bigscoop
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- Jun 4, 2010
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I think, given the recent questions in regards to this issue, that this subject requires its own thread.
Now before you guys stone me to death over the theory that I'm about to present let me explain that to fully understand this theory it requires that you have some hands on at actually working with ciphers and the decoding process. But even if you don't you should be able to grasp the general idea and direction of the following explanation. So here's what I think in regards to this subject, this after having analyzed and played with these ciphers, and the story, for a number of years. Be forewarned, this explanation requires a bit of space and reading.
Part of the process in trying to figure out why the pamphlet may have been written also involves analyzing the ciphers to see how they may have been constructed. Here's what is looked for.
If we assume that ciphers needed to be simple enough for Morriss to “easily decode” with the proper key then we know these ciphers aren't going to be constructed in complicated fashion. There is further evidence of this when the author suggest to Morriss that he may, at some point in the future, select someone of his own choosing to carry the task if he were unable. So it's pretty clear that the ciphers are not of a complicated construction, C2 being simple substitution, as are likely the remaining two.
Given this, one thing you look for in the construction of these three ciphers is a sign that the coding method has changed, which this evidence clearly exist in C1 with the introduction of nineteen four digit codes. C3 has no four digit codes and C2 only utilized one, this being 1000 which was used as a substitution for the letter “X” because there were no words in the correct copy of the DIO that began with X. But in C1 we suddenly see nineteen four digit codes. This is a sure sign that the coding process, while still likely of the simplest means, has changed.
In sharp contrast we also see a smaller range of codes and more repeat codes being used in C3, this being another sign that greater care and an extra layer of protection has been incorporated in C1. Now then, keep all of this in mind.
In the Beale Pamphlet our unknown author tells us, in clear use of the English language that he has already decoded all three of the ciphers. He does then when he remarks, that after discovering the meaning of cipher two he had, “no difficulty in mastering the others.” But then he goes on to say this apparent success proved, “an illusion.” So if he had already decoded all three ciphers with the correct copy of the Declaration of Independence, or key, then what more could he possibly require?
Later in the pamphlet, as he is explaining his hope that the publishing of the papers will eventually bring about, he says that he hopes his publishing the story will bring about the, “unintelligible writing” and thestill required “piece of paper.” Clearly he is not referring to the key as he has already decoded all three ciphers. So what then is he still lacking?
According to Beale the iron box contained everything Morriss would need accept the key in the event that his services were ever required, the key arriving to him at that time. So if the iron box contained everything needed once the key was received then why were there other pieces of paper in the iron box, such as old receipts? Well, the following is the likely answer to that question.
Remember those nineteen four digit codes in C1? As was common practice in the day and even applied clear into the Civil War, four digit codes were often added into ciphers, these codes representing entire words instead of letters. All that was required for coder and decoder to share the meaning of these critical words was the exact same keyword list, this possibly being anything from a simple list of four digit codes and words or even the numbers and words on an old receipt. In the end, even if your enemies discovered the ciphers and the key they still wouldn't know the meaning of those critical nineteen digit codes without the additional keyword list. Sometimes these four digit codes were even partial words like, ed, dis, less, ly, erd, ley, st, ect., etc., etc. They four digit codes could literally represent anything the coder desired as long as the expected decoder had the same keyword list, this also including names and entire words.
So, let's assume our unknown author had decoded all of the ciphers and he now held the names of the parties identified in C3, and let's further assume that those parties had originally lived in Lynchburg and Bedford county area. Now if you really wanted to find that critical piece of paper, or someone with knowledge of described events, where would you look? And if you wanted to do it under the radar how might you go about doing it? Well, you could hire someone to be the representing agent for a publication that pleads your circumstances, this putting a buffer between yourself and the public. And if Sherman and Ward were descendents of those involved and if you were likewise part of that same family, or very close to them, then all the better. Ward could simply say that he was only the agent and that he had no direct knowledge of the affair, all the while passing any information he might collect onto the unknown author, who still remains anonymous.
If this was the coding process employed then it would render the decoding efforts of C1 useless, yet with the correct copy of the key and the required keyword list the decoding process would remain very simple, even for someone who has never decoded a cipher before, this then allowing Morriss the freedom to pass the responsibility on to whoever he might choose at some later date.
So there you have it....my personal theory as to why the unknown author published the Beale pamphlet.
Now before you guys stone me to death over the theory that I'm about to present let me explain that to fully understand this theory it requires that you have some hands on at actually working with ciphers and the decoding process. But even if you don't you should be able to grasp the general idea and direction of the following explanation. So here's what I think in regards to this subject, this after having analyzed and played with these ciphers, and the story, for a number of years. Be forewarned, this explanation requires a bit of space and reading.
Part of the process in trying to figure out why the pamphlet may have been written also involves analyzing the ciphers to see how they may have been constructed. Here's what is looked for.
If we assume that ciphers needed to be simple enough for Morriss to “easily decode” with the proper key then we know these ciphers aren't going to be constructed in complicated fashion. There is further evidence of this when the author suggest to Morriss that he may, at some point in the future, select someone of his own choosing to carry the task if he were unable. So it's pretty clear that the ciphers are not of a complicated construction, C2 being simple substitution, as are likely the remaining two.
Given this, one thing you look for in the construction of these three ciphers is a sign that the coding method has changed, which this evidence clearly exist in C1 with the introduction of nineteen four digit codes. C3 has no four digit codes and C2 only utilized one, this being 1000 which was used as a substitution for the letter “X” because there were no words in the correct copy of the DIO that began with X. But in C1 we suddenly see nineteen four digit codes. This is a sure sign that the coding process, while still likely of the simplest means, has changed.
In sharp contrast we also see a smaller range of codes and more repeat codes being used in C3, this being another sign that greater care and an extra layer of protection has been incorporated in C1. Now then, keep all of this in mind.
In the Beale Pamphlet our unknown author tells us, in clear use of the English language that he has already decoded all three of the ciphers. He does then when he remarks, that after discovering the meaning of cipher two he had, “no difficulty in mastering the others.” But then he goes on to say this apparent success proved, “an illusion.” So if he had already decoded all three ciphers with the correct copy of the Declaration of Independence, or key, then what more could he possibly require?
Later in the pamphlet, as he is explaining his hope that the publishing of the papers will eventually bring about, he says that he hopes his publishing the story will bring about the, “unintelligible writing” and thestill required “piece of paper.” Clearly he is not referring to the key as he has already decoded all three ciphers. So what then is he still lacking?
According to Beale the iron box contained everything Morriss would need accept the key in the event that his services were ever required, the key arriving to him at that time. So if the iron box contained everything needed once the key was received then why were there other pieces of paper in the iron box, such as old receipts? Well, the following is the likely answer to that question.
Remember those nineteen four digit codes in C1? As was common practice in the day and even applied clear into the Civil War, four digit codes were often added into ciphers, these codes representing entire words instead of letters. All that was required for coder and decoder to share the meaning of these critical words was the exact same keyword list, this possibly being anything from a simple list of four digit codes and words or even the numbers and words on an old receipt. In the end, even if your enemies discovered the ciphers and the key they still wouldn't know the meaning of those critical nineteen digit codes without the additional keyword list. Sometimes these four digit codes were even partial words like, ed, dis, less, ly, erd, ley, st, ect., etc., etc. They four digit codes could literally represent anything the coder desired as long as the expected decoder had the same keyword list, this also including names and entire words.
So, let's assume our unknown author had decoded all of the ciphers and he now held the names of the parties identified in C3, and let's further assume that those parties had originally lived in Lynchburg and Bedford county area. Now if you really wanted to find that critical piece of paper, or someone with knowledge of described events, where would you look? And if you wanted to do it under the radar how might you go about doing it? Well, you could hire someone to be the representing agent for a publication that pleads your circumstances, this putting a buffer between yourself and the public. And if Sherman and Ward were descendents of those involved and if you were likewise part of that same family, or very close to them, then all the better. Ward could simply say that he was only the agent and that he had no direct knowledge of the affair, all the while passing any information he might collect onto the unknown author, who still remains anonymous.
If this was the coding process employed then it would render the decoding efforts of C1 useless, yet with the correct copy of the key and the required keyword list the decoding process would remain very simple, even for someone who has never decoded a cipher before, this then allowing Morriss the freedom to pass the responsibility on to whoever he might choose at some later date.
So there you have it....my personal theory as to why the unknown author published the Beale pamphlet.
