Letter from Captain C. M. McLure to Captain L. B. Norton Praising the Signal Corps Telegraph
11/12/1863
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Union forces used two types of telegraphy: the dial (or Beardslee) and the Morse. The dial telegraph could be set up quickly, giving it great flexibility. Operators needed to be literate but not as highly trained as Morse operators. Chief Signal Officer Albert Myer advocated the dial system; the Military Telegraph Service used the Morse system. In his letter, Capt. C. M. McClure praised the capabilities of the Beardslee system, which had been successfully employed at Fredericksburg. By the end of 1863, however, the Signal Corps moved towards the Morse system with its relatively stronger signal strength. When Secretary of War Stanton removed Myer as chief signal officer in November 1863, the military primacy of the Morse telegraph was complete.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Secretary of War.
National Archives Identifier: 4667728
Full Citation: Letter from Captain C. M. McLure to Captain L. B. Norton Praising the Signal Corps Telegraph; 11/12/1863; Records of the Office of the Secretary of War, Record Group 107. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/letter-from-captain-c-m-mclure-to-captain-l-b-norton-praising-the-signal-corps-telegraph, April 18, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.