Today in History: A Civil War Summer

With the 150th anniversary of the Civil War on the collective historical radar, the University Archives and Area Research Center has established an entertaining and useful blog on the Civil War's impact on northwestern Wisconsin.

The blog includes a timeline, information and links to local soldiers and companies, and a “cast of characters” list, with some notable names from this chapter in our civic life. Information is gleaned from stories and articles in newspapers, letters and diaries, plus photographs and other artifacts—all from people who lived in northwestern Wisconsin— that are housed at the collections at the Chalmer Davee Library on campus.

Checking it out inspired me to take a look at the front page of a local newspaper from 150 years ago. I perused the Wednesday, July 24, 1861 edition of the Hudson North Star at the History Room at the Hudson Library.

“A weekly journal, devoted to politics, literature, general intelligence and interests in the St. Croix Valley,” the Hudson North Star was one newspaper of record in the region. Published from 1855 to 1862, the Hudson North Star ostensibly borrows its name from the abolitionist newspaper published by Frederick Douglass in the previous decade.

As was the convention at the time, the newspaper includes numerous items from other newspapers across the country in addition to local items. Dispatches “from the Fourth Regiment” and “A Southern Account of the Battle” is adjacent to the “top” story, starting in the upper left, with six decks and a Washington dateline: “Great Battle/An Awful Panic/Our Troops Defeated/5,000 Reported Killed/Our Troops Retreat To Washington.”

Editors J.S. Elwell and S.S. Starr’s column on page one starts with “‘The News’… The Nation is in mourning to-day—thousands of brave and loyal men have fallen on the red field of blood. The first great battle for the perpetuity of the government has resulted disastrously to our forces, as the telegraphic dispatches too plainly show.”

The editors continue their column with an item, “‘Political Parties’… There is a class of people throughout the North who appear to have lost sight of the grand object of the present war in their unworthy endeavor to make discord in the ranks by clinging to old party prejudges and advocating partizan measures. …”

Under a brief titled “Governor Randall,” they observe: “We can but feel proud of our Governor for his manifold works of goodness towards the Wisconsin Volunteers. We never yet endorsed his political views or voted for him, but nevertheless feel in duty bound at this time to acknowledge that he is in every respect the ‘man for the place’ and deserves the praise of all good citizens.”

Elwell and Starr end their column with a boosterish brief, called “‘Home Again’ … After an absence of six weeks in Ohio it is a pleasure to find ourselves once again in the old office, ‘at home.’ However many the attractions of larger cities and more improved farms in the old Buckeye State, to us there is no place like Hudson and the St. Croix Valley—and we return to our post more firmly convinced than ever that our people are among the ‘favored few’ who can boasts of the finest climate and the most magnificent country in America. While the inhabitants of the Middle States are suffering and dying from miasmatic diseases we of the North are comparatively enjoying health; and while the crops in that section are a most total failure this year on account of frosts and drought, we have the prospect of a magnificent harvest.”

One item reprinted from the Albany Argus, called "The Duty of the People," is interesting: "Good or evil administration is not in question; but government or no government. The crisis is one of life or death; and till it is settled in favor of the former, the question of how life is to be afterwards conducted, cannot justly arise. Afterwards when this country is saved from its peril, the question of vindication of the Constitution and the purification of Government will arise. But let us save it for that. Meantime, let no Democrat be disturbed in his work by the course of the Administration politicians or the abuse of a vindictive  partizan press."

In a column called “Home Affairs” on the front page, local items included notice of a runaway team of horses owned by Sheriff Heman Dodge, DeHaven’s Circus visit to town, an excursion party of St. Paulites who arrived in the Valley aboard the Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison &c (sic) plus notes from a Hammond (Wis.) correspondent and proceedings from the board of equalization (taxes) from the town clerk. Sheriff’s foreclosure sales and “Referee” sales of foreclosure made up many column inches on the front page and on several other pages.

Barring warring with our neighbors to the South, many of these items—partisan politics, foreclosures, criticism of leadership, etc.—is a reminder that democracy and the American way of life is indeed a continual work in progress.