On Intelligence

 

For the rapid transmission of orders in an army covering a large

space of ground, the magnetic telegraph is by far the best, though

habitually the paper and pencil, with good mounted orderlies,

answer every purpose. I have little faith in the signal-service by

flags and torches, though we always used them; because, almost

invariably when they were most needed, the view was cut off by

intervening trees, or by mists and fogs. There was one notable

instance in my experience, when the signal-flags carried a message.

of vital importance over the heads of Hood's army, which had

interposed between me and Allatoona, and had broken the

telegraph-wires--as recorded in Chapter XIX.; but the value of the

magnetic telegraph in war cannot be exaggerated, as was illustrated

by the perfect concert of action between the armies in Virginia and

Georgia during 1864. 

 

Hardly a day intervened when General Grant

did not know the exact state of facts with me, more than fifteen

hundred miles away as the wires ran. So on the field a thin

insulated wire may be run on improvised stakes or from tree to tree

for six or more miles in a couple of hours, and I have seen

operators so skillful, that by cutting the wire they would receive

a message with their tongues from a distant station. 

 

As a matter of course, the ordinary commercial wires along the railways form

the usual telegraph-lines for an army, and these are easily

repaired and extended as the army advances, but each army and wing

should have a small party of skilled men to put up the field-wire,

and take it down when done. This is far better than the

signal-flags and torches. Our commercial telegraph-lines will

always supply for war enough skillful operators. 

 

Personally, I saw but little of the practical working of the 

railroads, for I only turned back once 

as far as Resaca; but I had daily reports from the engineer in

charge, and officers who came from the rear often explained to me

the whole thing, with a description of the wrecked trains all the

way from Nashville to Atlanta. I am convinced that the risk to

life to the engineers and men on that railroad fully equaled that

on the skirmish-line, called for as high an order of courage, and

fully equaled it in importance.

 

***

 

In a cotton-field back of that house was our signal-station, on the

roof of an old gin-house.  The signal-officer reported that by

studying the enemy's signals he had learned the key, and that he

could read their signals.  He explained to me that he had

translated a signal about noon, from Pine Mountain to Marietta,

"Send an ambulance for General Polk's body;

 

About that instant of time, some of our men burnt a bridge, which severed the

telegraph-wire, and all communication with the rear ceased

thenceforth.  - on leaving Atlanta

 

I traveled with the Fifteenth

Corps, and on the 8th of March reached Laurel Hill, North Carolina.

Satisfied that our troops mast be at Wilmington, I determined to

send a message there; I called for my man, Corporal Pike, whom I

had rescued as before described, at Columbia, who was then

traveling with our escort, and instructed him in disguise to work

his way to the Cape Fear River, secure a boat, and float down to

Wilmington to convey a letter, and to report our approach.  I also

called on General Howard for another volunteer, and he brought me a

very clever young sergeant, who is now a commissioned officer in

the regular army.  Each of these got off during the night by

separate routes, bearing the following message, reduced to the same

cipher we used in telegraphic messages: ***

 

"Now came an aide from General Gillmore, at Port Royal, with

your cipher-dispatch from Midway, so I steamed down to Port Royal

to see him. Next day was spent in vain efforts to decipher-finally

it was accomplished" - General Grant

 

 

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