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)
An Abolitionist at Bull Run
A courageous twenty-three-year-old from the Midwest, driven by the anti-slavery movement, stands tall with a musket at Bull Run.
By Richard Beecham (1902)
“Cut to Pieces”: William Howard Russell at the Battle of First Bull Run
William Howard Russell, a groundbreaking war correspondent, became well-known for his reporting on the Crimean War. In 1861, he arrived in the U.S. with the intention of covering the conflict and witnessed the retreat at Bull Run. His thorough report of the event ruffled some feathers in Washington.
By William Howard Russell (1861)