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Report
of Lieut. Milton Benner, Second Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, HDQRS.
SIGNAL TELEGRAPH TRAIN, DEPT. OF THE GULF, SIR: I have the honor
to submit the following report of operations of the signal telegraph train
from May 23 to June 5, inclusive: On the 23d ultimo, in
accordance with instructions from Major-General Augur, the wire was run
out on the Springfield road from Springfield Landing (our depot for
supplies) to a point on that road where it connects with the Bayou Sara
road, and about 1 mile from Placion Church, near Barnes' Cross-Roads.
Communications from the telegraph station near the Cross-Roads were
conveyed to their destinations by orderlies detailed for that purpose by
General Augur. The line was in good working order until June 5, when I was
directed by the chief signal officer to turn my wire over to Captain
Bulkley, of the United States Military Telegraph, for temporary use, and
the same to be worked by his instruments. Up to the time of writing, the
wire remains in his possession. I inclose copies of a
few messages only, as it would require too much space and time to give you
complete files of all transmitted. The following shows the operations for
each day so long as the wire was worked by my instruments: May
23:
Number
of messages
10 Number
of words
370 Average
number of words 37
May
24:
Number
of messages
14 Number
of words
461 Average
number of words 33
May
25:
Number
of messages
18 Number
of words
580 Average
number of words 32
May
26:
Number
of messages
6 Number
of words
136 Average
number of words 22
May
27:
Number
of messages
12 Number
of words
421 Average
number of words 35
May
28:
Number
of messages
20 Number
of words
813 Average
number of words 40
May
29:
Number
of messages
18 Number
of words
700 Average
number of words 39
May
30:
Number
of messages
28 Number
of words
1,124 Average
number of words 44
May
31:
Number
of messages
15 Number
of words
505 Average
number of words 33
June
1:
Number
of messages
14 Number
of words
382 Average
number of words 27
June
2:
Number
of messages
22 Number
of words
612 Average
number of words 27
June
3:
Number
of messages
27 Number
of words
591 Average
number of words 21
June
4:
Number
of messages
30 Number
of words
702 Average
number of words 23
June
5:
Number
of messages
11 Number
of words
425 Average
number of words 38 RECAPITULATION. Number
of messages
245 Number
of words
7,822 Average
number of words 31 Respectfully submitted. Your obedient servant, MILTON
BENNER, Acting
Signal Officer. [Inclosures.] HEADQUARTERS
UNITED STATES FORCES, To Signal Officer in
command of Signal Telegraph, near Placion Church: SIR: The following good
news has just been received from Colonel Grierson: We are half a mile north of the railroad. Have met
General Grover with his division. General Banks is 3 miles back. News from
General Grant inglorious. He cut Johnston's forces to pieces, capturing
sixty-one pieces of artillery. He has Vicksburg hemmed in so they cannot
use their siege guns. C.
C. AUGUR, Major-General
General, Commanding. Send the above dispatch
to the fleet. G.
B. HALSTED, Assistant
Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS
FIRST DIVISION, Captain
ALDEN, General Banks is up
with his forces, and we close in around the fort this morning, and will
probably open upon them in the course of the day. The general wishes me
to say that he will keep the admiral informed of the progress of affairs. C.
C. AUGUR, Major-General
General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS
DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, Rear-Admiral FARRAGUT, U.S. Navy, ADMIRAL: The commanding
general is at the front. I will forward your dispatch to him immediately;
meanwhile, I take the liberty of stating our position early this morning:
Sherman on the left, in advance of the enemy's first line of rifle-pits,
having his pickets at the front edge of a skirt of woods, separated from
the enemy's main line of works by an open plain. His position is in front
of the school-house. Augur next, on the roads from the Plains to Port
Hudson, and well advanced. Grover on the Jackson Railroad, holding the
front edge of a wood which is within from 200 to 400 yards of the apparent
center of the works, and in plain sight and easy range of them. Weitzel,
with his own brigade, Dwight's, and Paine's (Emory's division), reduced to
about a brigade, on the right, near where the Telegraph road from Port
Hudson to Bayou Sara crosses Big Sandy Creek. This morning everybody
except Grover has closed up, and Grover cannot close up without taking the
works in front of him. Thus the place is
completely invested. 1 understand that the commanding general's intention
is to make the decisive attack to-morrow morning, but upon this point I do
not speak officially or decidedly, as everything, of course, depends upon
circumstances, which an hour might totally change. I have the honor to be, sir,
with great respect, your most obedient servant, RICH'D
B. IRWIN, Assistant
Adjutant-General. |
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