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Brigadier-General C. M. Wilcox...

The Confederate version of "Harper's Weekly"... Print of Fort Sumter...



Item # 628049

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April 25, 1863

SOUTHERN ILLUSTRATED NEWS, Richmond, Virginia, April 25, 1863 

* Very rare Confederate title
* General Cadmus M. Wilcox


A very rare publication from the Confederacy which seldom comes to the collector market. Although much of the content was literary in nature, there are news reports and a few illustrations.
The front page is entirely taken up with a nice illustration of: "Brigadier-General C. M. Wilcox". Pages 2 & 3 have a biography of him focusing on his leadership in the on-going Civil War (see photos).
Page 2 has over a full column headed: "The Times" which reports on the latest news from the various war fronts. Among the reports are: "...the fight at Charleston was by no means over. It seems, however, that the attack by sea has been abandoned...It is probable that the enemy will again return to Charleston...It is worthy to remark that the lying Yankees announced the capture of Charleston in order to influence the Connecticut election...The Yankees have not evacuated their position in front of Vicksburg...On the 9th, General W. S. Walker's light artillery destroyed one of the enemy's gun-boats in the Coosa river...The President has issued an address to the people of the Confederate States...Gen. D. H. Hill is besieging the town of Washington, N.C....Farragut is again blockading Red River...Last week Gen. Wise drove the enemy out of Williamsburg without loss on our side...Advices state that Gen. Longstreet has had a fight with the vandals at Suffolk..." with more (see photos).
The most interesting item in this issue is the rather large back page illustration captioned: "FORT SUMTER", as illustrations of military installations are quite rare in this newspaper (see photos).

Begun on September 13, 1862 the "Southern Illustrated News" sought to fill the void left when the Southern States lost access to Harper’s Weekly and other illustrated newspapers from the North. In its “Salutatory,” in the first issue the editors state:  "...We propose to issue an Illustrated Family Newspaper…devoted to literature, to public instruction and amusement, to general news, and to the cause of our country in this trying hour when she is engaged in a terrible, but resolute and hopeful struggle for her liberty and independence..." Although it could be argued it never lived up to all of these goals as reports from the war were very limited, it was an important publication nonetheless. At its peak boasting as many subscribers as the largest daily paper in Richmond. As with all Southern publications it suffered from lack of supplies, reporters, artists and engravers as many had been drafted either into the military or into the service of the Confederate administration to engrave paper money and stamps. The engravings were crude when compared to Yankee publications.
Eight pages, various foxing throughout, never bound nor trimmed with wide margins, two folds, generally good condition.

Category: Confederate