John C. Babcock
Pre War History:
Born in Rhode Island in 1837. In the mid 1850's he moved to Chicago with his parents. Babcock's pre-war job was an architect working for one of Chicago's largest architectural firms. During his work as an architect Babcock contributed many designs to Athenian mansions on millionaire's' row along Michigan Ave.
Military History:
John C. Babcock joined the Sturges Rifles, and elite Chicago outfit designated as part of "McClellan's bodyguard". While in the Sturges Rifles, Babcock was stationed at the Central Guard House in Washington. Three months later he was transferred to the office of Provost Marshal General Andrew Porter as a pass examiner. Each day Babcock, when done with work would study engineering books in a hope to acquire a commission in the Crops of Engineers.
On March 1st, 1862 Private John C. Babcock, 25 years old, was assigned to Pinkerton's group of spies as a cartographer. During the Peninsula Campaign Babcock scouted the area in front of the Union army and sketched the areas he explored. He then took these sketches and consolidate the sketches into a map. Babcock's findings were then added to the preexisting maps of Richmond. His maps were preferred over the ones made by the topographical engineers.
When Pinkerton left the army his agents went with him leaving Babcock behind. Babcock was about to return to the ranks of the Sturges Rifles, but McClellan had the company mustered out. As Babcock was preparing to return to his home in Chicago when General Burnside offered him Pinkerton's old job. Babcock took the job under the conditions that he would acquire civilian status, and his former Pinkerton agent salary of $225 dollars a month.
While the Army of the Potomac was under Burnside's command, the secret service did little. Babcock was under the authority of General Patrick. General Patrick has no regular jobs for the intelligence organization. The only thing to come out of this period is when Babcock began watching a man known as "Johnson". "Johnson" would hang around the headquarters and behave suspiciously during Jeb Stuart's raids. During one such raid "Johnson" was "captured" and brought back to Leesburg. It was Babcock's efforts in counter-intelligence in this matter that forced the Union lines to tighten up.
Things took a turn for the better when General Joseph Hooker took command. A new intelligence agency known as the Bureau of Military Information was formed with Col. George H. Sharpe of the 120th New York. While Col. Sharpe was in charge of the Bureau, Babcock and the other assistant head, Captain John McEntee, were always at the ready. The Bureau of Military Information, or BOMI, was in charge of gathering information of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. The methods used by the BOMI were known as "all source intelligence". This meant that reports from cavalry reconosance balloon observations, signal corps stations, along with the information from the bureau's agents would be gathers and compiled in to one report submitted by the bureau.
In the BOMI Babcock became the assistant chief and the principle interrogator. Babcock and Col. Sharpe had a unique way of getting information out of even the most unwilling Confederate prisoners. In exchange for correct and complete information the prisoner would be pardoned and sent up north to work as a civilian. It was either this offer or a prison camp.
Babcock became known as a walking encyclopedia on the Army of Northern Virginia. The vast amount of knowledge he had on Lee's army allowed him to submit a report to General Hooker on the 28th of April 1863. This report consisted of General Lee's order of battle for the upcoming battle of Chancellorsville. Babcock reported that Lee had 55,300 troops less the artillery, a figure that was only 2% lower than Lee's actual strength.
May 30th 1863 was a nightmare for Babcock. Lee had reorganized his army into three corps now. New brigades were added and others were sent back to Richmond. Despite all of these changes by June 9, a report on the reorganization was sent to General Hooker. It was not long before Babcock's records were all up to date.
In mid June of 1863, Lee's army was lost as far as Union intelligence was concerned. In order to complete the coverage of Lee's route north Babcock was sent into Maryland. Babcock was to scout the area around his new base of Frederick. Babcock employed several local citizens in his scouting actions. However vital Babcock's mission to Frederick was it was not with out its dangers. One of Babcock's hired scouts, James W. Greenwood, was known by the secessionist population of Frederick to have aided the Union Army at the time of Antietam. Because Greenwood and Babcock had traveled from Baltimore together and were seen in conversation Babcock became a suspicious suspect.
At one point during his stay in Frederick Babcock was forced to destroy several papers he had on him in order to evade capture and was held up in a remote part of the town. Being that Babcock was a civilian opprative his capture would mean certain death by hanging. This factor was made very clear in a letter Babcock sent to Col. Sharpe. In the letter Babcock stated that, "I am not over-anxious to be -----" instead of the word hung Babcock sketched a gallows and it's victim. In order to prevent his capture Babcock was forced to flee Frederick by the only available means, a handcar. Babcock ran the Confederate cavalry pickets, and latter hired two men to take him to a telegraph station. Babcock's mission into Frederick was at a standstill and< almost a failure. Due to his own suspicions Babcock was forced to leave Frederick while his assistants were almost certainly captured.
During the Battle at Gettysburg Babcock played a vital role in the victory. The first two day's fighting brought Babcock 1360 prisoners representing over 100 different regiments, and every brigade in Lee's army with the exception of the four brigades in Picket's division. Babcock included this information in a report he sent to General Butterfield. This report indicated that the Union had a 6 to 1 advantage in the number of fresh troops available on July 3rd. Babcock's report was a major deciding factor to stay and fight on the final day of Gettysburg.
When General George Meade took command of the Union Army several important changes occurred with in the BOMI. First of all the name "Bureau of Military Information" was dropped and the Bureau became part of the "Headquarters Army of the Potomac, Office of the Provost-Marshal-General". Second the practice of all source reporting ended. The bureau could now only report on the findings of their agents.
When another Union General took command, this time Grant, more changes came to the bureau. While the bureau was still part of Meade's staff Grant had Sharpe moved to his headquarters at City Point, Virginia. This move created to headquarters for the bureau, one with Grant controlled by Sharpe and the old headquarters with Meade's staff now taken over by Babcock.
In February of 1865 John C. Babcock's effectiveness as a spy ended. Earlier in the war the Union was able to send a foreigner, a certain John Sobieski, was sent to the Confederacy under the assumed identity of a Polish Count. This mission was a huge success and Sharpe wanted to repeat the same type of arrangement with an Englishman named Mr. Pole. Mr. Pole was sent to Richmond with Babcock as his handler, or contact in the city. Shortly after reaching the Confederacy Mr. Pole surrendered himself and confessed his true mission and "fingered" Babcock as his handler. Once he was fingered Babcock could no longer work in the field for fear of capture, now that there was evidence against him.
Post War History:
After the war Babcock stayed in the intelligence field with John McEntee who both worked as heads of the Provost Marshals System. Babcock, although retaining his civilian role, was referred to as "Captain" and was the chief of police. In 1868 he became one of the founders of the New York Athletics Club, and while a member of the Nassau Boat Club invented the sliding seat for oarsmen. Babcock's designs of well-known buildings and monuments and prominence as a clubman earned him the unofficial title of "Colonel".
During his retirement Babcock began correspondence with William Pinkerton, Allan Pinkerton's son, and Henry G. Sharpe, son of Colonel George H. Sharpe. With the aid of this correspondence Babcock hoped to write a history of the Bureau of Military Information. However, this never happened. In November of 1908 Babcock suffered a stroke that ended his life.
Sources Used
Fishel, Edwin C. The Secret War for the Union. Mariner Books. 1996. Boston.
Markle, Donald E. Spies and Spymasters of the Civil War. Hippocrene Books. 1994.
New York.