The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-18
A DARING OPERATOR.
Swung From Rope in Chimney and
Learned important Secrets.
CKansas City Times

1.-The most noted and daring of the
military telegraph operators with
whom I was acquainted during the
civil war was George E. Ellsworth, y
said w. F. Bassett last week. "He was
staff operator and scout for General
John Morgan. Ellsworth was a dare
devil and, although he was reckless to
a fault, he engaged in many periIous
adventures and emerged therefrom
| without any serious disaster to him.
self.
| when General Buckner was once
encamped some fifty miles from Chat
| tanooga, Tenn, he was very anxious to
obtain some information about the i'm
| mediate future intention of the federals
who were assembled in force at that
place. General Morgan sent Ellsworth
TO General Buckner as a man who
could secure the desire information IL
anybody was capable of doing so. That
night Ellsworth departed upon his mis-
sion, and about daylight next morning
drew rein at the house of a man one
mile from Chattanooga, who was
known to be true and discreet friend
of the confederate cause, The town
was swarming with federal soldiers
and it was no trouble for Ellsworth,
dressed in an ordinary federal uniform,
to reach there and mingie among them.
He was fortunate in some way diseov-
ering that there was to be a conference
among the leading officers that very
evening In an old residence that was
used for such purposes, and he resolved
10 be close AT hand and hear all that
passed II It was possible for him to do
so. In the afternoon he ieisurely walked
out TO inspect the place. He soon saw
that II was going TO be difficult for
him to secure a place near the room
in which the conference was to take
place, but after inspecting the rear of
the premises he formed a plan and
went away IT was in the summer
time, and the officers were TO assemble
at o'clock.
AS soon as darkness set in Els
worth approached the house from the
rear with an ordinary hayersack
swung over his shoulder in which was
concealed a rope swing. a Ratchet and
a long linen ulster. He cut off of a
stout limb a piece about three feet
long and had but little trouble in reach
ing the low, sianting roof, and climbed
cautiously 10 the chimney of the con-
ference roou- Then he tied each end !
Of his rope swing to the stick he had |
secured for the purpose and laid IN |
across the top OF the chimney and let |
the swing fall inside so 1t would reach |
a few feet above the large. old-fash-
Toned fireplace. Letting himself down /
In the swing he patiently awaited the /
coming of the officers He had not /
been seated long before a negro orderly |
sntered the room to light the lamps l
and make ell preparations that were
necessary for the meeting A short
time before 9 o'clock they began TO
drop in one or two at time and the
business of the confer ence was begun
IT the appointed hour.
1t had not proceeded far before
discovered TO his delight that
he was listening to most important Sc
,rets. II. IN fact. proved to be a con-
ference to determine upon the future
of the army. and Ellsworth
vas enabled to secure all the informa-
ion that General Buckner was so anx-
Gus to obtain. AL Of their future plans
we're discussed and laid bare to the
nan in the chimney.
After IL o'clock. when the confer
nee broke up. the officers had gone
md the negro orderly was preparing,
Q sxfinguish the lights and close the
louse. an incident occurred that was
Wholly unlocked for By Ellsworth and