Telegraphs were a revolutionary form of long-distance communication during the Civil War. They used electric signals to transmit messages instantly over long distances.
Related terms
Morse Code: This was the system of dots and dashes used by telegraph operators to encode messages.
Transcontinental Railroad: The construction of this railroad greatly facilitated the spread of telegraph lines across the United States.
Signal Corps: This was a branch of the military responsible for operating and maintaining telegraph lines on the battlefield.