The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1914-08-06
A CIPHER
DISPATCH
BY WILLIAM CHANDLER

We were hemmed In between tw
different Confederate forces, and
they should make a simultaneous al
tack upon us they would crush US
But communication between the tw
was difficult since we were in vale,
with high mountains on either side
and. realizing that we must keep on
enemies apart. we threw out line o.
pickets on either side of us extendins
4 as far up the mountain as passage
was possible
Twas in command Of about 800 men
My information was that the force
! southwest Of us consisted of about 600
and that on the northeast of us mum.
bered about 1000 men. 1t was eyi.
dent that If compelled to fight one of
these forces In our front and another
in our rear there would be nothing left
or us. If the Confederate commander
south Of us. Colonel B.. had been as
enterprising as he should have been
and attacked us doubtless the force to
the north. hearing his guns. would
have Joined in the fight. But the colo
sent one courier after another to Major
L.. ordering him to attack us on a
specified day and hour Every one Of
these couriers we captured. One bore
message In writing The others Ell
Their carried no messages or. If ff1ev
did, managed to get away with them
without our knowing it.
Finally we were reduced to our last
ration-we had onl." three days rations
to start with-and even if not attacked
we must soon surrender. When I was
contemplating asking for terms nv
plckets sent in to me negro who had
been caught trying to steal through
the lines far up on the mountain. He
was as stupid looking man as | ever
saw. and my surmise that he was NOT
shamming proved correct. Indeed. IL
was probable that he had been select j
ed to do the work he was intrusted
with because he was so stupid that he
would not likely be taken for the bear
er OF an important message from one
officer to another.
directed that he be searched and
anything found on him be brought to
me. My orderly. who did the search
ing. brought me pocketknife. a smon
piece or tobacco and dirty piece Of
paper that proved to be receipt for
q cents paid for chicken feed. /
,hreW the paper down as unworthy of
attention. but took it up again and.
getting more light on it. noticed GER
ain marks on it in pencil that looked
Is IT newly Matched chicken had
'een walking over It. These tracks
we're on two lines ON the back of the
ece1pt. the one on the upper edge OF
he paper. the other lower down. +
onfess was much puzzled by them.
called in several Of my officers and
sked IT they could make anything q
ut or them. Lieutenant Budd sug- {
ested that they might be parts of LET G
ers. This view was soon voted cor
ect by the rest OF us. But of what !
etters they were parts we did not II
now and made no Roadway in discov- a
ring. o
Budd said that If would let him
Ike the paper to his tent he would o
y to study the matter out | gave q
I'm permission. and in an hour he re- '
lrned with the puzzle solved. The q
aper mad been wrapped about round q
lex. probably ruler for line max g
e. ana message had been written
mere the upper edge had overlapped. ID
III OF each letter being on the edge Il
10 halr on the paper over which the 81
lge tapped. When adjusted on
ick like the one on which the mos m
ge had been written it was perfect
pam. When the paper was un- NJ
lied the upper pats Of the letters th
ere separated from the lower parts. Sc
1e message was addressed to Major be
and read thus:
attack the force south of you at dawn ST
tuesday next When hear your guns ar
VIII take the enemy in rear he
was delighted with the information oh
nad received. and 1t occurred to me 81;
it might turn it to account. Might n
not run out the message and write ! -,
other one in it's place? The negro o.
q undoubtedly been given the mes ~,
e ana shown how it was to be de- ~
hered. but probably he couldn't read ~,
himself and did not know what n :
- oI&1Ccu hUUu 10 test the mans -
'acity To read and he reported that n.
didn't know one letter from anoth- n;
This decided me- resolved To - -
"a Major L. orders of my own cboos- o. .A
IN Colonel BIS name. Rolling the -,
Ssage on the stick. wrote the fol- :
ing:
arch on receipt Of this southeastwara
'agh the pass directly in your rear and up
me at r.. whence our commands nro- ella
to Richmond :.
signed the colonel's name to the the
sage and sent for the negro. ask. .
MIN number of questions as TO me
ere and why he was going north , sto
why he. didn't come to me for q
instead Of trying to steal thronob !.
lines. He told a pitiful story about nor
OK wife and starving children and 81
ending to be- moved by it. / hand fer
-, .aaa n".h h,S hn!Ie. MS tobacco and you
receipt and told Rlldd to co., So. -.