Trivia 2-6-19 Code talkers

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Frémont, who was very much concerned about the activity of the Confederate intelligence service in Missouri and highly desired confidentiality, used the Hungarian language as a kind of encryption in his telegraph communication with Washington, D.C. or Cairo, Illinois, which in a way anticipates the use of Navajo code-talkers in the Pacific campaign of World War II.
 
With such a preponderance of Hungarians in the North, the use of the Hungarian language as a 'code' was successfully employed by General Fremont to General Grant via telegram and written letter. [Papers of US Grant vol.2, pages 178-200]
[The two operations involving US Grant and the Hungarian language can be found in the Papers of US Grant vol.2. pages 167-180 and 191, mostly in the notes at the bottom of those pages (especially the Orders for the Operation to Occupy Paducah, on page 191.)]
 
Like probably many of us, I first thought of Navajo, but that was the wrong war. Also Choctaw was wrong.
Surprisingly it was Hungarian!

"Most people (I include myself among the group) are unaware of the participation of Hungarian immigrants in the Civil War. But in the wave of revolutions that swept Europe in 1848, Hungary (as part of the Hapsburg Empire) experienced a popular uprising that was put down. In order to evade reprisals from victorious Austria, many Hungarian fighters gathered up their families and fled abroad. Of the Hungarians who made their way to the United States, over 90 percent found themselves in what would be 'the North' during the War of the Rebellion, with the majority of those migrants settling in New York City and St. Louis... with such a preponderance of Hungarians in the North, the use of the Hungarian language as a 'code' was successfully employed via telegram and written letter. [Papers of US Grant vol.2, pages 178-200]"

http://shilohdiscussiongroup.com/topic/1789-code-talkers/
 
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