The Telegraph and The Civil War

1
The Telegraph and The Civil War
Civil War Myers Wigwag system Signal Flag,
National Cryptologic Museum, Ft. Meade, Maryland

• Understanding Goal
• Good Communication Wins Battles
• Investigative Question
• How did the telegraph affect the outcome of the
  Civil War?

2
Timeline for the Telegraph

• 1835 - Invented
• 1838 - Publicly demonstrated and funded
• 1844 - First successful message sent
• 1851 - Dispatch of trains by telegraph begins
• 1861 - First Transcontinental Telegraph line
• 1861 - Civil War Begins

Davis, R. (1863) The first telegraphic message
from California Library of Congress Prints and
Photographs
3
1853 Map of Telegraph Lines
Barr, C. (1853) Telegraph stations in the United
States, the Canadas Nova Scotia. Library of
Congress American Memory, Map Collections
4
1867 Map Railroads and Telegraph
Lloyd, J. (1867) Lloyd's railroad, telegraph
express map of the United States and Canadas from
official information. Library of Congress
American Memory, Map Collections
5
Some Civil War battles were fought to control
rivers and ports.
Port Royal, SC 1862 Norfolk, VA 1862 New
Orleans, LA 1862 Vicksburg, MS 1863
Gibson, J. (1862) Group on board the Monitor,
July 9, 1862. Stereograph Library of Congress
Prints and Photographs
6
Kurtz and Allison (1889) Battle between the
Monitor and Merrimac--fought March 9th 1862 at
Hampton Roads, near Norfolk, Va. Library of
Congress Prints and Photographs
7
Most Civil War Battles were fought to control
railroads.

• First Manassas or First Bull Run (July 1861)
• Fredericksburg (December 1863)
• Siege of Petersburg and the Fall of Richmond
  (1864-1865)
• Appomattox Courthouse (April 1865)

OSullivan, T. (1863) View looking South, showing
how the Rebels destroyed the Orange and
Alexandria Railroad when they fell back before
the Army of the Potomac, under General Meade,
October 13, 1863. Stereograph Library of
Congress American Memory, Civil War Treasures
from the New-York Historical Society
8
Why?
Corbett, V. (1851) Map of the seat of war
showing the battles of July 18th 21st, 1861 /
published by V.P. Corbett. Library of Congress
American Memory, Map Collections.
9
Telegraph Lines were built Along Major Roads and
Railroads
Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft Thursday 27th Feb
1862 A great movement of troops over the river
and from here over, has taken place. The Trains
from the City going East have been stopped and no
one is allowed to leave the City without a
passport. All Telegraph lines as well as
Railroads are in the hands of the Govt. Various
reports are afloat in reference to the fighting
over the River but nothing seems to be known. But
there is little doubt that the "Army of the
Potomac" is on the move after its long season of
inactivity. We shall hear of stirring news soon
Taft, H. The Washington Diary of Horatio Nelson
Taft Library of Congress American Memory, The
Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft
10
Railroads Supply the Army
Barnard, G. (1864) Atlanta, Georgia. Federal army
wagons railroad depot Library of Congress Prints
and Photographs, Civil War Photographs
11
Gardner, A. (1863) Aquia Creek Landing, Va. View
of the Federal supply depot Library of
CongressAmerican Memory, Selected Civil War
Photographs, 1861-1865.
12
The Telegraph Could Tell the Generals

• Where
• When
• Who
• What
• How

Davis, R. (1863) The Army telegraph - setting up
the wire during an action The Army telegraph -
the operator at work / sketched by Mr. A.R. Waud.
A signal station at night / sketched Mr. Theodore
R. Davis. Library of Congress Prints and
Photographs
13
Several telegraph companies helped the armies
communicate
Telegram from Lowe to Gen F. J. Porter showing
"American Telegraph Company" masthead, November
30, 1861Library of Congress Exhibitions, Top
Treasures - Battles of Manassas
14
Lincolns Secretary of War coordinated the use of
the telegraph between these companies.
Telegram to Lowe from Gen F. J. Porter showing
"American Telegraph Company" masthead, November
30, 1861Library of Congress Exhibitions, Top
Treasures - Battles of Manassas
15
Lincolns Secretary of War was Edward Stanton
The telegraph was in the Department of War
Office. Lincoln spent many hours there and
visited almost daily.
Unknown (between 1860 and 1870) President and
Cabinet H. Hamlin, A. Lincoln, Edw'd Bates, E.M.
Stanton, W.H. Seward, M. Blair, G. Welles, W.P.
Fessenden, and J.P. Usher Library of Congress
Prints and Photographs
16
Stanton put Major Thomas T. Eckert in charge of
the Military Telegraph Service
Mulhollen and Mugridge (Between 1860 and 1865)
Petersburg, Va., vicinity. Maj. Thomas T. Eckert
(seated, left) and others of U.S. Military
Telegraph Corps. Library of Congress American
Memory, Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865
17
Thomas Eckert

• Eckert used two organizations to send and receive
  telegraph messages.
• The Military Telegraph Service
• (Civilians under contract to Military)
• The Signal Corps
• (Part of the Army)

Unknown (between 1860 and 1865) Portrait of
Brig. Gen. (as of Mar. 13, 1865) Thomas Eckert,
officer of the Federal Army. . (as of Mar. 13,
1865) Thomas Eckert, officer of the Federal
Army. Library of Congress American Memory,
Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865
18
The Military Telegraph Service brought fast,
dependable communication to the battlefront
Knox, D. (1864) Petersburg, Va. U.S. Military
Telegraph battery wagon, Army of the Potomac
headquartersLibrary of Congress Prints and
Photographs, Civil War Photographs
19
The Signal Corps

• General Albert James Myer, a doctor, invented the
  flag wigwag system of communication.
• As chief of the signal corps, he converted
  communication to telegraph where ever possible.

Unknown (between 1860 and 1880) Bv't.-Gen. A.J.
Myer Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
20
The Wig Wag system used flags to send messages
from towers like these.

• How was this system limited?
• Why was it dangerous?

Unknown (1864) Bermuda Hundred, Va.
Photographer at Butler's signal tower Library of
Congress Prints and Photographs
21
How was this an improvement?
Unknown (1864) Wilcox's Landing, Va., vicinity
of Charles City Court House. Field telegraph
station. Library of Congress American Memory,
Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865
22
Codes and Ciphers

• Most telegrams had to be in code or cipher.
• Why was this important?
• What dangers did this pose?
• Which of the below was better? Why?

Union Code Book
Confederate Cipher Cylinder
Union Code Book and Confederate Cipher Cylinder,
National Cryptologic Museum, Ft. Meade, Maryland
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Codes and Ciphers

• The Unions Codes were broken less frequently.
• They were more complex

Union Code Book
Confederate Cipher Cylinder
Union Code Book and Confederate Cipher Cylinder,
National Cryptologic Museum, Ft. Meade, Maryland
24
Results

• How did the telegraph improve communication?
• What differences between the North and the South
  influenced communication?
• How does communication win battles?

Unknown. (ca.1861-ca.1865 Beauregard's
Headquarters, Manassas Stereograph.Library of
Congress American Memory, Civil War Treasures
from the New-York Historical Society
OSullivan, T. (c. 1866) McLean's House,
Appomattox Court-House, Virginia where the
capitulation was signed between Generals Grant
and Lee / negative by T.H. O'Sullivan, positive
by A. Gardner. Library of Congress Prints and
Photographs