Ciphered Battlefield Communication, Burnside to McClellan, September 1862

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• Lot Description

  Manuscript ciphered communication, Hd Qrs, Right wing &c. / in Field near Damascus / Sept 10th 8 Pm. 2pp, 7.5 x 9.75 in. Ciphered messages are extremely rare, especially in private hands. We were only able to locate a few decoded messages (such as the second page below). The original message:

  Caldwell

  Katy Thomas for just state shall to & their to has in regards with this that everything to market a affairs will the drink Adam received of send new report return indicate left accordance office directions but udder seem on once pigeons - I the reports well following indicate here squadron at you would the neighborhood your Todd I corps road Ridgeville camps the road miles palestina the boy two the Damascus & & Ridgeville trinity supporting on move ahead shall is in two at Damascus three from at road side from of reserve half Market on Andes of National Animals show. Carefully the distance of two new a the forks miles threaten Damascus new are company within Market ramble all that new papers signed umber Citizens Pelton without miles pigeons Andes when the road in market established of two and the the the market house left him that ny new to a windpipe of new direction our sent out of meeting reports informed had Argyle left.

  Doyle

  The decoded version was provided to a General Peter C. Doyle (coincidentally, since Burnside's code name was "Doyle,") much later - with manuscript note at bottom: Above is a translation of the "cipher despatch" signed "Doyle," furnished by the "War Department" Washington DC February 20th, 1895, at the request of Gen. Peter C. Doyle, Buffalo NY.

  General McClellan:

  The following report just received will indicate the state of affairs here. I shall send a squadron of cavalry to New Market at once, and report to you on their return. Everything would seem to indicate that the enemy has left this neighborhood, but in accordance with your directions I shall move carefully. Hooker's corps is on the National Road in supporting distance of Ridgeville; two divisions of Reno's corps at Ridgeville; two on the Damascus and New Market Road, three and a half miles from Damascus. The reserve artillery at the forks of the road, two miles from Damascus in the direction of New Market, where our headquarters are established. Reno sent a company of cavalry out to within two miles of New Market and without meeting any pickets. The captain reports that all the citizens informed him that the enemy had left New Market.

  Burnside / Major-General

  This communication between senior commanders is part of the positioning of troops during the week prior to the battle at Antietam. These towns are just northwest of Washington, DC. The Union had intercepted one of Lee's communications with his commanders, so the Federal commanders knew what he was planning to do. (And the Federal communications were ciphered, in case Lee did the same to them.)

  Burnside moved out of the DC area up through Brookeville (MD) to New Market while Hooker was just down the road near Ridgeville. Along with Franklin and Sumner, both moving in the same direction along parallel routes, none had encountered any Confederates in the area. Lee's troops were moving through Virginia toward Harpers Ferry, then to the north-northeast. The Armies finally met on September 17, 1862 near Sharpsburg, MD, nearly due north of Harpers Ferry. The Battle of Antietam (as the Union recorded it, the Battle of Sharpsburg as it would be known in the Confederacy) would be the single bloodiest day in American history to date, with casualties (dead and wounded) of nearly 23,000. The battles with greater losses were all multi-day battles.

  Condition

  Light toning and surface soil. A few separated folds that have cellophane tape repairs on verso. Overall in very good condition.
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