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Lincoln’s famous letter to Lydia Bixby…
October 28, 2013 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
The photo shows the report in the December 2, 1864 issue of “The Liberator” of Lincoln’s very famous & heart-felt letter to a woman who lost five sons in the Civil War. A very sobering report which gives one a small sense of the horror of war not just on the battlefield, but at home as well. This letter has been praised by many as among Lincoln’s best works of writing, along with the Gettysburg Address and second inaugural address.
How often does a President admit he is wrong?
September 9, 2013 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
The character of Abraham Lincoln, which has made him arguably the best President of the United States, has been the subject of many books. One bit of evidence can be found in the September 5, 1863 issue of the “Army & Navy Journal” which contains a famous letter to General U.S. Grant (see below).
In this remarkable letter, President Abraham Lincoln congratulates General Grant for an important victory — the capture of Vicksburg, Mississippi, on July 4, 1863. Lincoln differed with Grant about how to handle the campaign, but when Grant pursued his own strategy successfully, Lincoln frankly admitted that Grant was right.
Exploring the Civil War… 150 years ago, September, 1963…
August 30, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
Last week we explored: “What were those living 150 years ago reading about in the newspapers during the last week of August (1863)” . The response was very positive. We hope you enjoyed the trip back in time. Today we thought we’d look ahead into the past by assembling a similar, by longer chronological list of authentic newspapers from the entire month of September, 1863. Similar to last week, the following link will take you to authentic newspapers that were held by those whose loved ones were fighting to realize their greatest convictions – whether it was to set slaves free, preserve state’s rights over federal dominance, to protect house and home, or another noble cause. The issues have been arranged in chronological order. Enjoy your visit back to this incredibly formative time in American history: Authentic Newspapers (September, 1863)
Exploring the Civil War… 150 years ago, end of August, 1863…
August 23, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
What were those living 150 years ago reading about in the newspapers during the last week of August? The following link will take you to authentic newspapers that were held by those whose loved ones were fighting to realize their greatest convictions – whether it was to set slaves free, preserve state’s rights over federal dominance, to protect house and home, or another noble cause. The issues have been arranged in chronological order. Enjoy your visit back to this incredibly formative time in American history: Authentic Newspapers (8/24/1863 – 8/31/1863)
Top ten battles of the Civil War… Just for fun…
August 14, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
A common way to collect historic newspapers is to assemble reports regarding various “top ten” lists. In the past, we have explored several such lists:
When it comes to the Civil War (one of the most popular targets within the collectible community), “top tens” can take on various forms: Top ten noteworthy Generals, top ten most impacting events, top ten naval battles, top ten events/causes for the war, etc. In this vein, shown below are various links focused on top ten battles. Which were the most important? Opinions certainly will vary… which is why no two collections are the same. As an added bonus, how about exploring the top ten “under the radar” battles which do not typically make a top ten list? We’d love to have input.
Top 10 Battles of the Civil War – by Charles Gromley on Prezi
The Ten Costliest Battles of the Civil War
Top 10 Civil War Sites
Ten Bloodiest Civil War Battles
Top ten battles in civil war – WikiAnswers
Civil War Top 10 Lists
Some back-handed compliments for Abe Lincoln…
August 2, 2013 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
The June 5, 1860 issue of the “New York Tribune” has two testimonials as to the character of Abraham Lincoln, to be the Republican nomination for President in the up-coming election. The second report is by the Honorable George Ashmun and offers some interesting comments. Also, “The Daily Delta” from New Orleans, issue of Feb. 27, 1861 has an equally back-handed “compliment” on the appearance of Lincoln (see below), noting he: “…is not handsome by a great many degrees,but he has not that hideous, ugly look which his portraits give him…”:
Will the real Abraham Lincoln please stand up?
July 29, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
There is no doubt Abraham Lincoln is one of the most beloved historical figures of all time. Similar to how Robert E. Lee is respected by “Yankees”, as time goes by Abe Lincoln also seems to garner mutual appreciation. Once seen as polarizing, he is now credited with opposite – preserving unity. To what can we 
credit the change in how he was/is viewed? Perhaps it was his address at Gettysburg or our post-Civil War hindsight which appreciates (or at least acknowledges) the end result – that we remain a united nation. However, one danger in turning a flesh-and-blood human being into an icon is that we lose perspective on the conflicted realities the people of this era were facing. We also tend to eliminate anything about such individuals which may present them in a light which bristles against how we perceive them. Doing so marginalizes the issues they were grappling with and minimizes the complexities surrounding change. It is with this in mind we invite you to explore another side of Abraham Lincoln – as he discusses his views on what to do about the slave issue. The best way to take this journey is to read his thoughts via the images provided through the link to the Liberator of August 22, 1862: Abraham Lincoln on African Colonization
Little Eddie the drummer boy…
July 12, 2013 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
The Civil War is full of both tragic and heartwarming stories, most of which never made the pages of newspapers of the day. Personal experiences were typically eclipsed by battle reports of the day.
But the story of little Edward Lee, the drummer boy, found the pages of “The Crisis” (January 29, 1862) newspaper from Columbus, Ohio, and can also be found on many websites. Read the full story to get but a glimpse of the tragedy which happened on a daily basis during this troubling period in American history.
A link to images showing the entire article is: Little Eddie the CW Drummer Boy
The Traveler… the bloodiest battle in the Civil War…
July 5, 2013 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled back 150 years to the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, through the means of the reports of the Confederate broadside newspaper, the Daily Dispatch — Extra dated July 5, 1863. The headlines read “LATEST FROM THE NORTH” and “GREAT BATTLE AT GETTYSBURG”. “The Yankees claim not to be defeated and to have captured 6,0oo prisoners — The Confederates hold the field — Yankee Generals Reynolds and Paul killed — Heavy Loss of the Federals — The grand battle expected Friday, &c., &c.”. This broadside carries in great detail the battles of Wednesday, July 1st, and Thursday, July 2nd.
As we know, this was the bloodiest battle (non-single day) in the Civil War with the loss of over 51,000 lives and is known as the war’s turning point.
~The Traveler
Gettysburg revisted… 150 years ago…
June 28, 2013 by GuyHeilenman · 2 Comments
Since the birth of the United States, there may not be a single more formative event than The Battle of Gettysburg. Authentic newspapers containing first-hand accounts continue to be one of the most sought after within the collectible. Over the years several History’s Newsstand posts have been written about these contemporary reports. A sample of a few are:
The ultimate optimist…
Beyond the big, historic headline…
The Civil War…
The “top ten”: 19th century…
Most historic Civil War event…
The following are the currently available original newspapers with reports related to the Battle of Gettysburg. Please enjoy a brief walk into the heart of “America in crisis” (arranged in chronological order): Battle of Gettysburg