Gettysburg, PA

Union Signal Corps during a reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg. 2012

Before the telegraph took hold in the mid 19th century armies in the field employed signal flags to communicate with friendly forces stretched out over long distances. Messages in code were sent by waving the flags in a prearranged pattern.

At modern day reenactments the Signal Corps employ the flags to talk to their counterparts on the opposing side.

Image and text by Michael Falco