September 1857

Harper's Magazine archives (subscription required) ^ | September 1857

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott, Lincoln-Douglas, Harper’s Ferry, the election of 1860, secession – all the events leading up to the Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed. To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to August 1857 thread

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Monthly Record of Current Events * – 2-6
Editor’s Drawer – 7-15
Fashions for September – 16-17

* Section opens with a disclaimer that it was a slow news month.

News of New Granada; U.S. diplomatic appointments; more grumbling from Utah. “A Convention for forming a State Constitution for Minnesota assembled at St. Paul, July 13.” Let’s hope they have more luck than the folks in Kansas, which is discussed next. A Convention is also forming in Oregon. “The confusion still continues in the municipal affairs of the city of New York.” A crime wave in that city “led to suggestions that a Vigilance Committee, after the model of that in San Francisco, should be organized, on the ground that the present police organization is altogether inadequate to secure the public safety.” Update on the rioting in the 17th Ward that George Strong last wrote about on July 16 (reply #37). Still more on the Burdell murder case.

In Great Britain, the “Oaths Bill, so modified as to allow Jews to sit in Parliament, which passed the Commons, has been rejected by the Peers.” There have been problems with the laying of a trans-Atlantic telegraph cable. First word here of the Sepoy Mutiny, now considered a great emergency.

News from France, Italy, Spain and The East is also covered.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from May 18 (reply #46).

William J. Cooper, Jr., Jefferson Davis, American

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from August 30 (reply #29) .

The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas

[Tax-chick]

This reminds me of a book my father had, a collection of letters of Jeff and Varina Davis. They were a very caring couple, although Varina got more than a little whiny over the years. This is a circumstance with which I sympathize, given the lack of antibiotics, anesthesia, and air conditioning in Mississippi (*shudder*) at the time.

[WKUHilltopper]

When Miss Varina was writing “...my dear old ban...”, was that a common expression in those days? First I’ve heard of it. Maybe was just a personal ‘pet name’ that has some significance?

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The footnote doesn’t shed light on the term. Only that she wrote it in a letter of August 31. Short for husband maybe?

[WKUHilltopper]

Ahhh, I bet you’re right. Short for ‘husband’. Makes sense.

[Tax-chick]

The riding habit on page 17 is very reminiscent of 1790s fashions for horseback and carriage riding.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Don’t get rid of all your old clothes. Sooner or later they will come back into fashion.

[Tax-chick]

Last night, I was discussing with another mom the atrocities young ladies are wearing these days, and she said, “It’s the early 90s.”

*retch*

[Tax-chick]

I see the Indian Mutiny gets a few paragraphs on Page 4. Perhaps we’ll hear of the recapture of Delhi in the next issue, being as how it’s “expected daily.” Will readers learn of the heroic, tragic, even folkloric adventures of Col. John Nicholson, a doomed-warrior archetype reminiscent of some who will emerge in America’s future?

I’m falling askew the space-time continuum here. What time zone are we on, anyway?

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The October news from India is not pretty. There is nothing about Col. Nichols. I just learned from Wikipedia that he will meet his end on the 14th of September.

My time zone fluctuates. I am following events in 2017 and 1857 and an old friend just bumped my thread from 1 September 1939.

[Tax-chick]

The October news from India is not pretty.

I'll betcha. Cawnpore. Lucknow.

Perhaps Harper's will observe the tragic-yet-romantical death of the beau ideal Henry Lawrence.

[M Kehoe]

Bttt.

5.56mm

[BroJoeK]

Say, I understand SS Central America is getting ready to leave Panama for New York, carrying some 30,000 lbs. of gold from California.
Does anybody know the weather forecast for the Carolinas?
Maybe Capt. Herndon should delay a few days, do you think?
Could we still telegraph to warn him?

If anything happens to all that gold...

[BroJoeK]

Also, there's a wagon train from Arkansas just pulled into Utah, heading for California, maybe some trouble brewing.
Might be a good idea for them to keep on moving on, at least until they're well past Mountain Meadows, do you think?

[BroJoeK]

And while we're at it, what's going on with Ohio Life Insurance & Trust Company?
Is there some problem in financial markets?

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Our dissatisfied banker, W. Tecumseh Sherman, despite his concern for his personal situation, manages to keep up with events in the wider world. Last month he gave his thoughts on the Ohio Life and Trust Co. and in a few weeks he will have some information to share regarding the Central America. I don't see any postings about the Mountain Meadows massacre in the immediate future.

[BroJoeK]

"Our dissatisfied banker, W. Tecumseh Sherman..."

He seems unhappy as a banker, but I think he's got a great future ahead... in academia.
There's a seminary in Louisiana will need a new superintendent, I'd just bet Sherman will be perfect for it!
He's scholarly and has made lots of friends in the South.
I'd recommend him. ;-)