Tag Archives: telegraph

Cutting Wires

According to the Naval Historical Center, “A landing party from Thomas Freeborn cut telegraph lines stretching from Occoquan and Fredericksburg, Va., to Richmond, Va., on 4 October 1862.” It’s already been 15 months since the Freeborn’s commander, James Harmon Ward, … Continue reading

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Guardians of the Technology

From the Richmond Daily Dispatch February 24, 1862: Guarding the telegraph. The Second regiment E. S. Home Guards, Col. Wilkins, is detailed for duty to guard the telegraph line from Salisbury, Maryland, to Cape Charles, Virginia. Headquarters at Drummond town; … Continue reading

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St. Louis Blues v. Grays

Isn’t the telegraph great?. People in New York can read news from St. Louis as quickly as from Gotham itself. Missouri, a border state, is more divided than other states. The Union Provost-Marshall General wants to monitor newspapers throughout the … Continue reading

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Telegraph Roadies

From The New-York Times January 3, 1862: IMPORTANT FROM WASHINGTON; … ARMY TELEGRAPHS. … … WASHINGTON, Thursday, Jan. 2. … The Army Telegraph Corps have returned from Hancock, having completed telegraphic connection between Frederick and Wheeling. They will next proceed … Continue reading

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The Natives Are Restless

Plans are being made to complete a transcontinental telegraph line, but for now the Pony Express still runs. Apparently the Indians in Northern California didn’t get the memo on Manifest Destiny. From The New-York Times May 6, 1861: LATER FROM … Continue reading

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Extra! Extra! Lincoln’s Inaugural Address!

Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861. Here’s an article from the March 5, 1861 issue of The New-York Times describing how modern technology was used to report the words of Lincoln’s Inaugural address (The New York Times Archive): … Continue reading

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