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Confederate newspaper from Grenada, Mississippi...
Confederate newspaper from Grenada, Mississippi...
Item # 705325
August 25, 1862
THE MEMPHIS DAILY APPEAL, Grenada, Mississippi, Aug. 25, 1862
* Very Rare Confederate title from the "traveling" newspaper
* Memphis newspaper printed in Grenada, Mississippi
If the title and city of publication seem to disagree, they do not. This newspaper had a fascinating history during the Civil War.
Memphis was a Confederate stronghold up through the Battle of Memphis on June 6, 1862, at which time the Yankees moved in and it became a Yankee city. Being a strong voice for the Confederacy, the "Memphis Appeal" newspaper would not continue under Yankee control. As Wikipedia notes: "...On June 6, 1862, the presses and plates were loaded into a boxcar and moved to Grenada, Mississippi, where it published for some time. The Appeal later journeyed to Jackson, Mississippi, Meridian, Mississippi, Atlanta, Georgia, and finally Montgomery, Alabama, where the plates were destroyed on April 6, 1865, only days before the Confederate surrender, halting publication of what had been one of the major papers serving the Southern cause." So this one newspaper published in six different Confederate cities during the Civil War.
Among the front page reports are those headed: "Dispatches to the Black Republican Press" "The Political Imbroglio in Kentucky" "The Financial Prospect of the Northern States" "The Fight at Tazewell" "From Gen. McClellan's Army - It's Withdrawal from Harrison's Landing" and much more.
The back page has much as well, but is dominated by 1 1/2 columns taken up with the: "President's Message" signed in type: Jefferson Davis. This is followed by over a column headed: 'Lincoln's Speech to the Negroes at Washington".
Complete as a single sheet newspaper of large folio size, even toning, some damp staining, generally good.
AI Notes: The Memphis Daily Appeal was a prominent Confederate newspaper that originated in Memphis, Tennessee, and became known for its fierce pro-Southern stance during the Civil War. When Union forces occupied Memphis in June 1862, editor Benjamin Dill relocated the press to Grenada, Mississippi, marking the beginning of the newspaper’s famed wartime odyssey. Publishing under the Grenada imprint through late 1862, the Appeal continued to report Confederate news, editorials, and battle updates. This move was the first of many, earning it the nickname “The Moving Appeal,” as it sought to stay ahead of advancing Union troops.
After its time in Grenada, the paper moved through several Southern cities—including Jackson, Meridian, Atlanta, Montgomery, and Columbus—before its press was finally destroyed in April 1865. Despite these disruptions, the Appeal remained a critical Confederate voice, delivering news to Southern readers even under siege. It resumed publication in Memphis after the war and eventually merged into what is now The Commercial Appeal. The issues printed in Grenada are now considered rare historical artifacts that offer a vivid window into Confederate media and wartime resilience.
Category: Confederate
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