Captured Dispatches

[Nathan Stuart]

Can recall reading frequently about the capture of command dispatches either immediately preceding or during battle, by both sides over the course of the war. Typically, this involved dispatch couriers carrying command messages or orders being intercepted by the enemy, but not always. This does not seem surprising, considering the chaos and disorder that often existed in battlefield conditions as well as the dispersed commands that could occur across vast areas.

Many are aware of the fortuitous finding of Lee's Lost 'Special Order 191' before Antietam, and the consequences that arose from it. There also appears, however, to be numerous other incidents of command messages being seized by the enemy.

Two such incidents readily come to mind. One instance occurred when Johnston arrived in Jackson, MS, (May 13, 1863), he sent an important order by three couriers to Pemberton, urging him to attack Sherman's rear and join forces. However, one of these couriers was actually a spy, and the carried message was relayed to Grant, who immediately made plans to foil any junction of Pemberton and Johnston. Another example occurred during Kirby-Smith's move into Kentucky when his cavalry captured a dispatch from Wallace (Aug. 23, 1863) containing news about expected Union reinforcements destined for Richmond, KY. (See 'OR': Pt. 1, p 887) . Thought this message, together with other vital contemporaneous information obtained, prompted Kirby Smith to hasten his attack plans for Richmond, resulting in perhaps the most complete route of a Union force during the war.

Wonder whether there are any other instances of captured significant enemy dispatches (apart from Lee's Special Order 191) that were used and might have had a material impact on the course of an existing or upcoming battle engagement.

 

[Saphroneth]

Wonder whether there are any other instances of captured significant enemy dispatches (apart from Lee's Special Order 191) that were used and might have had a material impact on the course of an existing or upcoming battle engagement.

I believe there were several back and forth captures during the Northern Virginia campaign.



August 18: Pope's cavalry captures Lee's order to Stuart which outlines his campaign plans and contains positions and strengths (per Pope)
August 22: Stuart's cavalry captures Pope's dispatch book, containing "[d]etailed data as to his strength, dispositions, and designs; and referencing expected reinforcements and identifying their whereabouts."
August 28 (morning): Jackson captures Pope's marching orders for that very same day.
August 28 (same day): AP Hill captures Pope's orders to McDowell "ordering the formation of his line of battle", apparently including some of the very same orders Jackson captured.


These were probably more significant, both in amount of detail and in influence on the campaign, than Special Order 191.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Apparently during the siege of Chattanooga, on Oct. 25, 1863, Bragg's scouts intercepted one of Grant's couriers. The captured message revealed that Thomas had recently replaced Rosecrans (on Oct. 19) as head of the Army of the Cumberland and that Grant was heading to Chattanooga (he actually arrived there on Oct. 23) to take overall charge of the combined forces led by Thomas, Sherman and Hooker that were assembling at this place. With this knowledge, Bragg would have been able to ascertain that his own force would soon be greatly outnumbered by the enemy. Thought such information would have been a factor in prompting Bragg to take further immediate action.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Another possible instance of a captured dispatch that might have influenced the outcome of a battle.

In his personal recollections, 'Fighting for the Confederacy', E. P. Alexander refers (at p.246) to Meade during the night of July 2 considering retreat from Gettysburg (which was verified by his Chief-of-Staff, Gen. Butterfield, after the war), and that at the time there existed a Federal Army report that a force under Beauregard was approaching to reinforce Lee.

Alexander mentions (p. 247) that a courier carrying a plain letter from Davis to Lee (an eventual reply to Lee's earlier written requests for Beauregard to be sent) was captured at Greencastle, on July 2, by Capt. Ulric Dahlgren and the seized dispatch was delivered to Meade around midnight on that same day. Apparently, Dahlgren would later tell friends that his rapid promotion soon afterwards to Colonel was due to him ' capturing a letter and delivering it to Meade in time to prevent him from retreating from Gettysburg'.

Whether possession of this captured letter actually impacted Meade's decision to remain and give battle at Gettysburg is uncertain.

 

[Saphroneth]

There's also one to my recollection during Glendale, which didn't influence the battle per se but which does (decades later) provide possible - though not conclusive - evidence that McClellan intended a counterattack. This would have influenced the outcome of the fighting on July 1, had Franklin's retreat on June 30 not led to the July 1 fighting being at Malvern Hill.


Longstreet's memoirs:

" POTOMAC, VA., April 24. 1902. " LIEUTENANT-GENERAL JAMES LONGSTREET:

" MY DEAR GENERAL,—At your request, I write what I recalled to your mind not very long ago, of my awakening and ride to find Lieutenant-General Jackson after the battle of Frazier's Farm in 1862. After conducting Major-General Magruder, with his division, to your line of battle, relieving your troops under cover of darkness, I was very tired, having been in the saddle all day. I had finally fallen asleep 'mid the mournful groans of the suffering soldiers under the surgeons' saw and knife, when you came and laid down on my blanket and upon me, and whispered in my ear, ' Are you very tired ?' Believing you had work for me, I quickly answered, ' No !' 'Can you find General Jackson?' was asked. I replied, 'I will try." To the question, ' Which way will you go,' I made answer, ' Over the white-oak swamps to the left of where we fought to-day.' ' No ; not that way!' you said, decisively. Then I suggested, ' Round by Seven Pines Battle-field.' 'Yes,' you agreed, 'that is the way ; tell General Jackson that General Lee has a courier taken with orders from General McClellan that he will attack in the morning ; bring General Jackson up as early as you can ;, take a courier with you.' After a long ride, I reached General Jackson at his camp on the side of the road near the swamp, about half an hour after sunrise. I delivered your order and started on return to you, when General Jackson called, ' Which way are you going?' I replied, 'Across the swamps on this road.' General Jackson said, 'You must not go that way.' ' General' I declared, 'I believe the enemy have gone.' But General Jackson insisted that I must wait until the bridge was repaired and go with his escort. I rode to the swamp, and found his escort there. As soon as the last plank was placed, I rode over, the escort following.

"Very truly yours, "JNO. W. FAIRFAX."

The main reason this isn't conclusive is the possibility for confabulation of memories this late.