Lincoln's T-Mails

Here visiting Georgia Tech and getting some reading time in. Part of the way through Tom Wheeler's: Mr. Lincoln's T-Mails: The Untold Story of How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the Civil War. I guess its important to have such an extensive subtitle today, the book browser has to have no reason to misunderstand the topic of the book. Like it so far, I was intrigued by the thumbnail history of telegraphy. It is fashionable to credit Samuel Morse with nothing more than self-promotion today. I compared this history with the Wikipedia entry on telegraphy, and that entry filled in some of the non-US details. Wheeler attributes the development of the actual code to Morse's assistant Alfred Vail, though Vail's WP article says otherwise. Tom Standage's The Victorian Internet, links the telegraph to the internet and is a good related book.

Good book. Lincoln (the only US president granted a patent to date) became increasing enamored with the ability to directly communicate with his people in the field. In some cases the military did not know what to make of these communications. Wheeler makes much of saying that Jefferson Davis, who had a military background, meddled with his military, causing some confusion. Lincoln, who had no military background, he suggests communicated without meddling. Not sure I buy that, in hindsight Lincoln won, so for whatever ultimate cause, his communication was not meddling.

If you have interest in the history of technology or the military a good read.