ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Espionage, Intelligence, and Security Volume ...

Civil War, Espionage and IntelligenceWith travel being relatively unimpeded it was fairlyeasy to pass written or memorized verbal messages throughthe lines. Both sides developed methods to encrypt messagesusing various forms of alphanumeric sequencecodes and cipher wheels. The telegraph was the leadingcommunication technology of the period. Anyone witha portable key set could tap into any line and monitor,receive, and send massages often confusing andcountermanding orders being sent over the wire. Confederatecavalry leader John Hunt Morgan habitually includeda telegraph operator on his staff just for this purpose.Hunt was so daring as to send a message to the U.S.Commissary Department over telegraph lines operated bythe U.S. Army complaining about the quality of mulesbeing supplied to units opposing him and being capturedby his men. Requisitions for supplies were often submittedin similar fashion in anticipation of capture from theadversary.Hot air balloons were introduced by both sides forobserving troop movement and disposition, spotting artilleryfire and relaying signals.The Confederacy led in the development of ”infernalweapons“ such as mines and torpedoes that were, at thetime, considered violations of the rules of war as theyacted upon unsuspecting prey. The concept of these deviceswas relatively simple in including a black powdercharge within a watertight container and a detonationdevice. The Brooke buoyant torpedo consisted of a metaldome with contact detonators on top mounted on a metalconical shaped container attached to a wooden spar anchoredon the bottom of a waterway. At times a Turtletorpedo containing as much as 100 pounds of explosiveswould be attached by wire to the base of the spar. Attemptsto remove the adjacent buoyant torpedo would pull thewire and detonate the Turtle. Other torpedo designs includedfloating containers detonated by contact or electricalcharge from a shore based agent and free floatingdrifting mine detonated by an attached propeller mechanismafter coming to rest against the hull of a ship. Riverand sea torpedoes could be placed by agents or troops inadvance of the arrival of the opposing force.However, the Coal torpedo required placement in afuel storage depot or bunker by an agent and quite often inthe presence of the enemy. The Coal torpedo was made ofa hollow chunk of iron cast to look like a piece of coal. Thefake coal contained a charge of powder and was coatedwith tar and coal dust and exploded with tremendouseffect when fed into the boiler fire of a steam engine eitheron board a ship, on a train or in a factory.Agents on the ground were the backbone of theespionage and intelligence gathering efforts of the period.Unfortunately the identity of most of the agents of theconflict was lost as many operated under multiple names;records were often poorly kept, and lost or intentionallysuppressed or destroyed. Contraband and escaped slavesserved as a primary source of intelligence for the U.S.Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and SecurityArmy. However, a former barrel maker, sheriff and nativeof Scotland organized a detective agency in 1850 thatserved the Union effort extensively and is still in businesstoday. Alan Pinkerton formed the National Detective Agencyand gained fame by foiling a plot to assassinate PresidentLincoln in 1861 and went on to create the secret service ofthe U.S. Army. Neither Pinkerton nor his agents had anytraining in intelligence gathering and were notorious fortheir tactics and the over-estimation of Confederate troopstrength. During the Peninsula Campaign over the springand summer of 1862, General G. B. McClellan (U.S.) hadadvanced the Army of the Potomac and its 108,000effectives to within sight of the church spires of the Confederatecapital city—Richmond, VA. However, based onintelligence gathered by Pinkerton that suggested a potentialopposing Confederate force nearing 200,000 whowere well fortified with reinforcements en route, the generalpaused to plead his case with Lincoln for more troops.In fact, General R. E. Lee never had more than 85,000effectives under his command during this time, as hissmaller force drove the Federal horde before him in fullretreat. Pinkerton’s unintended misinformation may wellhave served the defense of the Confederate capital citybetter than the mythical reinforcements that were notcoming. It would be some two and a half years before theU.S. Army would get that close to Richmond again. Yet,Pinkerton and his organization remained in Federal servicewell beyond the war. Much of Pinkerton’s informationcame from criminals and escaped slaves who lacked theskills of espionage and were thus, prone to exaggeration,along with agents who may have spent more time enjoyingRichmond’s pleasures than actually counting troops inthe field. In time, the Confederates learned to appreciatethe value of misinformation and intentionally sent menforward to become captives of the Federal forces andspread inaccurate information.American culture was still quite Victorian in manyways during the 1860’s. Women agents had a decidedadvantage over their male counterparts, as they were notlikely to be as roughly interrogated or possibly executedupon discovery. Both sides took full advantage of theopportunity.Belle Boyd shot and killed one of two drunken Unionsoldiers who had entered her Martinsburg, VA home onJuly 4, 1861. She was acquitted and set free. Thereafter,Boyd voluntarily forwarded her written observations ofUnion activity in her area to local Confederate authorities.During General ”Stonewall“ Jackson’s Shenandoah ValleyCampaign, Union troops occupied the town of FrontRoyal, VA where Miss Boyd happened to be at the time.Observing the panic that developed among the invadingFederals upon their learning of Jackson’s approach andoverhearing their plans to burn a large supply depot intown and the bridges across the South Fork of the ShenandoahRiver as they retreated northward, seventeen yearold Belle decided to inform the Confederate forces personally.Under fire from Union pickets, Boyd dashed several211