The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-06-26
!. By WILLIAM CHANDLER

tAO6C 4OkS0O ~ VOk kAOAt anu 0uVSuOA
In our rear there would be nothing left
Of M. II 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
mel seemed to prefer a certainty and
sent one courier after another to Major
L., ordering him to attack us on a
specified day and hour. Every n of
these couriers we captured. One bore
a message in writing. The others ell
ther carried no messages or. il, they
did, managed to get away with them
without our ,know:ng It.
Finally we were reduced to Dur last
ratdon-we had onl.. three days. rations
to start with-and even If not attacked
we. must oon surrender. When l was
contemplating asking for terms my
pickets sent In to me a negro who had
been caught trying to steal through
the lines far up on the mountain. he
was as stupid looking n man at l ever
saw. and my surmise that he was not
shamming proved correct. Indeed, 1t
was probable that he had been select
ed to do the work he al 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. 4.
I directed that he be searched and
anything found on him be brought to
me. My orderly, who did the search
ing. brought me q pocketknife. a small
piece Of tobacco and a dirty piece of
paper that proved to be a receipt for
q cents paid for chicken feed. l
threw the paper down as unworthy of
attention, but took it up again and,
getting more light on it. noticed GER
tain marks on It in pencil that looked
az IL a newly Matched chicken had
been walking overyit These tracks
were on two lines on the back Of the
receipt, the one on the upper edge of
the paper. the other lower down. I
confess I was much puzzled by them.
I called in several Of my officers and
asked II they could make anything
out of them. Lieutenant Budd sug-
gested that they might be parts of let
tera This view was soon. voted cor
rect by the rest Of Us. But OF what
letters they were parts we did not
know and made no Roadway In discov-
ering.
II Budd said that II I would let him
take the paper to bis tent he would
try to study the matter out, I gave
him permission. and In an hour he re-
turned with the puzzle solved. The
paper had been wrapped about a round
stick. probably a ruler for line max
ing, and a message had been written
where the upper edge had ~overlapped.
half Of each letter being on the edge
and half on the paper over which the
+ edge tapped. When adjusted on.-a
xsttck ike the! one on twhichsthes mes.
sage had been written It WIS perfect
" plain. s]When the paper was I'M
rolled the upper parts Of the letters
were separated from the lower parts.
The message was addressed to Major
L. and read thus:
Attack the force south Of you a dawn
on Tuesday next When ] hear your guns
twill take the enemy In. rear.
I was delighted with the information
Ishad received. and 1t occurred to mq
that I might turn It to account Might
! not rub out the message and write
another one In its place? The negro
had undoubtedly been given the mes
sage and shown how It was to be de
ciphered, but probably he couldn't read
It himself and did not know what Il
was. I directed Bhdd toftest the mans
capacity, to read and he reported that
he. didn't know one letter from anoth-
er. This decided me. ! resolved to
send Major Z. orders Of my own choos-
Ing IN Colonel BIS name. Rolling the
message on the stick. ! wrote the fol
lowing:
March on receipt Of this s~outhsastyard
through the pass directly In your rear and
1oiA me ~ R...iwhencs icommands pro'
ed ito Richmona Gas #
I signed the colonel's name to the
lspsssase andssent for the negro. l ask.
~ him q number Of questions as 20
swhsrseand; why he was going north
sanA Why shs, didn't come 70 me Tor .
sapass insteaA Of. frytnestosstsals Through
sMyslinsa HsstpldiAtpit!tu story about
81 stek Mif4sland starring childrsn. and.
apestepdipl6I ~ IL moved ~ sit, I hand.
se6Shim .back shts .knlts. his tobacco and
III receipt TOD Bn,dd . - him II
through TIE line