Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 February 1880 — Importance of a Letter. [ARTICLE]

Importance of a Letter.

Carious blunders have been made by telegraph operators in changing words of messages sent. But it would be hard to find a case parallel to the following, related in Scribner’s, where the change of a single letter turned a living into a dead man. “Mr. Riymond, editor of the New York Times, often visited the army during the Rebellion, and was intimate with many officers. He received one day a telegram from Col. Swain, which startled him: ‘ Your brother’s corpse is at Belle Blaine. Come immediately.’ “He started early the next morning for Washington, and, missing Col. Swain there, pushed forward to Belle Plaine, lull of sad thoughts that his brother, who had been very sick, had died so suddenly. On the way he met Dr. Dean, of Albany, who was engaged in embalming the dead bodies of soldie) s, and made arrangements to have hisjbrother embalmed. ‘ Going to Gen. Wadsworill’s beadquarters, to whose division his brother’s brigade was attached, the General kindly sent one of his officers to inquire into the circumstances of his brother’s death. The officer soon returned, and the brother with him. The telegraph had blundered by adding a letter. Co 1 . Swain had written, 4 Your brother’s corps is at Belle Tlaine.’ The telegrapher made it corpse. The b’under was pardoned, howtvir, by bo h brcth ;rs, on recount of the joy of meeting.”