Rouge telegraph operator

[J. Rodriguez]

I have been reading the Gettysburg OR's, and while I was reading volume 27, part 1, I came across a message from Daniel Butterfield to a Major Eckert dated July 4th, 1863 on page 98.

"Major Eckert:
General Meade desires to know who's orders and authority the telegraph operators possessing the cipher are appointed and controlled. The operator, Mr Caldwell, at these headquarters presumes to act in an independent manner, and has left headquarters for Westminster, selecting his own location, without authority or permission. The commanding General is unable to send dispatches from these headquarters in cipher in consequence thereof, or to understand those he receives." - Danl. Butterfield, Major General, and Chief of Staff.

Does anyone have any more information on who this "Mr Caldwell" was, and why he decided to act independently?

 

[infomanpa]

How do you know that Caldwell was red?

 

[History hoarder63]

I have been reading the Gettysburg OR's, and while I was reading volume 27, part 1, I came across a message from Daniel Butterfield to a Major Eckert dated July 4th, 1863 on page 98.

"Major Eckert:
General Meade desires to know who's orders and authority the telegraph operators possessing the cipher are appointed and controlled. The operator, Mr Caldwell, at these headquarters presumes to act in an independent manner, and has left headquarters for Westminster, selecting his own location, without authority or permission. The commanding General is unable to send dispatches from these headquarters in cipher in consequence thereof, or to understand those he receives." - Danl. Butterfield, Major General, and Chief of Staff.

Does anyone have any more information on who this "Mr Caldwell" was, and why he decided to act independently?

A.H. Caldwell was a civilian cipher operator with the United States Military Telegraph Corps. As cypher operator he was in charge of a Telegraph battery with its personnel, wagon and horses. US Military Telegraph batterys took orders from the War Department not from field generals and this was a problem for years. Since they were civilians, they could not be forced to obey military orders.

By July 15, 1863 Caldwell was operating from Meade's headquarters since there is a signed message from him at that location and date. He was at City Point Va in 1864.

 

[Library Lady]

This is how William Plum describes Caldwell in his book The Military Telegraph During the Civil War in the United States (1882).

A. Harper Caldwell entered this service in August, 1861, in
charge of General McClellan's head-quarters office, and contin-
ued from that time, to the end of the war, chief operator of the
Army of the Potomac, accompanying it on every march, and
serving during every siege. On the 1st of September, 1866, he
left the Department of the Potomac for General Sheridan's
head-quarters in New Orleans, where he remained as cipher
operator until his death, November 25, 1866. At a meeting of
the operators in the District of Columbia, immediately held,
proper resolutions were passed and many telegrams of sympathy
and condolence from operators already scattered, but who felt that
they must give expression to their sorrow, were read. His
remains were sent to Zanesville, Ohio, for interment.

This is a picture taken from The Photographic History of the Civil War (1911). The caption indicates that A. Harper Caldwell is the gent leaning against the tent pole.

Pardon Our Interruption...

This may be his grave in Zanesville, Ohio. There is a 2-year discrepancy between the date on the tombstone and the year of death given by Plum, but the day and the month are the same. There is also a James Caldwell listed on this tombstone who died in 1867. There was a telegrapher with the Army of the Potomac by the name of James Caldwell as well.

Harper Caldwell (unknown-1868) - Find a Grave...

Find a Grave memorial for Harper Caldwell died 25 Nov 1868. Buried at Greenwood Cemetery, Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio, United States of America, North America

www.findagrave.com

Edited to add: You might also find this web page interesting.

The Military Telegraph Service by A.W. Greely

The US Military Telegraph USMT, During The American Civil War. The vast utility and indispensable importance of the electric telegraph, both as an administrative agent and as a tactical factor in military operations.

www.civilwarsignals.org

 

[Tom Elmore]

Speaking of telegraph operators, Brig. Gen. John B. Gordon tried his best to capture the local telegraph operator in Gettysburg on June 26:

On the 25th anniversary of the battle, "Gen. Gordon called on H. D. Scott, a resident of Gettysburg, who was the telegraph operator here 25 years ago, and the man of all others that the rebels desired to capture. He evaded them, however, being taken out of the town in a buggy." (National Tribune, July 12, 1888, p. 8)

 

[Rory]

I have a similar question with Butterfield's message to Hooker (OR 3 p281):
"If Jeff comes, send him right in. I might use Dickinson if you will not need him tomorrow. Let him come with Jeff., and report to me at 221 to-night, or Eutaw, Baltimore, if I have left Washington"
Five hours later to Hooker, Butterfield has never heard or said anything about "any Jeff". Is this just garbled communication? Who is Dickinson? Jeff?
Best Regards,
Rory

 

[Rory]

..getting used to the MHO style posts, apologies for the duplicate!

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

@Library Lady do we have any idea what he died of? I see that we don't have a birthdate for Caldwell so he might have been in his 70s for all we know in 1866 but it seems like a remarkably quick death right after peace is declared.

 

[Gary Morgan]

Speaking of telegraph operators, Brig. Gen. John B. Gordon tried his best to capture the local telegraph operator in Gettysburg on June 26:

On the 25th anniversary of the battle, "Gen. Gordon called on H. D. Scott, a resident of Gettysburg, who was the telegraph operator here 25 years ago, and the man of all others that the rebels desired to capture. He evaded them, however, being taken out of the town in a buggy." (National Tribune, July 12, 1888, p. 8)

There was at least one telegraph operator held as a POW at Andersonville. I discuss him in the chapter on non-military ("citizen") prisoners in the book that I'm currently working on.

 

[Library Lady]

@Library Lady do we have any idea what he died of? I see that we don't have a birthdate for Caldwell so he might have been in his 70s for all we know in 1866 but it seems like a remarkably quick death right after peace is declared.

I haven't found anything else on him. I was pleased just to find him mentioned in Major Plum's book. Whoever posted the grave up to Find-A-Grave didn't do any other looking (apparently). Perhaps someone with access to archived newspapers could look and see if his obituary was in a Zanesville, Ohio, paper and if it mentions cause of death?

 

[Rhea Cole]

The US Military Telegraph Service was an independent organization not under the control of U.S. military. The operators assigned to military HQ's were employees of the USMT. The military did not have access to the codes. The reason for this improbable arrangement is hard to explain.

The Civil War Signals website has an excellent article that addresses the contest between the Signal Corps & the civilian telegraph organization.

When Grant took command of the army, one of his first acts was to demand to have control of his telegraphic coms. In the usual arrogant way, the US Military Telegraph attempted to put Grant in his place… as any number of subordinates had discovered, Grant did not tolerate insubordination. He got his way or else… which concentrated somebody's mind & Grant took control of his telegraphic coms.