[SFDXA] The Longest Morse Code Message Ever, Established Nevada As A State

[Bill]

 From Tony N2MFT:


    The Longest Morse Code Message Ever, Established Nevada As A State

PictureFinal transcribed page and cost
It was October 1864.  The Civil War was winding down and Abraham Lincoln 
was facing re-election.  The 13th Amendment to the Constitution was 
looming on the horizon.

Lincolns stay in the White House is being seriously threatened by the 
candidacies of General John Freemont, a Republican and General George 
McClellan, a Democrat.

The Republican party was still in it's infancy. Lincoln needed the votes 
from new states to ensure that he would remain in office and be able to 
enact his reconstruction polices for the South.

Earlier, gold and silver had been discovered on the Comstock in Virginia 
City.  In 1861 the United States was eager to make sure this wealth did 
not find it's way into the coffers of the Confederacy.  They lost no 
time in forging Nevada into a new federal territory away from the Utah 
Territory.   Lincoln appointed James Warren Nye, a police commissioner 
from New York and a newly converted Republican, to be the Territorial 
Governor. Nye, nicknamed, "Old Grey Eagle" made sure the new territory 
government was well organized. An avowed supporter of civil rights, he 
also stamped out any attempts to become a part of the Confederacy.

With the help of Nevada votes Lincoln could win the election and Nevada 
could help to ratify the 13th Amendment and abolish slavery.

Having only 40,000 residents Nevada fell far short of the 60,000 people 
usually needed to become a state. But Lincoln needed new states and as 
election time drew near, three territories were tapped to become states: 
Nevada, Colorado, and Nebraska.

Nebraska voted against statehood and Colorado failed to pass a 
constitution.  In Nevada things were different, the vote for statehood 
was 8 to 1. Nevada was heavily Republican, the votes from Nevada could 
ensure Lincoln a victory.

Nevada sent certified copies of their proposed Constitution overland to 
Congress for approval.  By October 24, they had not arrived. With only 
days to go Nevada needed it's newly passed Constitution to arrive in 
Washington in order to be admitted to the Union.

Governor Nye decided to send the entire 16,543 word text of the proposed 
Nevada State Constitution by Morse code, via telegraph, to Washington.

On October 23, 1864 in Carson City, telegrapher James H. Guild, labored 
for seven hours over his key, pounding brass, until the entire 175 page 
document was transmitted to Salt Lake City, to be relayed to Chicago, 
Philadelphia, and on to the War Department in Washington, DC. Guild's 
work netted his company $4,303.27 in fees, roughly $60,000 in todays money.

The 1864 transmission remains to this day as the longest Morse Code 
message ever sent. On October 31st, just eight days after Guild's record 
setting message, the United States Congress admitted Nevada to the Union.

In a twist of fate, John Freemont withdrew from the Presidential race 
and Lincoln won easily. The votes from Nevada were not needed. Nevada 
also almost missed it's opportunity to ratify the 13th Amendment, when 
both of her Senator's failed to arrive in Washington in time to cast 
their votes. Congressman Henry C. Worthingham cast the lone vote from 
Nevada and on January 31, 1865 slavery ended in the United States.
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James Guild left his mark on Nevada's history by his use of Morse Code 
and so can you.

The Nellis Radio Amateur Club has announced that they will be starting a 
code study class.

Interested in learning Morse Code? For more information, send your 
contact information via email to Sean Sheehan 
_memberatlarge at nellisrac.org_ <mailto:memberatlarge at nellisrac.org>

http://www.nevadahamradio.com/recent-news.html