wife .. . .. .._ ... ... . ...

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Morse code for COURSES indicating Elizabeth's menstrual cycle

Beginning on March 17, 1862, William used a dot-dash code apparently derived from a version of the Morse telegraphic code. A volunteer researcher discovered this version of Morse code was in use in the 1840s. William may have used the code to keep others from knowing his meaning, and most of the references are to bodily functions, about which he may have had some shyness. The coded words can be deciphered by a sheet that was loose in the diary, according to Henry Ziegler Steinway, which gave the code and its meaning in William’s hand. The code and its equivalents are as follows:

A  ._   B  _...   C  .. .   D  _..   E   .   F  ._.   G  _ _.   H  . ...   I  ..  J  _._.  K  _._   L  ___  M  _ _   N  _.  
O  ..  P  .....   Q  .._.   R  . ..   S  ...   T  _   U  .._   V  ..._   W . _ _   X  ._..   Y  .. ..    Z  ... .

The letters I and O are represented by the same symbol.  Usually the word context indicates which is correct, but not always.  Individual annotations decipher dot-dash coded words in CAPITAL LETTERS.