Lincoln in the Telegraph Room

The enigmatic President Abraham Lincoln spent numerous hours in the War Department's telegraph office during the Civil War, where he closely monitored developments on the front. David Homer Bates, one of the first military telegraphers hand-selected for the job, had a unique opportunity to witness the president in action as he managed the war while still in the capital. Here, we share some of these compelling scenes.

By David Bates (1907)