Lindsay enlisted in the 15th Virginia Infantry but he volunteered for the Signal Corps and was placed in the Second Independent Company under Maj. William Norris. Sometime between Oct. & Dec. 1862 Lindsay was transferred to the District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, apparently at General J.B. Magruder's request--Magruder took command of this District in Oct. 1862 and wanted Lindsay to command the Signal Corps. The signal book was written sometime during 1861-1862 and is composed of drawings of colored flags and balls in various combinations with the meaning of each signal written next to them. The first section of Lindsay's signal book is headed in red "General Signals to and from Head Quarters to all Stations established by Order of General Huger, commanding Forces in Norfolk Harbor" and contains 100 signals. The second section of the signal book is headed in red "Distinguishing Signals from Head Quarters to all forts, Navy yard & guard boats" and contains 7 signals. At the back of the book, going the opposite way, Lindsay tipped-in 47 individually printed general or special orders from 1862-1865, some of which are field press printed. The signal book started out as a blank book with ruled ledger paper bound in paper covered boards with a calf spine. Lindsay drew his signals and tipped-in the orders. At the close of the war Lindsay seemingly surrendered to an Ohio regiment in Houston and his signal book ended up in the possession of one R. Stock. Stock apparently laid-in 1 broadside poem entitled "Returning peace" and tipped-in 1 Union broadside, of which only a fragment remains. Stock also used scattered pages of the signal book as his journal, with the first entry being on June 17, 1865 and the last entry being his discharge from the army on Aug. 1, 1865. In addition, there are [12] p. of a ms. list in an unknown hand laid-in at the front of the book. The list is of [Confederate?] officers' names, the date they were commissioned, and the Company they belonged to. Two regiments are specified: the "32nd Regt. Va Vols." & the "8th Alabama Regt."
