The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1912-06-13
A Civil War
Episode
By JAMES L. FUTILE

cavalry leader in Virginia during the
civil war, just aS John Morgan was il
Kentucky and Tennessee. Both these
men had with them men who could
run a locomotive or work n telegraph
line. The object Of all partisan bands
attached to an army is to harasS or
cripple an Ell my. To do this they
usually make raids In that enemy,
rear. with n view TO breaking in upon
their lines Of communication and either
interrupt the passage or or destroy
their supplies.
The federal armies as they advanced
put the railroads and telegraph lines
in order, using them for supply and
communicating purposes. At the little
village of A. in Virginia, was a tcle-
graph station in possession OF the Fed
eral army. The operator, Ferguson.
had worked the line under the Confed-
crates. but being at heart Union man
he was glad to retain his position IN.
der the United States when the Fed
eral troops occupied the territory.
Jennie Ferguson. the sixteen-yearold
daughter of the operator, was learn
ing telegraphy. In her room above the
telegraph office she had a battery. a
key and n wire making a circuit on
which she used to practice. One night
she was awakened by the stamping OF
horses hoofs in the square below and.
getting out of bed, looked out Of the
window. Below were a lot Of horses
and men, and as soon as she saw their
uniform she knew what had happened
A body of Confederate cavalry had
seized the telegraph Office below her.
Jennie was an unusually bright girl
Living right In the midst Of war she
knew that the Confederates had cap
tured the telegraph office for a pur-
pose. Moseby and his methods were
will known throughout Virginia, and
she Inferred that he would find out
decOy message that would enable him
to capture post, wagon train or
railroad train. The floor beneath her
was but n single layer of boards, in
one of which was knothole through
which for practice she had often lis
tened to her father send messages
reading them by ear.
Putting her eye down to the hole she
saw her father sitting in chair while
a trooper covered him with revolver
At the operating table was man in
Confederate uniform working the key.
Jennie put her ear over the hole and
read dispatch to a Union commissary
to forward 10000 rations at once, ask
ing how soon the wagon train bearing
them could start. A reply came that
wagons with 10000 rations would start
the next morning at 6 o'clock. The op-
orator below gave an order that 10000
rations would do, but there must be no
| delay.
In the square Of the town, the tele
graph office remaining in charge of a
guard. Ferguson was taken out into
the square, where he could be safely
kept, and there was a general quieting
down. The operator below lay down
In his blankets on the floor and went
to sleep. Jennie began to consider the
feasibility of warning the Federal COM
missary that he was about to send 49,
600 ratiOns into a trap where they
would be captured and destroyed.
Looking out through her window she
saw some ten feet below the wires en-
tering the telegraph Office. Taking the
wire she had used to make her circuit
she bent one end, making hook and.
dropping it out the window, caught 1t
on to telegraph wire. drawing 1t up
/ taut so that the two wires were in
close connection. The other end of the
wire she put through her instrument.
A metal water pipe led to the ground.
and this she desired to complete her
circuit. but the pipe was too far from
her to be reached. However. she led
her wire on to the roof and made her
connection there. Then she was ready
for business.
Unfortunately she could not work
her key without also working the one
below. However. it was continually
clicking, and she hoped that she could
get a message through without being
detected. But she must make II short
so that It might be understood before
the men below would have time to in
tercept 1t. Looking through the knot
hole she saw the operator fast asleep.
Then she began to spell out the words,
"Moseby here, Moseby here, Moseby
here"
In a moment the word "Where?" was
clicked on her key. Then she gave the
name of the station and felt sure that
the trick was done. Looking again into
the Office below, she saw that the op-
orator was still asleep and the guard
were nodding. Then she went to bed.
At dawn she was awakened by shots
below and, looking out, saw the Con
federates getting away. pursued by
Federal cavalry.
Molly had not only saved the train,
but had given Colonel Moseby a close
call for being captured.
Going downstairs. Molly found her
father in the telegraph office, free
man, talking to the colonel Of the cav
airy force that had responded to her
call.
How did you manage to get the mes
sage through with those men watching