Samuel F. B. Morse, His Letters and Journals: In Two Volumes, Volume II

In Short

This volume traces the tumultuous second half of Samuel F. B. Morse's life, beginning with his 1832 transatlantic voyage aboard the Sully—where he first sketched the electromagnetic telegraph—and continuing through his long crusade to establish, protect, and refine his invention. Forced to abandon his painting career after severe professional disappointment, Morse transforms into a relentless inventor and advocate. He battles poverty, bureaucratic skepticism, European indifference, and bitter legal challenges from rival claimants like Dr. Charles T. Jackson and former allies like F. O. J. Smith. Relying on key collaborators such as Alfred Vail and Joseph Henry, Morse eventually secures congressional funding, constructs the historic Washington-to-Baltimore line, and achieves international acclaim. The collection captures a narrative of genius, perseverance, and relentless litigation.

The Story

The volume opens in the autumn of 1832 as Samuel F. B. Morse sails home to New York from Europe aboard the packet-ship Sully. Prompted by an after-dinner conversation on electromagnetism with fellow passengers, Morse conceives the fundamental principle of the recording telegraph and immediately sketches his ideas for machinery and a dot-and-dash code in his notebook. Upon landing, he shares his vision with his brothers, but his immediate reality remains defined by hardship. For years, Morse lives a double life: he continues to paint and teaches at the University of the City of New York while secretly laboring in his studio, enduring extreme poverty to build crude wooden prototypes of his instrument.

His artistic ambitions suffer a crushing blow when he is rejected for a commission to paint a mural for the U.S. Capitol rotunda. Defeated as a painter, Morse abandons art entirely to devote his remaining energy to the telegraph. Recognizing the limits of his early machinery, he forms vital partnerships. Professor Leonard Gale helps him strengthen his electrical circuits; Joseph Henry provides crucial scientific backing regarding the relay; and young Alfred Vail brings mechanical skill and financial support from his family’s ironworks. Together, they refine the instrument and invent the practical, sound-readable alphabet.

Despite successful private demonstrations in Morristown and New York, Morse faces years of public skepticism and political inaction. He files a caveat for his patent in 1837 and travels to Europe in 1838 seeking foreign patents, only to be rebuffed by British officials and thwarted by Russian bureaucracy. Returning home empty-handed, he endures a period of profound depression and financial desperation, taking early daguerreotype portraits with Professor John W. Draper just to keep himself fed.

The turning point comes on the final night of the 1843 congressional session. Despairing that his bill will die, Morse goes to bed, only to wake the next morning to news from Annie Ellsworth that Congress has appropriated $30,000 for an experimental line. In May 1844, Morse transmits the famous message, "What hath God wrought?" between Washington and Baltimore, instantly demonstrating the technology during the Democratic National Convention.

The second half of the book details the endless battles that follow this triumph. As the telegraph spreads globally, Morse finds himself entangled in vicious patent litigation and public controversies. Former acquaintances, including Dr. Jackson, claim priority over the invention, while his own business partner, F. O. J. Smith, turns hostile. Bitter disputes also strain his relationship with Joseph Henry and Alfred Vail. Morse spends years compiling defenses and defending his priority in court.

In his later years, Morse receives high honors across Europe, including a substantial monetary award from European nations. He assists Cyrus Field with the transatlantic cable, enjoys a comfortable domestic life at his Poughkeepsie estate, and becomes a public philanthropist. Though his conservative political views during the American Civil War create personal friction, his status as an inventor remains unassailable. The volume closes with grand public tributes, including the unveiling of his statue in Central Park and his death in 1872.

How It Unfolds

Conception on the high seas Aboard the Sully in 1832, Morse engages in cabin discussions regarding electricity and instantly envisions a method for writing messages at a distance. He fills his sketchbook with initial mechanical drawings and a numerical code system before showing them to his family upon landing in New York.

The sacrifice of art Following a bitter rejection for a commission to decorate the U.S. Capitol, Morse definitively abandons his career as a painter. He retreats to his studio at the University of the City of New York, living on meager rations to fund his early telegraphic experiments.

Forging essential alliances Morse secures the aid of Professor Leonard Gale and mechanical innovator Alfred Vail, who helps construct refined metal instruments at Morristown. During this period, Morse invents the relay to boost weak currents and refines his code into the standard Morse alphabet.

Rejection across the Atlantic Hoping to secure European patents and government contracts, Morse travels abroad in 1838. He encounters legal resistance from the British Attorney-General, skepticism in France, and eventual rejection by the Russian Emperor, leaving him financially exhausted.

Triumph in Washington After years of lobbying a hesitant Congress, Morse receives a $30,000 appropriation on the last day of the 1843 session. In 1844, the Washington-to-Baltimore line successfully flashes instant political news, proving the practical necessity of the telegraph to the nation.

Years of legal warfare As the telegraph expands rapidly, Morse is forced to defend his patents against rival inventors and predatory competitors. He engages in long, exhausting public feuds with Dr. Charles T. Jackson over priority and contends with the malicious dealings of his partner, F. O. J. Smith.

Sunset of a global benefactor In his final decades, Morse travels Europe to receive royal honors, participates in laying the transatlantic cable, and receives an official national farewell at the New York Academy of Music before his death in 1872.

The People

• Samuel F. B. Morse: A painter turned inventor whose persistence drives the creation of the recording telegraph. Driven by a desire to achieve something great, he endures severe poverty, public ridicule, and constant legal battles, evolving from a romantic artist into a cautious, highly defensive public figure.
• Alfred Vail: A skilled mechanic and business partner who constructs the early operational machinery at his family's ironworks. He seeks recognition and financial security for his vital physical improvements to the system, but his relationship with Morse is occasionally strained by morbid suspicions and financial misunderstandings.
• Dr. Charles T. Jackson: A fellow passenger on the Sully who later claims to be the true inventor of the telegraph. He acts as a persistent antagonist, forcing Morse to spend years publishing defenses and gathering witness testimonies to safeguard his reputation.
• Francis O. J. ("F. O. J.") Smith: A congressman turned business partner whose self-serving behavior and aggressive legal tactics cause Morse endless anxiety. Smith seeks to maximize his own financial gain from the telegraph, eventually becoming an open enemy to Morse.
• Joseph Henry: A prominent scientist whose discoveries in electromagnetism provide the theoretical foundation for Morse's work. Though initially an encouraging supporter, his relationship with Morse degrades into a bitter, regrettable controversy regarding scientific credit and patent testimony.

In Its Own Voice

"To conceal from my friends the stinted manner in which I lived, I was in the habit of bringing my food to my room in the evenings, and this was my mode of life for many years." — Morse reflects on the extreme poverty he endured while perfecting his early instruments in his New York studio.

"I have been wholly occupied for the last week in copying out the correspondence and other documents to defend myself against the infamous attack of Dr. Jackson..." — Morse writes to a partner while in Paris, expressing his frustration at having to divert his energy toward repelling priority claims.

"Every sheaf of wires laid down in the deep sea, occupying the bottom of soundless abysses... is a testimonial to his greatness." — William Cullen Bryant delivers an address praising Morse's enduring legacy during the Central Park statue unveiling ceremonies.

What It's Really About

Beneath the narrative of scientific discovery, this book is about the intellectual ownership of ideas and the harrowing cost of defending them. It exposes the complex gap between pure scientific discovery and practical invention, illustrating how an idea requires not just original insight, but immense administrative, financial, and legal labor to become a reality.

The volume also wrestles with the personal transition from the realm of creative art to mechanical industry. Morse's letters expose the psychological toll of public fame: the constant presence of envy, the bitterness of litigation, and the fragility of professional partnerships when vast fortunes are at stake. Ultimately, it poses fundamental questions about how society credits its innovators and whether the glory of invention ever offsets the quiet suffering required to achieve it.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers a remarkably direct look into the birth of global telecommunications, written in the primary words of the man who built it. Readers who enjoy primary historical sources, Victorian-era correspondence, and the history of technology will find it deeply rewarding. The book reads less like a modern biography and more like an archive of determination, showing exactly how a single human life intersected with the dawn of the electronic age.

The reading experience requires some patience. Because it consists of letters, journal entries, and commentary compiled by his son, the narrative pace fluctuates. The prose includes long legal explanations, formal nineteenth-century pleasantries, and extensive excerpts of technical testimony. Modern readers may also find Morse's period attitudes—such as his conservative political stances during the Civil War—challenging or controversial.

However, these difficulties are far outweighed by the intimacy of the text. What remains with the reader is the image of a resolute man sitting in a dark, cold studio, eating crackers in secret so he can afford the copper wire needed to connect two distant points of the world.