II
miles south Of Lake Providence, with
Cor i. s. Daniel ss operator. Dan
9z5 Mas to repor. tEsments OF boats
sslsas sxhe riis ae Splepdid scouting
gsnizatson of Geleral Pemberton
=; ~ (3aner1i Smith