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![]() Subject: RE: 1890 Article on Military Signalling |
Excellent find, Joe. Perhaps Mark can figure out a way of making it available here -- I find no indication that Dr. Scheips had encountered it, although by the date, he may have considered it duplicated by other accounts he had selected for his two-volume set. This gives a good overview of the generation after the Civil War -- useful for the knowledge of reenactors and living historians, even if they avoid projecting into "the future," at least when in character. I see no indication of authorship, therefor uncertain as to currency and official status of the info, but -- to use one example -- there is no indication that, as of the date of information, the four-foot flag/torch staff sections had been replaced with the three-foot sections known to exist today. This could suggest that the latter were either for some special use or were introduced after the turn of that century, i.e., 1890. (I had been guessing 1910 or later -- no evidence in the article that would account for differing section-lengths as early as the Span-Am War.) "Morse" men will find the account of adopting the "English" or "Continental" system, which we know as "modern" or International Morse, interesting. (I wonder about the claim that American was faster than the latter -- reminds me of the veteran's attitude toward four-element vs. two-element Myer code.) Also noted that, in drawing the flags, the square (so described in the article, but called a "block") appears more as a rectangle than a square, especially the white one on the left. Many of us are stumbling upon new treasures via Google or simply serendipity. Keep up the good work! |