The
American Civil War started in early 1861. Later that same year on October 24th,
the workers of the two companies working under the Western Union Telegraph Company linked the eastern and western
telegraph networks of the nation at Salt Lake City, Utah, completing a
transcontinental line that for the first time allows instantaneous
communication between Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. Stephen J. Field,
chief justice of California, sent the first transcontinental telegram to
President Abraham Lincoln, predicting that the new communication link would
help ensure the loyalty of the western states to the Union during the Civil
War.
With
the passing of the Pacific Telegraph Act of 1860, Congress authorized a subsidy
of $40,000 a year to any company building a telegraph line that would join the
eastern and western networks. The Western Union Company won the bid. A
milestone in electrical engineering, the line connected an existing network in
the eastern United States to a small existing network in California by a link
between Omaha and Carson City via Salt Lake City.
The
newly created Overland Telegraph Company of California built the line
eastward while Sibley's Pacific Telegraph Company of Nebraska built
westward. The lines met in Salt Lake City, Utah. Construction began in
1861. The line moving westward from Omaha, Nebraska
reached Salt Lake City on October 18th 1861. The line coming east from Carson
City, Nevada reached the city and completed the line on October 24, 1861.
There
were many other challenges to building the telegraph line. Wire and glass
insulators had to be shipped by sea to San Francisco and carried eastward by
horse-drawn wagons over the Sierra Nevada. The largely treeless Midwest and the Great Basin country
meant poles needed to be transported east from the western mountains.
Indians
also proved a problem. In the summer of 1861, a party of Sioux warriors cut
part of the line that had been completed and took a long section of wire for
making bracelets. Later, however, some of the Sioux wearing the telegraph-wire
bracelets became sick, and a Sioux medicine man convinced them that the great
spirit of the “talking wire” had avenged its desecration. Thereafter, the Sioux
left the line alone.
From
my personal family history, my great-grandfather, Edwin Brown, was called up to
serve in the Civil War. To set the stage, the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints still dominated the Salt Lake City region. Four years before
the beginning of the Civil War, upon being convinced by enemies of the Church
that the Mormons (the nickname given to the church by its enemies; the members
referred to themselves as Saints) were in revolt against the United States,
President Buchanan authorized a large Army to march to Utah
Territory to subdue the people. Word got back to the people in Salt Lake City
the intent was to annihilate the members of the church—genocide.
The
Saints fought back and prevented Johnston’s entry into the Salt Lake valley
during the winter of 1857-58—enough time for the citizens to temporarily
relocate elsewhere. It ended up that the church president, Brigham Young,
recognized the new governor sent by Washington D.C. However, he made it clear
to Johnston that if he came to Salt Lake City, he must march his men through
the city without stopping, or the Saints would torch Salt Lake City and burn it
to the ground. The members of the church were done with building up cities only
be driven out by mob violence so others could come in and inhabit what they had
built. Johnston did just that and set up Camp Floyd to the west.
Yet,
in 1861, at the outbreak of the Civil War, President Lincoln sent messages to
the leaders of all the territories to the west to know if they intended to
stand with the Union. Anyone who knew anything about Utah Territory knew, no
matter who ran the civil government, to get the cooperation of the majority of
the population, they must go through Brigham Young.
There
remained an uneasy truce between the soldiers who came to quell a rebellion
that did not exist and the Saints. When the Civil War broke out, Sidney
Johnston had already been transferred to California to head the Pacific
Division of the Army. The soldiers at Camp Floyd left for the East to join
the war effort. Yet, Brigham Young was the first in the territories to send the
message back to President Lincoln that the Saints would stand with the Union.
After
that, Utah was asked to raise a company, which it did. Brigham Young asked for
each family to send one man to serve under Lot Smith (who led the resistance
against Johnston’s Army a few years earlier). Brigham Young himself came to the
Brown family with his request.
The
Brown family had immigrated to the United States from England in 1853 and believed in the practice
of primogeniture where the oldest son inherits the bulk of the estate upon the
father’s death. Because my second great-grandfather died many years earlier,
his oldest son, Henry, inherited and had the responsibility for providing for
his mother and younger siblings in addition to his own wife and children. It
fell to the second son, my great-grandfather, to serve.
As
with most volunteer units of the day, the men were called up for a six month
enlistment. Their assignment was to protect the newly-completed telegraph line between
Green River, Wyoming and northern Utah from both Indians and Confederate saboteurs
intent upon disrupting communications between Washington D.C. and California—the
source of gold President Lincoln counted on to help finance the Union Army.
Strung out along the route of the telegraph and far from civilization, the men
suffered from the elements and the lack of a consistent food supply.
At
the end of the six months, it was decided this unit did not need as many men.
Those who owned their own horses were re-enlisted for an additional six months.
Those like my great-grandfather who were on foot were mustered out to return
home.
With
the completion of the transcontinental telegraph, the Pony Express became
obsolete overnight. It would be another nine years before trains crossed the
vast Prairie. The transcontinental telegraph served as the only method of near-instantaneous
communication between the east and west coasts during the 1860s.
Sources:
Wikipedia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/western-union-completes-the-first-transcontinental-telegraph-line
Family
history of Robyn Echols
~o0o~
Bridgeport Holiday Brides, my fifth and final book in the series, Eastern Sierra Brides 1884 takes place in November. It wraps up the remaining romances in the series. You may read the book description and find the purchase link by CLICKING HERE.
The following is one of my favorite excerpts from the book. It takes place during the wedding reception for Val and Beth:
"And your sister is
delightful." A twinkle entered her eye and a grin lit her face. "And
I understand she soon may also be joining the family in an even closer capacity
very soon."
Beth's eyes twitched with suspicion.
"Who told you that?"
Barbara's eyes widened and she brought
her fingers to her lips. "Oh! I hope I didn't let the cat out of the bag.
Luther made a special trip up to Carson City to buy Hazel a ring. He stopped by
and stayed with us coming and going. It's a beautiful ring, Beth. Haven't you
seen it yet?"
"No, I ain't. And Hazel ain't of
age. Luther finagled his way into courtin' her, but he ain't said nothin' to me
about askin' for her hand."
"Oh. I'm sorry, Beth. I thought
you knew."
"No need apologizin'. Right glad
you spoke up."
Beth's gaze roamed over the crowd until
she located Luther with Hazel on his arm while he chatted with friends.
Once Luther caught the eye of his
newest sister-in-law and realized she was glaring at him, he straightened to
his full height then froze in place, like prey hypnotized by a snake. As soon
as Beth started toward him with a resolute stride, he turned to Hazel and
whispered in her ear.
Three long strides on his part, and
Luther and Beth stood face to face.
Beth spoke first. "You and me need
to talk, Luther Caldwell. Somewhere private."
Hazel followed Luther, standing behind
him. She looked on with concern. "Bethie?"
"Luther'll be right back, Hazel.
Him and I got a bone to pick over."
Luther followed Beth outside the barn.
Although most of the wedding guests were in the barn where it was relatively
warm, there were enough in the yard that Beth had to search for a spot where
she could speak to Luther in relative privacy. She finally spotted a tree on
the far side of the yard next to one of the corrals. She strode in that
direction, knowing Luther followed close behind her. Once she was far enough
away from everyone she spun on the ball of her foot to face her brother-in-law.
Luther almost toppled over in the effort to keep from running into Beth.
Her arms akimbo, Beth glared at Luther.
"Heard you done bought Hazel a ring."
Luther's expression of consternation
turned to a mischievous grin. "Has Barbara been talking to you? She never
could keep things like that to herself."
"Good she did, because you sure
ain't been talkin' to me. You give that ring to Hazel yet?"
Luther turned serious. "No, Beth.
I haven't said anything. I wanted to get past yours and Val's wedding. I didn't
want to say anything too soon and have the news of it take away from yours and
Val's big day."
"That's right thoughtful of you,
Luther, but you know she ain't of age. You need to get my say-so before you go
askin' her."
Luther gave another sheepish grin.
"That was another reason I planned to wait. I figured once you were
happily married, you would settle down and be apt to be more agreeable to our
engagement. I had planned to ask her so we could announce it at Thanksgiving
dinner."
