The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-10-18

ing satisfactory, we went to- Washing
ton and exhibited the system to the
military committees of both Houses,
which resulted in the passage Of a law
creating signal corps" of which Sur
geon A. ]. Myer was made the head,
with the rank Of major.
Resigns at Outbreak Of War.
/, at my own request, was returned
to duty In my old corps, where l con-
tinued to serve until after the seces-
sion of Georgia, my native State. On
May !. 1861, resigned. being then on
duty at San Francisco, and l returned
East via Panama, and srrived IN
Richmond on June /.
Confederate armies were being form
ed at that time in West Virginia, In
the Shenandoah valley, at Manassas
Junction, at Yorktown, and at Norfolk.
On arrival, was promoted captain of
engineers, and several applications
were made for me for different posi-.
tons, but President Davis had been
chairman of the military committee OF
the Senate when Major Myer and
had appeared before 1t on a number OF
occasions exhibiting the military sig
na.s, so he refused all applications for
ME, and, after making me put In opera
ton little factory for flags, torches,
ETC., on July / 1 was ordered to take
myself and my system of signals to the
army of General Beauregard at
Manassas Junction
On June % General Mcdowell sub
mitted to the War Department plan
for an advance upon Manassas juno
ton, to be begun on July 8, which had
been accepted. Most fortunately for
the Confederates, however. the Federal
army, with all its resources, was not
ready to start till July 16. Twenty
miles of marching and preliminary
skirmish used up four days more, and
only on July 81 was the battle deliv.
cred.
Installs System of Signals.
So on my arrival at Manassas, July
2, 1861, 1 really had much more time
to install my system Of signals than !
expected, for "rumors of the foes ad-
vance" now swelled upon nearly every
breeze, and 1 lost no time. had
brought with me from Richmond all
necessary flags, torches, glasses, ETC.,
and the first thing was to select men.
1 soon made acquaintance among the
officers and got the names of about If.
teen bright young privates who might
later be promoted as signal officers, and
l had them detailed and assigned to me
for duty. They were at once put upon
course Of instruction and practice
Meanwhile procured horse, and be-
tween times began an exploration OF
the country which was to be our the
alter of action, to find out what racili.
ties it offered to establish lines of sig.
nails.
The topography was very far from
favorable; the country generally was
fiat and gently rolling. There were but
few large bodies of woods, but very
many medium sized ones and very
much second growth pine. Our line
Of battle had been chosen along the
stream of Bull Run, about three miles
north of Manassas, and the course OF
the stream was generally wooded and
bordered with small fields and pas.
lures, giving very few open stretches
l was not at all sanguine that / would
be able to render any valuable serv-
ice, but fortunately l had the time to
make thorough search of the whole
country, and, as will be seen. one line
which / opened up disclosed the vita
secret of the enemy's strategy in time
to allow it to be successfully met.
About a mile east of the little vii
lage of Manassas, on the farm of q
Mr.. Wilcoxen, l found high rocky
point, covered with cedars, but having
good outlook over valley to the
northwest. 1 made this point a cen
trail station, and by cleaning it Off and
by clearing at some other points, got
two straight six mile ranges, north
west to a bluff over Bull Run valley
on our extreme left, a short way above
the stone bridge (by which the War
rentown pike crossed Bull RUM, and
the other north to Centerville, about
three miles beyond the run, opposite
our center. Another station was found
near the run, opposite our right center