Harper’s Weekly – December 21, 1861

Harper's Weekly archives ^ | December 21, 1861

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1861-1865: Seminar and Discussion Forum
The American Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: May 2025.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles

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 previous Harper’s Weekly thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4021080/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Our Finances – 1
The End and the Way – 1, 3
“Work’s Over” – 2, 7
The Lounger – 3-4
Humors of the Day – 4
Domestic Intelligence – 4-5
Foreign News – 5
Jonathan Stopping the Southern Rat-Holes – 5
Our Army at Washington – 6, 11
Hon. George Opdyke, Mayor Elect – 7
Miss Brownlow – 7
Colonel Rankin’s Lancers – 8, 16
The Ericsson Steel-Plated Battery – 9
Our New Maps – 9-12
The Combined European Fleet against Mexico – 11, 17
A Bivouac Fire on the Potomac – 13
A Strange Story, by Sir E. Bulwer Lytton, Ch. XLVI-L – 14-16
‘Tween Decks of a United States Man-of-War in Action – 18
Wounded – 19-20

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, December 21, 1861 (Meade’s account of the battle at Dranesville.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2013/11/brigadier-general-george-g-meade-to_6.html

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Saturday, December 21, 1861 (“It is rumored that Great Britain will declare war on account of the seizure of Slidell and Mason. I think not. It will blow over.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/06/diary-of-lieutenant-colonel-rutherford_12.html

Commandant Samuel F. DuPont to Gustavus V. Fox, December 21, 1861 (“Squally news yesterday from England. Let ‘em come.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2019/03/commandant-samuel-f-dupont-to-gustavus.html

John M. Forbes to Frederick Law Olmsted, December 21, 1861 (Forbes using his influence to aid the Sanitary Commission.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/03/john-m-forbes-to-frederick-law-olmsted.html

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: December 21, 1861 (The return of Col. Bledsoe.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/08/diary-of-john-beauchamp-jones-december_62.html

[Homer_J_Simpson]

With Lincoln in the White House: Letters, Memoranda, and Other Writings of John G. Nicolay, 1860-1865, edited by Michael Burlingame

[Homer_J_Simpson]

All for the Union: The Civil War Diary and Letters of Elisha Hunt Rhodes, edited by Robert Hunt Rhodes

[Homer_J_Simpson]

David W. Blight, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Mary Chesnut’s Civil War, edited by C. Vann Woodward

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, December 22, 1861 (“There is a tremendous pressure being brought to bear on McClellan, and there is no telling how long he can or will stand it.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2013/11/brigadier-general-george-g-meade-to_7.html

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Sunday, December 22, 1861 (“The Forefathers’ day — Pilgrim day. We are at the same high call here today — freedom, freedom for all. We all know that is the essence of this contest.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/06/diary-of-lieutenant-colonel-rutherford_86.html

Major Wilder Dwight: Sunday, December 22, 1861 (“We have been building a log-kitchen, and are now building a stable. The government has, I understand, decided to allow us lumber enough to make us quite comfortable.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2016/05/major-wilder-dwight-sunday-december-22.html

John M. Forbes to Reverend Henry W. Bellows, December 22, 1861 (Forbes now raising funds for the Sanitary Commission.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/03/john-m-forbes-to-reverend-henry-w.html

General Robert E. Lee to His Family, December 22, 1861

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2013/10/general-robert-e-lee-to-mary-custis-lee_20.html

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: December 22,1861 (“Dibble has succeeded in obtaining a passport from the Secretary himself.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/08/diary-of-john-beauchamp-jones-december_8.html

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Today’s posts:

John G. Nicolay, reply #4
Elisha Hunt Rhodes, #5
“Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom,” #6
Mary B. Chesnut, #7
Links to 6 items at Civil War Notebook, #8

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Governor Alexander W. Randall to Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood, December 23, 1861 (WI Governor Randall wants the feds to pay governors as Generals. I’m not clear on whether he wants the money paid to him personally.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/10/governor-alexander-w-randall-to.html

Brigadier-General Charles P. Stone to Senator Charles Sumner, December 23, 1861 (Gen. Stone takes a shot at Sen. Sumner.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2017/09/brigadier-general-charles-p-stone-to.html

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Monday, December 23, 1861 (Lt. Col. and Mrs. Hayes have a new son – 4 items.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/06/diary-of-lieutenant-colonel-rutherford_13.html

Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes to Lucy Webb Hayes, December 23, 1861

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/06/lieutenant-colonel-rutherford-b-hayes_16.html

Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes to Sardis Birchard, December 23, 1861

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/06/lieutenant-colonel-rutherford-b-hayes_17.html

Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes to Dr. Joseph T. Webb, December 23, 1861

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/06/lieutenant-colonel-rutherford-b-hayes_18.html

John M. Forbes to Frederick Law Olmstead, December 23, 1861 (Now Forbes has suggestions for how the Sanitary Commission should operate.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/04/john-m-forbes-to-frederick-law-olmstead.html

Lieutenant-Colonel John T. L. Preston to Margaret Junkin Preston, December 23, 1861 (“I wish you would go and see old Mrs. P. Tell her that General Jackson was very much moved when he heard that her son was killed, and said that there was no better soldier in the army.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/02/lieutenant-colonel-john-t-l-preston-to_14.html

Major Wilder Dwight: Sunday, December 23, 1861 (“The English question does not yet take shape enough to enable one to judge of it. I have no fear of a war with England. The cause is inadequate.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2016/05/major-wilder-dwight-sunday-december-23.html

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: December 23,1861 (“This Gen. Jackson is always doing something to vex the enemy; and I think he is destined to annoy them more.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/08/diary-of-john-beauchamp-jones-december_33.html

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Tuesday, December 24, 1861 (“Moderately cold; ground frozen so it will bear teams, whitened with a thin sprinkling of snow.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/06/diary-of-lieutenant-colonel-rutherford_34.html

Diary of Corporal David L. Day: December 24, 1861 (“Santa Claus is expected here tonight with our Christmas dinners, but he may be delayed and not get here for a week to come.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2019/12/diary-of-corporal-david-l-day-december_34.html

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: December 24,1861 (More passport business.)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/08/diary-of-john-beauchamp-jones-december_90.html

[M Kehoe]

Merry Christmas Professor.

(“Santa Claus is expected here tonight with our Christmas dinners, but he may be delayed and not get here for a week to come.”)

I said the same thing. On the same day. A 114 years later. On guard duty, in the same conditions.

History definitely rhymes.

5.56mm

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from November 30 (reply #3).

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4016873/posts#3

Bruce Catton, Terrible Swift Sword

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from December 15 (reply #11).

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4021080/posts#11

Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued from November 14 (reply #38)

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4011123/posts#38

Nathan Bedford Forrest: A Biography, by Jack Hurst

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Continued December 20 (reply #26).

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4021080/posts#26

Douglas Southall Freeman, Lee, an abridgement by Richard Harwell

[Homer_J_Simpson]

With Lincoln in the White House: Letters, Memoranda, and Other Writings of John G. Nicolay, 1860-1865, edited by Michael Burlingame

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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Mary Chesnut’s Civil War, edited by C. Vann Woodward

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Congressman Roscoe Conkling to Colonel Charles Wheelock of the 97th New York Infantry, December 25, 1861 (Conkling acknowledges that regiment being nicknamed “Conkling Rifles.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2019/11/congressman-roscoe-conkling-to-colonel.html

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, December 25, 1861 (“A war with England would be nothing less than self-destruction on our part, amounting to madness.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2013/11/brigadier-general-george-g-meade-to_8.html

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes: Wednesday, December 25, 1861 (“Dined with McIlrath’s company — sergeants’ mess; an eighteen-pound turkey, chickens, pies, pudding, doughnuts, cake, cheese, butter, coffee, and milk, all abundant and of good quality.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/06/diary-of-lieutenant-colonel-rutherford_19.html

Lieutenant-Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes to Lucy Webb Hayes, December 25, 1861 (“A merry Christmas to you and the little stranger (I suppose he is a stranger to you no longer) — and to all at home.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/06/lieutenant-colonel-rutherford-b-hayes_20.html

Major Wilder Dwight: December 25, 1861 (“Yet, even on this merry morning, I have a shadow, which, I hope, is a mere distemper of the fancy. It comes from the sullen aspect of the English news.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2016/06/major-wilder-dwight-december-25-1861.html

Robert Gould Shaw to Sarah Blake Sturgis Shaw, December 25, 1861 (“I should be very sorry to have a war with England, even if we had a fine army, instead of a pack of politicians for officers, with their constituents for rank and file”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/08/robert-gould-shaw-to-sarah-blake.html

Captain Charles Russell Lowell to 2nd Lieutenant Henry L. Higginson, December 25, 1861 (“I hear your regiment is nearly ready to start South. I hope you may be ordered here and not to Texas or Canada.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/11/captain-charles-russell-lowell-to-2nd.html

Diary of Alexander G. Downing: Wednesday, December 25, 1861 (“In the evening some of us boys went to the tavern to get our suppers, costing twenty-five cents apiece, and we had hot biscuit and honey in the bargain.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2012/10/diary-of-alexander-g-downing-wednesday_17.html

Commandant Samuel F. DuPont to Gustavus V. Fox, December 25, 1861 (Status report from Port Royal)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2019/03/commandant-samuel-f-dupont-to-gustavus_25.html

General Robert E. Lee to Mary Custis Lee, December 25, 1861 (“You must not build your hopes on peace on account of the United States going to war with England.”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2013/10/general-robert-e-lee-to-mary-custis-lee_21.html

General Robert E. Lee to his Daughter, December 25, 1861 (“I send you some sweet violets that I gathered for you this morning while covered with dense white frost, whose crystals glittered in the bright sun like diamonds”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2013/11/general-robert-e-lee-to-his-daughter.html

Diary of John Beauchamp Jones: December 25,1861 (“Mr. Ely, the Yankee member of Congress, who has been in confinement here since the battle of Manassas, has been exchanged for Mr. Faulkner, late Minister to France”)

https://civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com/2015/08/diary-of-john-beauchamp-jones-december_10.html