Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-07-09
A Civil War
Episode
By JAMES l. FUTILE

men bad with them men who eon1a
run a iocomotive or work q telegrapb
line. Tie object Of all partisan bands
attached to an army II to harass az
cripple an enemy. To do this thav
usually make raids in that eneuy.s
rear. with view to breaking in uno,
their lines of communication and either
Interrupt the passage OF or DESTROY
their supplies.
The federal armies as they advanced
put the railroads aud telegraph lines
In order. using them for supply and
communicating purposes AT the little
village of A.. In Virginia, was q tele.
graph station 10 possession Of the Fed.
eral army. The operator. Ferguson.
had worked the line under the confed.
crates, hut being at heart Union man
be was glad TO retain his position TN
der the United States when the Fed.
eral troops occupied the territory.
Jennie Ferguson. the sixseen-year-old
daughter OF the operator. was Learn
Ing telegrAphy In her room above the
telegraph Office she had a battery. a
key and wire making a circuit On
which she used to practice. One night
she was awakened by the stamping Of
horses boofs "a the square below and.
getting cut OF bed. looked out Of the
window. Below were q lot OF horses
and men, and M 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 Confeierates had can
turcd the telegraph Office for a pul.
pose. Moseby and his methods were
will known throughout Virginia, and
she inferred that he would End ont
decoy message that would enable bin,
TO capture 3 rost. wagon train or a
railroad train The foor beneath her
was but single layer OF boards. in
one of which was knothole through
which for prsctice she had often lis
tened to her father send messages
reading them hy ear.
Putting her ere down to the hole she
saw her father sitting In chair while
a trooper covered him with a revolver.
At the operating table was man in
Confederate uniform working the key
Jennie put her ear over the hole and
read dispatch to o Union commiSsary
to forward 10000 ratious at once. ask
ing how soon the wagon train bearing
them could start A reply came that
wagons with se.ooo rations would start
the next morning at 6 O'Clock The op
orator below gave an order that 5000
rations would do. but there must be 30
delay.
After that the command bivouaced
In the square Of the town. the teie-
graph Office remaining In charge Of q
guard Ferguson was taken out Into
the square. where he could be safely
kept. and there was general quietlns
down The operator below lay down
In his blankets on the Goor and weHt
to sleep. Jennie began TO consider the
feasibility of warning the Fedora com
missary that he was about 10 send 40-
600 rations into a trap where they
would be captured aud destroyed.
Looking out through her window she
saw some ten feet below the wires en-
teriug the telegraph Office, Taking the
wire she had used to make her circuit
she bent one end. making q book and,
dropping ii out the window, caught II
on 10 a telegraph wire. drawing Il up
taut so that the two wires were In
close connection The other end Of tue
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 'ed
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. II was continually
clicking. and she hoped that she coula
get message through without being
detected. But she must make II short
so thar il nigh; be understood before
the men below would have time TO IN
tercept it. Looking through the knot
hole she saw the operator fast asleep
Then she began to spell out the WORDS
"Moseby here, Moseby here. Moseo!
here"
In a moment the word 'Wherer was
clicked on her key. Then she gave 'he
namo Of the station and felt sure tha'
the trick was done Looking again lh'o
the office below. she saw that the or
orator was still asleep and the guaEo
were nodding. Then she went to oea
Ar dawn she was awakened by sho'S
below and. looking out. saw the Con
federates getting away. pursued "
Federal cavalry.
Molly had not only saved the tram
but had given Colonel Moseby close
call for being captured
Going downstairs. Molly found nei
father In the telegraph office iFeV
man. talking to the colonel OF the CAV
airy force that had responded TO he'