The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1905-09-22

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Ray Dexter E1d / became telegrs
phers wien we were but little maze
than fifteen years old We wpTkeil
Tor several years IN the same ottiee
and were among the hrst to read by
ear instead Of by sight After that
we drffted apart. to come together
again, in teiegrapllic parlanee. on the
same railrOad, Ray. being. operator at
one statlon. at another: We were
bosom friends and had many con-
adence over the wire.
When tile civil war broke ont I, who
had come north from Georgia to learn
teiegrnphlng, went back to my native
state and enlisted as a cavalryman IN
the Confederate army. What became
OF Ray Dexter did not know.
One motnfng in the summer Of 1862,
while we were confronting the Union
army IN Tennessee, was sent for by
the colonel, who asked me IL were
not a telegrapher. When admitted
that was, he told me was wanted
Mt general Headquarters. There ! met
the general. who said that a copy OF
the cnemy's cipher code had fallen INTO
his hands and he desired to avail him
self OF It to learn something OF Their
movements Our Interview resulted
in his senling me out to the enemys
rear for the purpose of tapping his
wires. dressed myself as a camp
follower and provided myself with
basketful of suspenders, socks, but
tons and such other wares as are usual
" sold by peddlers. Underneath
false wooden bottom 1 hid my tele-
graph machine and connections. When
fully equipped sailed forth
General Rosecrnns was then at Muir
freesboro, threatening Bragg ut Iuila=
homa4 My object was to strike some
point on main telegraph line where
I could tap the wire and, II possible,
fake OF orders indicative of the enc
sny,s intended movements. followed
the Nashville and Chattanooga rail-
road tflI Preached the Federal pickets,
cfrcled around their right outpost az
Triune and came down In their rear
between Triune and Murfreesboro.
This plan had been laid out for me by
NV general and had this advantages;
when the enemy moved against Tulla-
honnn he must first draw in his right
wing ut Trfune, since the troops there
had the greater distance to march.
The result showed that this view WAS
correct.
For several days / Iurked near the
military telegraph between Murfrees-
boro and Triune without any results
i had no difficulty In tapping the wire,
but there was nothing of moment pass
fnr, over It. I concealed myself In the
woods. not attempting to sell my wares
to the Yankee soldiers, only relying
ON them to conceal my telegraph mat
chine and have a reason for my pres
ence in the locality If suspected.
hnd a lonely time of 1t In the woods
nv myself. my fears of detection hav-
ing ample opportunity to assert them
selves. 1t is one thing to be cut down
in a charge and quite another to be
dragged to the limb OF tree and be
hanged for a spy, as certainly would
be If caught either tapping the wire OF
even with my apparatus.
One morning awoke in my oivouac
fust as the dawn was breaking.
knew that the Federal pIekets were
kept under arms from about TIL
O'Clock in the morning every day to be
ready for an attack. Perhaps it was
this that induced me to try the wire.
I did so, and took OF an order for the
general commanding at Triune TO
march by roads leading southeastward
at once. Glad to have my watch over
/ was winding up my wire prior 10
hiding it under my wares when troop
of Federal cavalry came riding through
the bushes. It did not take them long
to determine what was up to, ana
they hurried me on to the general COM
manding the right wing.
he was preparing to march, but TOOK
time to attend to my case. He scrlo-
bled something on a piece of paper
and handed it to an operator or the
military telegraph, who went TO an
instrument in the same tent and be-
gan to click the key. heard him
send a report of my case to genera
HEADQUARTERS and the reply: TRY by
drum head court martial and hang I'M
uediutely. Since you are preparing
to march, never mind the court mar
tial."
The moment the message began to
come over the wire I recognized the
touch of my old friend Ray Dexter.
The announcement of my immediate
execution aud hope for it's recall or
at least pOstponement came at the
same moment
"Take 1t to Captain L." said the
general to the operator when he-had
read the message and tell him to send
for the officer OF the day to execute the
order"
The operator went out leaving his
telegraph Instrument where could
almost reach it. bent over and
clicked:
cray, I'm the man you have just
sent the order to hang. For Gods
sake, help mew
The general was so busy with prepa-
rations that he did not notice my use