Telegraph from Abraham Lincoln to Richard W. Thompson
Telegraphy was one of the fastest ways to transmit information during Lincoln’s time and it was one that the president became increasingly fond of during the war. Lincoln was known for spending hours in the small telegraph office set up in the War Department building, which was just down the street from the White House.
Lincoln’s telegrams were extremely poignant to the war effort of the Union and its generals. This was the first time in history that the Commander-in-Chief was able to communicate almost immediately with his officers. This communication highway allowed for information to be given to the president in almost real-time and Lincoln’s responses to be included in strategy and planning of attacks as they occurred.
Lincoln’s telegrams also offer a highly-detailed account of the war and the strategies we was attempting both on the battlefield and as a politician. Lincoln found great value in spreading information from the army to the Union public who were glued to their newspapers.
Telegram from Abraham Lincoln to W. T. Bascom
Part of the reason for the success of the telegram was due to Lincoln’s curiosity and support of new technology and its’ potential. Charles Tinker, a telegraph operator in Pekin, IL and later in Washington D.C., recalled meeting Lincoln in the spring of 1857 and having the Illinois lawyer watch him sending messages and information with considerable questions and inquiry. Tinker commented that Lincoln was extremely interested in how the machines and the overall apparatus worked, allowing Tinker to go into considerable detail about the telegraphs. A few years later, in 1860, Lincoln was notified about winning the Republican nomination via telegram, which was delivered to his house in Springfield.
The military telegraph system in D.C. was a bit different than what Lincoln had seen at Tinker’s Pekin office. Lincoln didn’t start using the telegraph office to deliver his orders until summer of 1862. At this point during the war, the army of the Potomac was struggling to stay motivated during General George McClellan’s campaign in Virginia and it was likely that Lincoln’s frustration with McClellan may have forced him to establish a faster channel of communication with the army to move them along.
Telegram from Charles Karsner to Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln did become friendly with the young telegraph operators. He was often seen leaving the White House to enjoy the solitude and calmness of the office. Lincoln was often bombarded with politicians and the public wanting job nominations or approvals or even an opportunity to talk to the president. Once he was away, Lincoln could concentrate on war strategy and tactic and could then immediately send his suggestions out to the front lines.
Because Lincoln was able to communicate directly with McClellan and later, with Grant, his overall style of command was changed from presidents before. The instant communication lines meant that Lincoln was in constant contact, which was good and bad. At certain points, Lincoln felt that George McClellan was not being entirely open and honest about the happenings in the field. Some historians speculate that these miscommunications (or omitted truths) were partially was caused Lincoln to relieve McClellan of his position after the battle of Antietam-Lincoln needed to be able to trust the reports that were coming to D.C.
Telegram from Robert Todd Lincoln to Helen Nicolay
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lincoln’s communications with Grant were extensive and showed Lincoln’s confidence in his newly appointed commander of the Potomac. Though the war ended, the impact that the telegraph had on the war was obvious and telegrams became more and more popular for contact. With the expansion of telegraphs and their use by the public, telegraph companies began to form and would eventually become outdated due to the growth of the telephone in the 1920’s.
Signal Telegraph Machine and operator - Fredericksburg via Library of Congress
