The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-02-05
SENT CUSTER STORY
T~eIegrapher Who Flashed News
of Massacre lust Retired.
After FIFTY Years Of Active servlet
John NJ. carnshan Receives a
9ension-Tieks Of 10000
Words In TWO Shifts.

Missoula, Mont.-The news OF the
Custer massacre was first told TO the
world In 1876 by John NJ. Carnahan,
then manager and operator In the
Western Union Office In Bismarck,
North Dakota. After IN active service
OF more than fifty years Mr.. Carnahan
has Just been retired on a pension.
Mr.. Carnahty began his career as
a telegrapher in 1861.
In the fall Of 1879 the Northern Pa.
clnc railway line had been completed
as far west as Bismarck, N. d. Mr..
Carnahan vas asked to go to Bismarck
and manage hat office, and In the
spring Of 1873 he went there and the
big chapter In the story OF his event
full life began. For Il was while he
was at Bismarck that he tent TO the
world the account Of the Custer mas
sacre on the Little Big Horn IN July.
1876.
Fort Abraham Lincoln. the post Of
the Seventh cavalry and the headquar.
ters OF Brigadier General Custer. was
at Bismarck. Mr.. Carnahan won
Brigadier General Clusters friendship
and he became the personal friend OF
the officers at Lincoln. And so Il was
that he and the post surgeon rode out
from the old garrison with tho Custer
expedition when Il started in June,
1876, TO punish the Sioux. The surgeon
and the operator made the lrst twelve
miles with the Seventh cavalry. Then
they turned back with the last dis
patches which Brlgadier General Gus
ter sent.
No word came back to Bismarck
from the Seventh cavalry and its com.
mander But that occasioned no sWr-
prise. Expeditions OF that sort were
n common occurrence in those days.
Il was on the night Of July 8 when
the steamboat Far West came down
the river to bismarck. The Far West
brought the wounded OF Reno's com.
mand and the oflciL' dispatches wi.ch
told Of the complete annihilntion OF
the Custer command.
on the morning Of July 6 Mr.. Crrna.
han found on his desk in the telegraph
office a carpet bag nlled with official
dispatches. There was an immense
lot = t'em. He flashed" the news to
the East. and then settled down to the
transmission OF the official story 10
the department OF war I'm Washington.
II was eight o'clock on the morning Of
July G when he began his tremendous
task. Not until Ave o'clock the fol.
lowing morning-2i hours-dld he
leave his instruments. Then for three
hours he slept the sleep Of utter ex.
hnustion. He returned TO his work.
and for go hours he sat at his key. II
was four O'Clock the next morning
when he checked OF the signature OF
the last dispatch in that old carpet
bag. He had sent 10000 words In the
two shifts,
For two days the eastern newspa.
pers had been clamorlng for news. and
there was no one TO send II. Mr. Car
nahan could not leave his Official work
and there was no other telegraph op
orator within two hundred miles.
To the New York Herald. the Chica
20 later Ocean and the 81 Paul Pho
neer Press he sent as much OF thS
news as he had strength to prepare
And that was the way the news OF the
Custer battle was sent out
That was tho big news article IN
the career OF John Carnahan. But IA
the professional secrets Of SO years a.
a telegraph key there must be many
incidents stored up which would star
tie the world II they were told