page_title: U.S. Military Telegraph Corps
section_title: Operators
hierarchical_section_title: U.S. Military Telegraph Corps / Operators
caption_attribution_description: English: Identifier: photographichist08mill (find matches) Title: The photographic history of the Civil War&#160;: thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities Year: 1911 (1910s) Authors: Miller, Francis Trevelyan, 1877-1959 Lanier, Robert S. (Robert Sampson), 1880- Subjects: United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Pictorial works United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Publisher: New York&#160;: Review of Reviews Co. Contributing Library: New York Public Library Digitizing Sponsor: MSN View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: days within the Confederate lines, and their stirring adven-tures make a story rarely equaled in thrilling interest. Confederate wires were often tapped during Shermansmarch to the sea, a warning of General Wheelers coming raidbeing thus obtained. Operator Lonergan copied important des-patches from Hardee, in Savannah, giving Braggs movementsin the rear of Sherman, with reports on cavalry and rations. Wiretapping was also practised by the Confederates,who usually worked in a sympathetic community. Despitetheir daring skill the net results were often small, owing to theUnion system of enciphering all important messages. Theirmost audacious and persistent telegraphic scout was Ells-worth, Morgans operator, whose skill, courage, and resource-fulness contributed largely to the success of his daring com-mander. Ellsworth was an expert in obtaining despatches,and especially in disseminating misleading information bybogus messages. In the East, an interloper from Tees army tapped the I 362 1 Text Appearing After Image: PATRIOT PUB. CO. WAR SERVICE OVER—MILITARY TELEGRAPH OPERATORS IN RICHMOND, JUNE, 1865 The cipher operators with the various armies were men of rare skill, unswerving integrity, and unfailingloyalty, General Greeley pronounces from personal knowledge. Caldwell, as chief operator, accom-panied the Army of the Potomac on every march and in every siege, contributing also to the efficiency ofthe field telegraphers. Beckwith remained Grants cipher operator to the end of the war. He it was whotapped a wire and reported the hiding-place of Wilkes Booth. The youngest boy operator, OBrien, beganby refusing a princely bribe to forge a telegraphic reprieve, and later won distinction with Butler on theJames and with Schofield in North Carolina. W. R. Plum, who wrote a History of the Military Tele-graph in the Civil War, also rendered efficient service as chief operator to Thomas, and at Atlanta. Themembers of the group are, from left to right: 1, Dennis Doren, Superintendent of Construction; 2, Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.
context_page_description: The U.S. Military Telegraph Corps was formed in 1861 following the outbreak of the American Civil War. David Strouse, Samuel M. Brown, Richard O'Brian and David H. Bates, all from the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, were sent to Washington, D.C. to serve in the newly created office. In October of that year, Anson Stager was appointed department head. During the war, they were charged with maintaining communications between the federal government in Washington and the commanding officers of the far-flung units of the Union Army.
context_section_description: Serving as a U.S. Military Telegraph Corps operators, whether in the field or in the War Office was a hard and thankless job.  The operators that served on the battlefield had the more dangerous job of the two.  They encountered the constant threat of being captured, shot, or killed by Confederate troops whether they were establishing communications on the battle front, sending messages behind during a retreat, or venturing out to repair a line.  Telegraph operators faced a casualty rate of ten percent, a rate similar to the infantry men they served with.  Added to these dangers was the strenuous relationship the operators had with the military commanders they served under.  Many of the commanders resented the Military Telegraph Corps operators because they were not members of the military, but employees of the Quartermasters Department.  As a result, these commanders felt that the operators were not fit to serve with them and ultimately distrusted these men.
  Although the job of an operator in the War Office was not as dangerous, it was still a demanding job.  The operators had to be quick and intelligent when receiving messages.  Important messages were sent using cipher codes.  The cipher-operators had the major responsibility of decoding these viable pieces of information and moving the information along to higher-ranking officials or President Lincoln, who frequently visited the Military Telegraph office in the War Department building.  Along with decoding Union telegrams, the cipher-operators also had to decode Confederate ciphers.  By decoding the Confederate cipher codes, plots such as setting fire to major hotels in New York City were averted.
  The U.S. Military Telegraph Corps operators served courageously during the Civil War.  But, because these men were not members of the military, they did not receive recognition or a pension for their services, even though the supervisory personnel did because of the military commissions they received.  As a result, the families of those men killed in action had to depend on charity to continue on.  The operators of the U.S. Military Telegraph Corps were not recognized for their service until 1897, when President Cleveland approved an act directing the Secretary of War to issue certificates of honorable service to all members (including those who died) of the U.S. Military Telegraph Corps.  But, this certificate of recognition did not include the pension these men passionately sought.
caption: Union cipher operators in Vicksburg, June 1865.
exif: {}