The Civil War… 150 years ago today… June 8, 1861

June 8, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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We continue our weekly feature of reflecting upon the appropriate 150 year old issue of “Harper’s Weekly” from the perspective of a subscriber in 1861:

The front page (of the June 8, 1861 issue) has a great print of the “Uniforms of the Fifth Regiment N.Y. Vols…” showing them in garb with very baggy trousers and interesting headgear. I never fail to be amazed at the variety of uniforms worn during the war! Had “Harper’s Weekly” never existed I would not have known of this fascinating variety. There is another nice full page on the “Zouave” soldiers, showing four scenes of “Ellsworth’s Zouaves” in camp, showing them relaxing by their tents, “Getting Rations” and “Cooking Dinner” among other scenes.

Another one of the great map is found in the centerfold, this one being simply terrific! It shows much of Eastern portion of the United States south of Baltimore including the cities of Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Raleigh Savannah and even the Florida peninsula. It is a somewhat three-dimensional rather than topographical map, showing the dramatic cliffs of the Potomac River near Harper’s Ferry. I’ll keep this map handy as I read of war events in the daily newspapers.

Many more war-related prints are inside, including a nice full page of “Sherman’s Battery of Light Artillery”. This print has a nice print of one of the cannons used in the war.

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The Traveler… “The Little Belt Affair”… Bonaparte putting up a “smoke front”…

June 6, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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Today’s travels landed on a nice surprise! The Middlesex Gazette dated June 6, 1811 carries a lengthy letter by Commodore John Rodgers to the Secretary of the Navy dated May 23, 1811.  This was referencing a confrontation between his frigate and a Britannic which at first would not identify itself, and then was revealed to be Little Belt. This incident furthered the tension between Britain and the United States which led to the War of 1812.

Also in this issue is the reporting that Bonaparte had established a public Manufactory of Tobacco and Snuff. This would be carried on by “a particular committee for the benefit of the public chest, or in other words for his own benefit, and that no private individual shall in future be concerned in the manufacture of these articles…” He would control what type and where all the tobacco would be purchased, etc.  Does it sound a little self-serving??

~The Traveler

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Filed under: Pre Civil War, The 19th Century, The Hobby, Uncategorized, Unusual, Fun & Bizarre
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Wish I had one of these…

June 4, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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This “Improved Velocipede” made its debut in the May 2, 1891 issue of “Scientific American“. It had to be as unusual a site in 1891 as it would be today. It looks like it would have been fun to ride…

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The Civil War… 150 years ago today… June 1, 1861

June 1, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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We continue our weekly feature of reflecting upon the appropriate 150 year old issue of “Harper’s Weekly” from the perspective of a subscriber in 1861:

Today’s edition, June 1, 1861, has a great illustration of “Major-General Benjamin F. Butler” and a biography of him. After reading so much about him–and other military officers–it’s very nice to see prints of them. Butler appears to be an older man than I would have suspected.

A full page print of the “Cabinet of the Confederate States at Montgomery” includes familiar & unfamiliar names, although if this war drags on much longer I suspect all will be familiar to us in the North. Included are their President, Jefferson Davis, and Vice President Stephens.

A print of a well fortified “Fort Pulaski” in the Savannah River of Georgia is supplemented by a drawing of one of the ten inch guns within the fort–simply huge! I can only imagine the destructive power  it must create.  The centerfold has several prints including “The Military Occupation of Baltimore” showing an encampment at Federal Hill, plus a print of the “City of Montgomery Alabama” showing slaves cultivating in the foreground with the skyline just beyond the river. The capitol of the Confederacy must be the imposing building on the left. There is also an inset of “The White House at Montgomery”, a much smaller residence than the White House in Washington.

Another print shows the Patent Office in Washington turned into a bunkhouse for troops from Rhode Island, rifles stacked at the end of the bunks. Another print shows: “Drumming out Albany Volunteers who Refused to Take the Oath”. As the article reads they are: “…stripped of their arms, a white feather stuck over each ear (because they are chicken?), & they were marched out of the  Armory grounds with the drums playing the Rogue’s March. Crowds of people assembled to see them undergo the degrading penance.” There is also a nice print of the armory at Albany. What an imposing sight, almost castle-like.

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Filed under: Civil War, Harper's Weekly, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, The Hobby, Yankee
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Hawaii’s first “regular” newspaper…

May 30, 2011 by · 2 Comments 
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In a previous post we discussed the first newspaper in Hawaii was essentially a student newspaper, titled “Ka Lama Hawaii” (The Hawaiian Luminary), done by Protestant missionaries at their school at Lahainaluna on the island of Maui. But it was just a few months later when the second newspaper in Hawaii–and considered the first “regular” newspaper on the islands–was published. “Ke Kumu Hawaii” began publication on Nov. 12, 1834 (some references cite an October beginning which cannot be verified).

We were fortunate to bring into our inventory the volume one, number two issue of this title, dated Nov. 26, 1834. Very similar in size to “Ka Lama Hawaii” it contains 8 pages, 6 of which are in the Hawaiian language. Rather than a student, or school newspaper, this was a regular newspaper for the general public.

We provide photos of this very rare newspaper for our friends to enjoy.

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Today’s Front Pages… a nice newspaper app…

May 28, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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A newspaper collector recently brought to our attention a nice newspaper-related app:

“For iPhone and  iPad users there is a fantastic App for collectors. The Newseum has an App called Today’s Front Pages. It has a full page photo of every major and most minor papers in the US and many foreign papers for that current day. So on the day a major event hits the news I can check all the major papers or the paper where the event occurred and see if the page is something I want. You can only check the current day. Even many small town papers are represented including the Sun-Gazette. Great for collectors!” Steve. K.

While the majority of collectors wait for history to prove-out which headlines are worthy of collecting, this app will allow those on the cutting edge of future collectible to be a bit more proactive.  I’ve already downloaded the (free) app for use.  You can as well at:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/todays-front-pages/id418572455?mt=8

Thanks Steve.  If your interest still remains in past events, feel free to browse headlines through time at:  www.rarenewspapers.com

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The Civil War… 150 years ago today… May 25, 1861

May 25, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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We continue our weekly feature of reflecting upon the appropriate 150 year old issue of “Harper’s Weekly” from the perspective of a subscriber in 1861:

Today’s issue, dated May 25, 1861, has the entire front page taken up with a a very dramatic fire at Willard’s Hotel in the nation’s capital, showing the New York Fire Zouaves working feverishly to t out the blaze. One firemen is being held by his legs as he is suspended upside down with a fire hose!

Other prints inside deal more with the war, including: “Camp Cameron…” from Washington, D.C., a nice print of “Evening  Parade at Fort Pickens…” which provides a nice overview of the fort. Another print shows troops leaving from Dubuque, Iowa, aboard two of the large paddle wheeler boats which ply the Mississippi. The interior of the rotunda of the Capitol in Washington shows a Mass. regiment resting there, with support braces for the construction work going on evident. I understand the new dome is in the early stages of completion.

A full page print shows: “The  79th Regiment (Highlanders) ” of the New York Militia marching down the street in kilts! What a sight! And there is also an impressive full page print of “Camp Scott, York, Pennsylvania” showing many troops encamped there.

Yet another page has a map of the United States showing the strategic routes in the interior of the country. I always look forward to maps concerning the war as they provide a perspective which makes the battle strategies in the various parts of the country more understandable.

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“…one of the vilest scoundrels that ever lived…”

May 21, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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Samuel Medary was the publisher of the controversial newspaper “The Crisis” from Columbus, Ohio, a Civil War era newspaper from the North which was supportive of the Southern cause. Obviously it met with much opposition during its brief life, at one point raided by a hateful mob. When Medary died in1864 it was not surprising that his death would not be treated nicely by other Northern newspapers, but this report went to the extreme. Keep in mind that this appeared in the Jan. 25, 1865 issue of “The Crisis“, so the introductory paragraph would be expected:

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The Civil War… 150 years ago today… May 18, 1861

May 18, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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We continue our weekly feature of reflecting upon the appropriate 150 year old issue of “Harper’s Weekly” from the perspective of a subscriber in 1861:

The front page of the May 18, 1861 issue shows a ship of the Confederacy, the ‘Lady Davis, two guns…”, which is almost comical. It appears to be nothing more than an over-sized tug boat with two cannons mounted on the deck. Is this what their Navy is like? This war can’t last long.

Two other full page prints shows the great variety in uniforms among the Union forces, one of “Col. Ellsworth’s New York Zouaves” and the other “Col. Wm. Wilson & His Staff”. I also like the print of “The Battery  or Park Promenade at Charleston…during the Bombardment of Fort Sumter”, showing part of the town. There is also a print showing Fort Pickens in Pensacola harbor. It appears to look much like Fort Sumter further to the north. Two smaller prints show Camp Dennison near Lancaster, Pa. I wasn’t aware there was an installation there.

I’m intrigued by the print of “The Long Bridge Leading Across the Potomac from Washington to Virginia…”. The Potomac seems to be a very wide river, and I’ve never seen such a long bridge!

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The Traveler… Standard Oil dissolved… now that makes sense…

May 16, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 
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Today I traveled into The Christian Science Monitor dated May 16, 1911 and found that after being in court cases for over four and a half years, the Standard Oil case had been ruled on by the U. S. Supreme Court with the decision being for the dissolving of the company due to anti-trust practices.   This issue includes a photo of the Supreme Court justices and a text block with the charges against the company.

Another article in the issue dealt with need for new street lamps in Florence, New Jersey. The election for the gas commissioners and appropriation for the lamps were to be held in May, however, there was no board to conduct the election. How’s that for politics?

~ The Traveler

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