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Compete to crack secrets lost to history—for fun, clout, and (no) profit


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@offgramercy

Runs this site. Currently king of the hill, which is easier than it sounds.

38 new solutions · 4 systems recovered · 31 partial results · 9 documented dead ends

New solutions: 38

A new, defensible reading produced here.

#Problem
14Barney–Mallory Confederate Code
Identifying Webster’s 1850 edition decoded 17 of 18 word coordinates mechanically; context and source evidence support guns for the defective final group.
19Bascom–Milroy Route Telegram
The route search recovered a coherent 68-word dispatch. Manuscript alternatives and the year remain qualified; publication priority is unresolved.
24De Leon’s Lost Symbol Alphabet
The previously recovered core alphabet stands, with a revised interpretation of rare forms and a withdrawn copying-error claim.
50TEL474 – Sheldon–Eckert Fortress Monroe Ledger
The project recovered all 49 cells of Webster’s order to arrange transport for 5,700 sick prisoners, with no prior exact reading found in the bounded audit.
84TEL784, Fort Monroe to City Point
All 98 payload cells are mechanically read as Ord's fraud-investigation report to Grant; bounded Rule 8 found no prior exact clear, and two public rows advance the register to 394.
85TEL513, Army of the James Artillery Return
All 69 payload cells are mechanically read as a five-battery strength return; an independent audit found zero gaps, and Amos to New York advances the public register to 395.
86TEL511, Army of the James Best Batteries
All 50 content cells are mechanically read as a five-battery ranking; an independent audit found zero gaps, and Negro to Artillery advances the public register to 396.
87TEL523, Fort Monroe Transport Report
All 81 payload cells are mechanically read as the Fort Monroe transport report; an independent audit found zero gaps, and the five closing transfers add no public key row.
88TEL518, New York Transportation Query
All 24 payload cells are mechanically read as a transportation query; an independent audit found zero gaps, and the exact stable/literal partition adds no public key row.
89TEL525, Fort Monroe Embarkation Outcome
All 70 payload cells are mechanically read as an embarkation outcome report; an independent audit found zero gaps, and the exact evidence partition adds no public key row.
91Ben Russel Postcard
The writing convention is established and more than 30 English words are readable. A few pale details remain uncertain because of the source image.
102Jack and M. Jallett Postcard
The full note is readable as a thank-you message ending with love from Jack.
103Nan's Dorchester Postcard
The complete personal message is recovered, including an affectionate closing and an afternoon reminder.
111Forest Beefe Postcard
The complete farewell is recovered, correcting an earlier public misreading of its opening words.
119Ralph Duckworth and Minnie Storey-Bates Correspondence
Seven campaign messages are fully read, four are prior-solution controls, and one is limited by its source. A separate rebus item is cataloged independently.
124Charlie and Miss B. Correspondence
Both affectionate messages are recovered. Two small source anomalies are marked as uncertain rather than forced.
125Ezra and Leeah Doane Correspondence
A shared number alphabet opens all three cards, revealing plans, worries about privacy, and a missed visit with an apology.
127Ray Bartley Postcard Packet
All five private passages are fully transcribed and read. The remaining limits concern damaged source details, not the messages.
129Fritz Lehmann Correspondence
Nine targets are fully read, two are bounded by physical damage, and one retains five unreadable longhand lines despite a readable number block and signature.
132G. Groves Correspondence
Every group is read. The notes concern meeting plans, a safe arrival, kindness, and an assurance of honest affection.
134Fritz Salmen and Frl. Braun Postcards
The public number alphabet is verified across the group. Three cards are fully read, seven are substantial partials, and 21 yield bounded phrases.
136Madeleine Boucheron Postcard
The number line reads as an affectionate souvenir. The closing is probably a challenge to guess the sender, but the final signature is uncertain.
138O. Davy and Nell Correspondence
Both messages are completely read. They are affectionate notes signed George and include plans for Sunday contact.
141Annie Kepler Postcard
The insert is fully read as an affectionate declaration signed with initials.
142Thompson and Edwin H. Mallison Postcard
The complete playful and flirtatious message is recovered.
143E. R. Mobsby Postcards
A shared key gives complete readings of both cards.
144Daphne Lidell Postcard
All 26 tokens are decoded, completing the private portion of the note.
145Frederica Clark Postcard
The message is fully read through its surviving text. Its unfinished tail reflects the original card rather than an unresolved key.
149Sallie and Peggy Lewis Postcard
The full message is read as a note about Cardiff and is signed Mollie.
153Edna Mist Postcards
Both cards are fully read. The messages discuss a mother's illness and Christmas.
154Edith Elsworth Postcard
The complete reading is a list of terms and buildings.
155Walt and Miss Nicholls Postcard
The complete text is read with a direct letter-number alphabet, confirmed by a previously solved card from the same correspondence.
156Abie and Henry Wulf Postcard
One reversed alphabet accounts for all 80 tokens. Repeated words for affection and Henry's name provide internal checks.
157Flossie and Jack Stalland Postcard
A direct letter-number reading accounts for every cell and yields a complete affectionate note signed Flossie.
160Miss Adah Thompson Postcard
A paired-alphabet Pigpen key accounts for all 58 cells. The complete reading preserves source anomalies and one uncertain modifier.
161Miss Ramsay Postcard
Direct Morse accounts for all 52 groups. Fifty-one are standard groups, while one exact unsplit run is not.
163Grace Janson Valentine
A direct letter-number reading accounts for all 84 legible values and recovers a complete playful note from Elsie.
167K. Williams-Jones Postcard
An adjacent-pair letter-number key accounts for every readable value and predicts both withheld rows. The letter anticipates a reunion and ends with love and kisses.

Systems recovered: 4

A lost key, alphabet or mechanism rebuilt from historically known material.

#Problem
35Maury’s Mobile Cipher Insertions
A clear companion and COMPLETE VICTORY reproduce five encrypted name insertions 29/29, correcting ‘Old Kennelle’ to RED GAUNTLET.
39Hardee’s Augusta Telegram to Seddon
COMPLETE VICTORY and variant Beaufort reproduce ‘SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND BALES OF COTTON DAMAGED’ 39/39 against an independent clear.
40Hardee’s Orangeburg and Branchville Telegram
COME RETRIBUTION decodes a route fragment containing SOUTH FORKS, but its first token reads CAPMER and still has no secure interpretation.
43Hoke’s Wilmington Telegram to Lee
COME RETRIBUTION predicts the held-out DISPUTE span 7/7 and reconstructs all 34 encrypted letters; a clear companion means the result is system recovery.

Everything else

The rest is on the problems list, including the partial results and the dead ends. New index entries may still be awaiting their full write-up.