Civil War Newspapers and Magazines

Collection

Identifier: SC-MS-079

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of four pages from three 19th century newspapers and magazines including Harper's Weekly: A Journal of Civilization, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, and The Illustrated London News. The reports covered in these pages recount various events that occurred in North Carolina during the Civil War. Subjects include an account of the revel steamer "Nashville" running the blockade at Beaufort, NC; the surrender of Fort Macon; the capture of Fort Fisher; and an account of Wilmington and the Cape Fear River during the bombardment of Fort Fisher. All of the articles are illustrated.

Dates

Creation: 1865 February-April

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research use.

Copyright Statement

Copyright retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Historical Note

Harper's Weekly: A Journal of Civilization provided a vital illustrated history of America from 1857 to 1916. Founded January 3, 1857 by Fletcher Harper, the magazine was noted for its combination of pictures, essays, politics and fiction. By 1862, Harper's Weekly was a strong supporter of Abraham Lincoln. Its combination of news and editorial features of the war with pictures made a popular and valuable pictorial history. The Weekly sent artists to the front in the early days of the war to record events as they occurred. It also enlisted Union officers to aid their reporters in presenting full accounts of military operations.

Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper was launched on December 15, 1855 by Frank Leslie. Leslie was the alias of Henry Carter, an English wood engraver. He came to America in 1849 and began his publishing empire. The hallmark of Leslie's newspapers were the large, striking pictures of recent events. Leslie's was strongly opposed to abolitionism at the beginning of the war, but by 1861 was pro Union. It was in direct competition with Harper's Weekly for reporting war news.

The Illustrated London News was founded as a weekly picture and news magazine in 1842 London by Herbert Ingram. Ingram's magazine was the model for Harper's Weekly and Leslie's.

Note written by Lana Donaldson Taylor