This is a bit off the beaten track, but bear with me.
I'm trying to locate an expert who knows a lot about telegraph signalling, especially the technology used during the Civil War.
I'm asking because I want to have some reproduction instruments made, and I need to know what is and isn't appropriate for the typical field telegraph station during the war. I need to know what kind(s) of battery(ies) was/were used, how a typical setup would look and operate, and (most importantly) what manufacturers and instruments were in use before and during the conflict.
This is, by the way, somewhat telecom-related: I spent the first few years of my career at N.E.T. working on EMX signalling units, and I was always fascinated by the technology, which I was told was a holdover from the telegraph days and predated the Civil War.
Thanks for your help.
Bill Horne Temporary Moderator