Construction of telegraph lines U.S. Military Telegraph Corps
men , equipment of u.s. military telegraph construction corps, brandy station, va., february 1864.
the telegraph construction corps charged dangerous job of building telegraph lines in field during battles. consisting of 1 hundred fifty men, telegraph construction corps set out in wagon trains construct temporary lines. during battle, 1 wagon stationed @ starting point of battle act receiving station, while wagon traveled field sending station. thus, orders sent , forth between general headquarters , battlefield, , occurred during battles sent military telegraph office in washington, d.c.
initially these telegraph lines constructed temporary use because of brittle exposed copper wire used. but, after insulated wire began used, permanent lines built. telegraph construction corps load coil of wire on mule s , lead straight forward unreel wire. mule moved forward unwinding wire, 2 men followed , hung line on fences , bushes not run on until propped pikes. because these lines vulnerable confederate wire tapping , cutting, cavalry patrols kept guard of wires when being built in area lacking in union soldiers. on course of war, telegraph construction corps built total of 15, 389 miles of field, land, , submarine telegraph lines.
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