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U. S. Army Signal Corps, Cape Lookout, Records of Correspondence and Daily Journals


The U. S. Army Signal Corps was first established on June 21, 1860 when army doctor Albert James Myer proposed the army use his visual communication system called "wigwag." In addition to visual signaling, the electric telegraph became a signal corps responsibility in 1867. Within twelve years, the Signal Corps had constructed, and was maintaining, some 4,000 miles of telegraph lines along the country's western frontier. Weather forecasting and military communications were among its many responsibilities. The Signal Corps established an office at Cape Lookout around 1876.This collection contains the Cape Lookout station's logbooks, which features records of incoming and outgoing communicatio ... (more below)

Title

U. S. Army Signal Corps, Cape Lookout, Records of Correspondence and Daily Journals

Collection Number

33MSS-11

Date(s)

1876 - 1885

Language

English

Physical Description
Items
7
Physical Description
Boxes
2.00
Folders
7.00
Abstract

The U. S. Army Signal Corps was first established on June 21, 1860 when army doctor Albert James Myer proposed the army use his visual communication system called "wigwag." In addition to visual signaling, the electric telegraph became a signal corps responsibility in 1867. Within twelve years, the Signal Corps had constructed, and was maintaining, some 4,000 miles of telegraph lines along the country's western frontier. Weather forecasting and military communications were among its many responsibilities. The Signal Corps established an office at Cape Lookout around 1876.

This collection contains the Cape Lookout station's logbooks, which features records of incoming and outgoing communications, as well as daily journals.

Physical Location

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Outer Banks History Center.

Creator

Museum of the Albemarle

Repository

Outer Banks History Center


This collection is divided into three series: letters received, letters sent, and daily journals. In addition, the logbooks and journals are organized chronologically within those series.


Available for research.


Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.


Processed by Sarah Downing, 1997

Encoded by Kelly Grimm, August, 2009


The U. S. Army Signal Corps was first established on June 21, 1860 when army doctor Albert James Myer proposed the army use his visual communication system called "wigwag." In addition to visual signaling, the electric telegraph became a signal corps responsibility in 1867. Within twelve years, the Signal Corps had constructed, and was maintaining, some 4,000 miles of telegraph lines along the country's western frontier. Weather forecasting and military communications were among its many responsibilities. The Signal Corps established an office at Cape Lookout around 1876. Life at the Cape Lookout station was extremely isolated, often the staff had little to no human contact.


The U. S. Army Signal Corps was first established on June 21, 1860 when army doctor Albert James Myer proposed the army use his visual communication system called "wigwag." In addition to visual signaling, the electric telegraph became a signal corps responsibility in 1867. Within twelve years, the Signal Corps had constructed, and was maintaining, some 4,000 miles of telegraph lines along the country's western frontier. Weather forecasting and military communications were among its many responsibilities. The Signal Corps established an office at Cape Lookout around 1876. Life at the Cape Lookout station was extremely isolated, often the staff had little to no human contact.


[Identification of item], 33MSS-11, U. S. Army Signal Corps, Cape Lookout, Records of Correspondence and Daily Journals, Outer Banks History Center, Manteo, N.C., U.S.A.


Donated by the Museum of the Albemarle


Additional information on topics found in this collection may be found in the Manuscript and Archives Reference System (MARS)  http://mars.archives.ncdcr.gov.


This collection features five logbooks of the incoming and outgoing communications of the U. S. Army Signal Corps office at Cape Lookout. These communications deal with day to day operations, supply requests, expenses, telegraph line conditions and repairs, weather, and semi-annual reports. Specific references are made to nearby places such as Fort Macon, Morehead City, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, as well as the station at Wilmington. Other major events detailed are the hurricane of September 17, 1876, as well as several shipwrecks, most significantly the wreck of the steamer  Rebecca Clyde, with the loss of thirteen lives. In addition to the logbooks are two daily journals. These journals were predominately used to keep track of the weather, but were also used to record when cautionary signals were ordered. They also kept track of the condition of instruments and telegraph line repairs.

This collection is divided into three series: letters received, letters sent, and daily journals. In addition, the logbooks and journals are organized chronologically within those series.


This collection features five logbooks of the incoming and outgoing communications of the U. S. Army Signal Corps office at Cape Lookout. These communications deal with day to day operations, supply requests, expenses, telegraph line conditions and repairs, weather, and semi-annual reports. Specific references are made to nearby places such as Fort Macon, Morehead City, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, as well as the station at Wilmington. Other major events detailed are the hurricane of September 17, 1876, as well as several shipwrecks, most significantly the wreck of the steamer  Rebecca Clyde, with the loss of thirteen lives. In addition to the logbooks are two daily journals. These journals were predominately used to keep track of the weather, but were also used to record when cautionary signals were ordered. They also kept track of the condition of instruments and telegraph line repairs.


  • United States. Army. Signal Corps--Archives
  • Shipwrecks--North Carolina--Lookout, Cape
  • Weather--North Carolina--Lookout, Cape
  • Fort Macon (N.C.)
  • Lookout, Cape (N.C.)
  • Morehead City (N.C.)
  • Wilmington (N.C.)

Physical Description
2 boxes, 7 folders
Physical Description
Boxes
2.00
Folders
7.00

Folder: 1:1.1  
Finding Aid

8090
Logbooks - Letters Received
1876 - 1880

Folder: 1:2.1  
March 24, 1876 - August 6, 1878
Folder: 1:2.2  
August 13, 1878 - August 2, 1880

8093
Logbooks - Letters Sent
1876 - 1885

Folder: 1:3.1  
March 15, 1876 - April 13, 1878
Folder: 1:3.2  
June 26, 1880 - August 17, 1881
Folder: 2:3.3  
June 23, 1883 - August 1, 1885

8097
Daily Journals
1876 - 1880

Folder: 2:4.1  
April 16, 1876 - October 26, 1878
Folder: 2:4.2  
October 25, 1878 - December 31, 1880