The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-03-07


Boston-would have been at his
mercy; England and France would
have recognized the Confederacy,
thrown the strength of their SYM
pathy to it's side and have sent arm
les and fleets to it's support. and the
Union would have been destroyed,
with two separate nations, one of
which might be a kingdom, occupy
ing the present territory of the
United States But in the providence
of God it was not to be, and Meade
drove Lee out of Pennsylvania, saw
ing the Union and ending the hope
of the Confederacy. Gettysburg was
the beginning of the end of the civil
war, and from the moment when the
heroic Philadelphia brigade COM
posed mostly of Irishmen and sons
of Irishmen, met and broke Pickett's
charge of the Bloody Angle of the
famous stone wall, the doom of the
Southern cause was sealed
On June 80, 1868, the North and
South alike were in state of panic.
Lee, with his host of bronzed and
heroic fighters, had invaded Pennsyl-
vania, Stanton, secretary of war, sat
in his office in Washington, sleepless
and anxious, on the night of the last
of June He and his cause faced
ruin at the hands of the Confederacy.
Beside him was Major Thomas T.
Eckert, head of the military tele-
graphic service. Stanton received a
message from some of his secret serv-
ice men, telling him that Lee was
turning on Meade The situation
was tremendous. II Lee could con-
centrate his scattered army before
Meade could do likewise, he could
cut Meade up in detail and have the
North at his mercy.
There was telegraph Office in
Frederick, Md. The sounder began
sputtering. An operator, Bickford,
took the message. 1t was from Eek
ert.
Call Fonda to the key. We have
dispatch we want him to carry"
4 Then Eyck Fonda came. He was a
boy of II, and of an old New York
family. He is now living in Omaha,
Neb.
Secretary Stanton wants you and
two Others to carry very important
dispatch to Meade's headquarters"
clicked Eckert "Will you go?"
The boy knew that the country to
the rear of Meades army was sown
with Stuart's Confederate raiders
under Mosby. But he did not hesitate
eyes," he clicked back.
And this is the message which Fon-
da took over the wire from Eckert,
dictated to the sender by the great
secretary in Washington:
''To Major General Meade, Command
ing Army of Potomac, on March.
"The advance guard of the Con-
| federate army under General Early
have entirely evacuated Wrightville
and other points on the Susquehan-
ma river, and are making forced
march to join General Lees main
army at point between Hanover and
Gettysburg-part of their forces now
at Hanover-and they confidently ex-
pect to be able to form conjunction
with Lees main army not later than
tomorrow evening. Circumstances and
conditions permitting, l would urge
you to assume the offensive as quick
ly as possible on Lees divided forces.
(Signed.) 'E. M. STANTON.
! Secretary of War"
This was followed by the follow
ing:
"To Fonda: Make every effort to
deliver this message to General Meade
in person. I cannot advise you def
initely as to the location of his head
quarters, but you can follow the main
army track and try to locate him as
early as possible.
"ECKERT."
Boots and saddles! Would Rose
and Hardesty, his fellow telegraph
ers, go along? Well, they didn't care
much about it. But Fonda, thrilling
with the sense of big things, appeal
ed to their patriotism, and they went.
Horses! they got orders for the
best. Each took copy of the dis
patch and Unto the darkness they gal
loped abreast" Such galloping on
such a mighty errand, on the result
of which hung the destiny of the ma
ton! Yet young Fonda was game and
he and his companions plunged on
their wild ride. through country in.
tested with rebel patrols and outposts
when every moment might mean death
the shameful death of spy. Never
was such an adventure for boy, and
never did boy face it more bravely
Afterwards, Fonda said the three
passed Confederate raiders camp
at Taneytown. They fired off theil
revolvers and made bluff at an at
tack, charged the camp with cheer
; and hullabaloo, as if they were just
the advance guard of a heavy force
behind and for all the world as Il
Phil Sheridan's calvary were thunder
ing in their rear. In this way they
got past safely.
At 4 o'clock in the morning they
came to place where the northwest
road divided into three. They stopped
"Let us each take separate road,
said Fonda, "and maybe one of us
will get through Ride like devil!
Without a handshake or farewell
they parted-and Fonda never saw
either of them again. They may
; have fallen in the hands OF the enemy
and met with short shift.