Thomas F. (hardtack) -
An excellent Civil War reference book regarding the use of the telegraph to control the actions of the armies by both sides, as well as the history of the development of the telegraph and its usage.
Some of the more interesting facts presented in the book showed Samuel Morse took the key solution for making the telegraph work from someone else who developed it. And it even looks like Morse didn't even invent the Morse Code, as one of his assistants probably did.
Some books claim the Northern states used tariff monies to develop railroads and telegraph systems in the North but not the South. However, the book relates how southern planters wanted everything to stay the same. They passed laws stopping railroads from laying track across state lines and even John C. Calhoun took the telegraph companies to court, saying putting telegraphs across the South was unconstitutional.
This is why the North had such an extensive system, but the South had only two long lines. Plus, when the war came, the North created 15,000 miles of new lines while the South was able to add only 500 miles.
It was interesting that the telegraph wasn't considered important at first. Few people used it. Then the director of a railroad was on a train sidelined awaiting another train to pass. Hours when by, then he used an existing telegraph line to confirm the coming train wasn't even near. He realized the importance of the telegraph to help train schedules and allowed telegraph companies to use railroad right-of-way for free to set up their lines.
Turns out even the U.S. government wasn't too interested either and the telegraph companies has to use their own money to create the telegraph network. Fascinating book---I learned a lot.
And this was just in the first couple of chapters. Then the author concentrated on how Lincoln used the telegraph to monitor his generals who didn't want Lincoln looking over their shoulder and deciding strategy. And how Lincoln read the messages between his generals and Secretary of War Stanton to stay abreast of the course of events.
Some of the more interesting facts presented in the book showed Samuel Morse took the key solution for making the telegraph work from someone else who developed it. And it even looks like Morse didn't even invent the Morse Code, as one of his assistants probably did.
Some books claim the Northern states used tariff monies to develop railroads and telegraph systems in the North but not the South. However, the book relates how southern planters wanted everything to stay the same. They passed laws stopping railroads from laying track across state lines and even John C. Calhoun took the telegraph companies to court, saying putting telegraphs across the South was unconstitutional.
This is why the North had such an extensive system, but the South had only two long lines. Plus, when the war came, the North created 15,000 miles of new lines while the South was able to add only 500 miles.
It was interesting that the telegraph wasn't considered important at first. Few people used it. Then the director of a railroad was on a train sidelined awaiting another train to pass. Hours when by, then he used an existing telegraph line to confirm the coming train wasn't even near. He realized the importance of the telegraph to help train schedules and allowed telegraph companies to use railroad right-of-way for free to set up their lines.
Turns out even the U.S. government wasn't too interested either and the telegraph companies has to use their own money to create the telegraph network. Fascinating book---I learned a lot.
And this was just in the first couple of chapters. Then the author concentrated on how Lincoln used the telegraph to monitor his generals who didn't want Lincoln looking over their shoulder and deciding strategy. And how Lincoln read the messages between his generals and Secretary of War Stanton to stay abreast of the course of events.
