Home >
Printed on a Southern plantation... The "reign of terror"...
Printed on a Southern plantation... The "reign of terror"...
Item # 701902
December 08, 1862
THE COUNTRYMAN, Turnwold, Putnam County, Georgia, Dec. 8, 1862 The entire front page is taken up with a poem: "The Old Plantation!"
Page 3 has an editorial: "War" and page 4 is taken up with a great editorial headed: "The Reign of Terror". It begins: "We have indeed fallen upon evil times. With an outside foe pressing upon us with the avowed object of exterminating our people, white and black...Proofs are accumulating every day of the dire intent of our foe..." with much more including critical comments concerning Georgia's new governor.
A fascinating little newspaper that perhaps is most famous for being the only newspaper published on a Southern plantation. It was published by Joseph A. Turner on his plantation named “Turnwold" some 9 miles from Eatonton. He used the “Countryman” to voice his pro-Confederate views as a staunch advocate of slavery.
Also of interest is the "printer' devil" (typesetter) for Mr. Turner was Joel Candler Harris who worked at Turnwold when he was 14 years old. Joel Chandler Harris went on to write the Uncle Remus, Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox stories based on the stories he heard told by the slaves at Turnwold Plantation during his time working for this newspaper.
Of interest are two back page ads: One placed by J.A. Turner himself, seeking negro boys and/or men to hire, saying in part: "...The Negroes must be intelligent, handy, trusty, and of good moral character. They will be well clothed, well fed, well sheltered, and worked moderately...", and the other being an ad for the "Sale Of Phoebe Walker's Negroes."
Eight pages, 9 by 12 inches, very nice condition.
Category: Confederate
Add to Cart
