Portable relief-writer telegraph with Morse code button, galvanoscope, and weight drive

Siemens had already built this small Morse code receiver by 1850. The wooden box contained everything that was necessary for establishing a connection. Portable stations of this kind were not only useful for the supervisor during troubleshooting, but also for military communications in particular. Telegraphy revolutionized warfare, as it meant rear commanders could control mobile troops much better. This was particularly evident in the American Civil War and the German Wars of Unification.