had discussed how he might be able to keep Lee from reconnecting his scattered forces. However, he turned around and doubted his own suggestion by adding, “I am not prepared to say this is the wisest move, nor do I know that my opinion on the subject is wanted.” The second telegraph reiterated, “I do not know that my opinion as to the duty of this army in the case is wanted; if it should be, you know that I will be happy to give it.” Hooker’s attitude captured the changing power dynamic that the telegraph sparked. Frustrated, Hooker said to a fellow general that dealing with Lee “had only occupied two hours of his time each day, Washington had required the remainder.” Despite the tensions that the telegraphic communication brought about, the resulting system gave Lincoln the power to make decisions about his generals’ activities, thus maximizing the performance of his army. Furthermore, Lincoln used the telegraph to gather information about his generals and gauge their performance in …show more content…
Incoming telegraphic news about the war created a triangle trade of information between the public, Washington, and the battlefield. In the first leg, the publications, which were formed and propagated by editorial commentary, from the frontlines had an impact on the public’s opinion. Then, it was transmitted on its second leg to Washington, where it influenced the national debate and decision-making concerning the Civil War. In the final leg of the triangle, the decisions from Washington were relayed to the frontlines by telegraphs. Because the government was confronted by such a well-informed constituency, Lincoln knew he had to control the flow of information to ensure that public opinion did not inhibit his war strategy. This control was important since news held the possibility of the public’s divulging sensitive strategic and tactical information. The result was America's first exposure to widespread and systematic