ed
volcano, and sought Ellsworth to slay him instantly.

Three days were required to pacify him, during which time, the great
"operator" had to be carefully kept out of his sight. But when Ellsworth
was seated in the telegraph office he was always "master of the
situation." No man could watch him at work, see him catch, without a
boggle, "signals," "tariff," and all the rest, fool the regular
operators, baffle with calm confidence their efforts to detect him, and
turn to his own advantage their very suspicions, and not unhesitatingly
pronounce him a genius. As if to demonstrate incontestably his own
superiority, he has (since the war closed) invented a plan to prevent
just such tricks, as he used to practice at way stations, from being
played.

When he "took the chair" at Gallatin, he first, in accordance with
Colonel Morgan's instructions, telegraphed in Colonel Boone's name, to
the commandant at Bowlinggreen to send him reinforcements, as he
expected to be attacked. But this generous plan to capture and parole
soldiers, who wished to go home and see their friends, miscarried. Then
he turned his attention to Nashville. The operator there was suspicious
and put a good many questions, all of which were successfully answered.

At length the train he wished sent, was started, but when it got within
six miles of Gallatin, a negro signaled it and gave the alarm. A
railroad bridge between Gallatin and Nashville, was then at once
destroyed, and the fine tunnel, six miles above, was rendered impassable
for months. The roof of the tunnel was of a peculiar rock which was
liable at all times to disintegrate and tumble down; to remedy this,
huge beams, supported by strong uprights, had been stretched
horizontally across the tunnel, and a sort of scaffolding have been
built upon these beams. A good deal of wood work was consequently put
up. Some of the freight cars were also run into the tunnel and set on
fire when the wood work was kindled. This fire smouldered on, after it
had ceased to burn fiercely, for a long time, and it was weeks before
any repairs could be attempted, on account of the intense heat and the
huge masses of rock which were constantly falling. This tunnel is eight
hundred feet long.

In the "History of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad during the
war," the Superintendent, Mr. Albert Fink, whose energy to repair, was
equal to Morgan's to destroy, says of the year commencing July 1, 1862,
and ending July 1