"American Civil War Signalling Edifice.." Topic

Seeing this interesting work…

From main page
link

Wonder to ask if anybody wargame using them and how you did (rules?).

Many thanks in advance for your guidance.

Amicalement
Armand

I have a set from Redoubt, I've only used them once and that was mainly as an objective (although it helped to build out the story line too). My scenario was a train mounted mortar shooting into a city (swamp angel), the signal tower was used to adjust fire according the story line. The Rebs got points for capturing the tower or the crew, and there was points to the union for continuing to signal and fire the mortar.

I used it with Terrible Sharp Sword, but any skirmish rules would do.

Steve

As an aside, Old Glory did a similar figure (if that one isn't theirs) holding two small flags for its signal tower for its first edition figures, but they got it wrong!

The system for singaling used by both sides during the Civil War used a single, large flag and was called "Wig Wag" link

The use of two small flags was associated with Samaphore, though they were of a different style.

If the figure was doing semapore, what's the letter it's singnalling? Well, it's actually not really any. It's close to a "H", but it could be either an "I" or an "O".

Wonderful setup and excellent topic!! The subject of Civil War era Signal Corps is something I'm deeply interested in and facinated by. I have 3 or 4 Union and Confederate Signal Corp stands, one similar to the stand pictured here. I am making some additional ones as well.

As correctly mentioned above, Signal Corp signalers used a single flag for conveying messages (they also used torches but I won't get into that here). That said they had a choice of 7 different flags to use for conveying signals, each differing in size and color but all with a similar compostion (square format with a contrasting colored square in the center). The most often used flag was a 4ftx4ft white flag with a red center square, though there were also red flags with a white center and black flags with white center. It could be suggested that the Old Glory figure shown above holding two flags was simply switching between one flag for another. :) Another easy fix is to snip off one of the flags the figure is holding. In fact that might look neat sitting someplace else in the scene (note to self – try this soon).

Anyone interested in the topic of the Signal Corp during the Civil War *MUST* get their hands on the book "The Signal Corps USA In The War Of The Rebellion" by J Willard Brown from 1896. It was reprinted in 1974 and again the 1980s and can be found for under $60 USD, and orignal copies can be had for under $150. USD It's a 900 page tome of knowledge that covers every (and I mean every) possible topic relating to the Signal Corps. This includes their formation, organization, operations, tactical use, procedures, equipment, how the flag system actually functioned, how and where posts were positions, and a breakdown of Signal Corp activities in each campaign and theater of the war. The original edition includes a 200 page roster as well, while the reprint editions left that out, but otherwise they are the same. Fantastic stuff!!

Very, very interesting jpipes!
Thanks for share!.

Amicalement
Armand

As an ancillary topic, when Grant started up the Overland Campaign in spring of 1864, he had wagons of batteries and wire on spools that allowed him to connect his field telegraph system all the way down to Divisional HQ.

Just think about that for a minute. Grant was able to gain intelligence from the Divisional commanders & staff and use it to coordinate maneuver of all his forces, including ammunition and commissary trains, medical (Division-Level) field hospitals, etc.

Believe it or not that wasn't the first time it happened. General Burnside was in direct field telegraph communication with some of his frontline commanders at Fredericksburg in December of 1862! His HQ was located at the Philip House east of the river, and the telegraph lines ran to his commanders both north and south of town. One even extended across the lower pontoon crossing as well. A special system was used during the battle for the first time called the Beardslee Telegraph which was a highly mobile self-contained telegraph unit that was far more mobile than the traditional telegraph system in use. It worked very well but had limited range being unable to function for more than 10, maybe 20 miles max. Still, for HQ to frontline commander use it was decades ahead of its time. Too bad Burnside wasn't able to put it to better use!

We use wig wag in our games, also couriers and telegraph, it brings chaos to games when lost in battle capture etc;

I like my campaignplayers to be as confused as the real Genrals were, we have had 2 games where these elements have decided an action.

So…. well done Armand

Nice model, the last step on the ladder (or the first if they're coming down) is a big one!

If I am not mistaken wasn't there a complete break down of the Beardslee Telagraph at Chancellorsville leaving Hooker in the dark.

"Wonder to ask if anybody wargame using them and how you did (rules?)."

I have seen them in 1829mm (re-enactor) war gaming. At some of the bigger events the signal corps is used to pass information back and forth between the opposing commanders.

Sherman had much the same telegraphic set-up in the Atlanta Campaign. For example, he had telegraphic communications at least with his corps commanders at Kennesaw Mountain.