Monday, January 19, 2026

Steamship Sloop of War “Brooklynn”

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Harper’s Weekly, January 19, 1861 The Brooklyn is at present hourly expected at Charleston, and may take an active part in any future contest at that point. She was launched at New York on the 27th of July, 1858, and took her place in the navy on the 1st of January, 1859. She is by [...]

Harper’s Weekly

“…all classes are looking towards Charleston with much anxiety, as an attack is expected on Ft Sumpter.”—Horatio Nelson Taft.

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1861. This has been a warm and pleasant day, but the streets and crossings very muddy. No particular news is afloat but all classes are looking towards Charleston with much anxiety, as an attack is expected on Ft Sumpter. I went with the boys after office hours to the Navy Yard to [...]

Diary of US patent clerk Horatio Nelson Taft.

The First of the War

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Harper’s Weekly, January 19, 1861 The Steamship ‘Star of the West’ WE publish herewith pictures of the United States steam-sloop Brooklyn, and of the steamship Star of the West, and of the steamship Marion, which three vessels figured so prominently in the movements of last week; and on page 37 we give a large plan [...]

Harper’s Weekly

The News

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January 19, 1861, The New York Herald The steamship Asia, from Liverpool 5th and Queenstown 6th inst., arrived at Quarantine last evening, but owing to the quantity of ice in the bay she did not come up. Our accounts from South Carolina are rather more pacific than usual, owing, as it is said, to the [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

Interesting from Arizona

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January 19, 1861, The New York Herald Our Tucson Correspondence. TUCSON, Dec. 30, 1861. On the 20th instant the Apaches murdered an American named Hoyt, who was cutting wood about a mile and a half from Fort Breckinridge. Hoyt’s partner escaped, but very narrowly. The Indians took a rifle, pistol and ammunition from the murdered [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

Curious Features of the Secession Movement

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January 19, 1861, The New York Herald Among some of the curious features of the secession movement is the agreement on the part of South Carolina to continue to use the postal service of the federal government for its own special accommodation, while that State is seizing the Post Office, forts, arsenals and Custom House, [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

Touching Scene at Fort Sumter

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January 19, 1861, Harper’s Weekly The Baltimore American has the following story: One of the Baltimoreans who recently returned from Fort Sumter details an impressive incident that took place there on Major Anderson taking possession. It is known that the American flag brought away from Fort Moultrie was raised at Sumter precisely at noon on [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

Suffering in Charleston

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January 19, 1861, Harper’s Weekly According to a dispatch in the Herald, terrible suffering already exists at Charleston. The  “troops who have volunteered and presented themselves for service are camped in unhealthy locations, and, in consequence of rain, swamps, and miasma, are suffering from disease. No vessels loading, no business doing, women weeping, and men [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

Seizure of Forts at the South

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January 19, 1861, Harper’s Weekly The Baton Rouge arsenal (Louisiana) was taken possession of by the State troops on 11th. All the fortifications are now in possession of the Louisiana troops. The United States arsenal at Baton Rouge, in command of Major Haskins and two companies, refused to surrender. The arsenal was surrounded by six [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

Privateering Prospects

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January 19, 1861, Harper’s Weekly The Charleston Mercury, at the close of an appeal to the Floridians to seize the defenses at Pensacola and Key West, threatens the seizure of the California treasure-ships by Southern privateers. We copy : “To our friends in Florida we would respectfully pass a word. There are two powerful strong-holds [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

United States Troops Despatched to Rhode Island.

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1860s newsprint

January 19, 1861, Elwood Free Press Elwood, Kansas In 1843, the people of the State of Rhode Island assembled by delegates in State Convention, framed a State Constitution, and by a majority of votes, but without the sanction of their existing state government, adopted it and attempted to put it in operation. The old state [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

Purchase of Slaves

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January 19, 1861, The Charleston Mercury Suggestions have been made at Washington looking to the introduction of a proposition into Congress to buy out all the slaves in Maryland, Delaware, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana, in order to settle the slavery and secession question in the country north of the Potomac and west of the [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

News from Fort Sumter—Letter from Captain A. Doubleday

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January 19, 1861, The Charleston Mercury (From the Auburn Union.) General Segoine has kindly permitted us to publish the following letter received by him on Saturday last, from Captain Abner Doubleday, who is with Major Anderson at Fort Sumter. It speaks for itself: FORT SUMTER, S.C., Jan. 6, 1861. MY DEAR SIR: It is a [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

Arrival of Lieut. Talbot

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January 19, 1861, The Charleston Mercury This gentleman arrived in the city last night, by the six o’clock train on the Northeastern Railroad, and is stopping at the Charleston Hotel. He will leave for Fort Sumter at an early hour this morning. The tenor of his instructions for Major ANDERSON has not transpired, but we [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

Georgia Appoints Commissioner to Europe

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January 19, 1861, The Charleston Mercury The Commissioner who has been appointed by the State of Georgia to proceed to Europe, for the purpose of making commercial arrangements with European Governments for direct commerce with the Southern States, and with Savannah, especially, is now in correspondence with diplomatic individuals here, and gathering all necessary information [...]

Civil War Day-by-Day

Steamship “Marion”

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The Steamship ‘Marion,’ seized by the State of South Carolina to be Converted into a Man-Of-War The steamship Marion, 800 tons burden, of the New York and Charleston line, was seized by the State authorities of South Carolina on 10th, to be converted into a vessel of war. She was built here (New York) by [...]

Harper’s Weekly

Rev. Dr. Bachman, of South Carolina

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Harper’s Weekly, January 19, 1861 We publish on page 33 the portrait of the Rev. Dr. Bachman, of South Carolina, the minister who was selected by the Secession Convention to ask a prayer on the ratification of the Ordinance of Secession. Dr. Bachman is distinguished as a naturalist, but has made himself more conspicuous, latterly, [...]

Harper’s Weekly

Charleston Zouaves

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Harper’s Weekly, January 19, 1861 WE have given pictures of the Chicago Zouaves, whose admirable discipline has rendered them an object of general envy among our military folks, We now publish on the preceding; page a picture of the Charleston Zouaves, a corps less generally known, but one which may become pretty conspicuous in the [...]

Harper’s Weekly

Judge Magrath, Secretary of State of South Carolina

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Harper’s Weekly, January 19, 1861 WE publish on page 33, from a photograph sent us from Charleston, South Carolina, a portrait of Judge Magrath, late Judge of the United States District Court at Charleston. Judge Magrath is a lawyer of high standing at the South Carolina bar, and enjoys the respect of the public. He [...]

Harper’s Weekly

Governor Pickens of South Carolina

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Harper’s Weekly, January 19, 1861 EW publish herewith a portrait of Governor Pickens, the newly-elected Governor of the State of South Carolina. Governor Pickens comes of good revolutionary stock. His grandfather, General Pickens, commanded the American forces at the Battle of the Cowpens. His father, Colonel Pickens, held a military command in the war of [...]

Harper’s Weekly