Pope at Bull Run and the Confederate raid escape
An eyewitness account describes General Pope's fragile command and the Confederate raid around Centreville during the second Bull Run battle. It recalls Pope's uneasy leadership, the Union retreat, and a dramatic night escape aided by a river crossing and a fortuitous turn of events that left Pope's headquarters unmoved.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Harvey S. Wells
Philadelphia
Second Bull Run
Centre‘ville
McDowell
Pope
Fallons
Bull Run
Washington
Fitz John Porters
Re i
Virginia
Manassas
Musser
Lewisburg
Catlett Station
HE. B. Stuart
Aon
Stuart
Fitzy
Hugh Tee
The Frequent Cyclone Follies in a Wild Almanac Tone
A humorous long critique of cyclones argues they are chaotic yet purposeful, cataloguing a Kansas to Wisconsin path of destruction. It parodies fear and faith, recounting an Oshkosh man’s comical failed prayer as the cyclone rips through towns and structures with absurd, overblown imagery.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Saanee
Kansas
Iowa
Dakota
Kentucky
Oshkosh
Wis
Camp-Meeting Crumpets and the Salvation Sun-Bonnet
A Lexington based Louisville Times reader describes camp meeting fashion with a startling white headpiece made of mosquito netting and extravagant white gauze. The writer mocks the bonnet as chaotic, extravagant, and comically impractical, likening it to an ill formed confection and a monstrous caterpillar.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lexington
Louisville
Lawrence Anderson
Adam
Eve
Aaron
Railways in England Provoking Experiences with Baggage
A seasoned American traveler compares English rail travel with the U S system noting smaller carriages and lack of baggage checks He observes open luggage handling at stations and the English preference for carrying baggage in cabs He questions why Britain does not adopt the American baggage check and notes cultural resistance to change
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Magis Bo
Janney Pond
United States
England
Saratoga
New York
Liverpool
London
Northwest
Stra
Northwestern
Terminus
Euston Square
London & Northwestern Railway
Nothi
Hoole
Chicago
Public Welfare
America
Joseph and His Oxen in Brooklyn Tale of a Prophet Oxen
Rev Joseph Cook supervises a farm near Ticonderoga when a lone tramp hears a deep voice yelling obscure gospel style guidance to abandon the direct path and turn right toward ultimate America. The oxen crawl under hay while the scene unsettles the passerby.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Joseph
Burdette
Brooklyn
Joseph Cook
Ticonderoga
A Wonderful Band of 300 Inmates at Western Penitentiary
A Pittsburg Times report details the Western Penitentiary orchestra of about 300 prisoners who play without a conductor and while never facing each other. The daily concert runs 6 to 7 pm, ending with a chorus of many instruments, as inmates savor music to break monotony and show skill, from mandolins to homemade instruments.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Allegheny
Western Penitentiary
United States
the Times
Mary Ann McCarty
An Armenian Marriage Ceremony Described in Glasgow Heraht
An Armenian wedding scene unfolds with ornate description of attire, sacred garments, and ritual steps. The priest blesses a temporary altar, the bride bows to the groom, hands are joined thrice, the veil is lifted, and wreaths are swapped while declaring unity and peace.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Glasgow
The Candid Man and His Candid Vision
A satirical piece likens the candid man to a hunter of lies. He scrutinizes others harshly while ignoring praise, chasing fibs like a weasel chasing a rat, and delivers lengthy sermons on moral outcomes, insisting he is candid in his judgments.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York Herald
Do I keep a cyclone pit in Chicago tale
A West side passenger asks if keeping a cyclone pit is wise in a playful Chicago Herald anecdote. The reply says yes near the house, claiming fearlessness toward cyclones, while noting his wife’s temper on wash days makes the pit handy and practical.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago Herald
The Turks at Home Revealed in Harems and Habits
An essay on Turkish domestic life contrasts the selamlik and haremlik as the male and female spheres. It describes architecture, furnishings, slave labor, routine meals, and the lively daily ritual within harems, including superstition, charms, and social entertainments that mask deeper tensions.
A Cold Water Boy on the Jeff Road Train
In a Brooklyn Eagle piece Burdette recalls a winter rail trip on the J. M. & I. line to Madison involving a water tank drinking contest by a boy from Indianapolis. A brakeman, a Langtry insult, and a dramatic troupe catalyst lead to a chaotic scene with a revolver drawn before the boy finally guzzles the water dry.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hoosiers
Jeff
Indianapolis
Madison
Ixion
THE CAR DRIVER S DAUGHTER DIGNITY FEAR OF GROWING UP
A Chicago street car driver shares his pride and worry about his daughter growing up and becoming too dignified to ride with him on the platform. He cherishes daily lunches, chats on the car, and the child’s stories about family and neighbors, fearing the day she can no longer ride with him.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago Herald
Taking Pictures of Public People
Gutekunst the photographer recalls public figures vary in vanity and pose. Forrest wore his necktie awry in many portraits, while statesmen writers and deep thinkers often care little for appearance. Some refuse shop display, with Brooks insisting on permission for public sale. Adelaide Detchon praised as prettiest, Susan B. Anthony driven and exact.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Philadelphia Times
Gutekunst
Forrest
Phillips Brooks
Adelaide Detchon
Susan B. Anthony
On a Still Hunt
A brief anecdote from the Atlanta Constitution describes Colonel Nat Hammond aboard a train where a quiet stranger sits beside him. After initial greeting the man asks for Hammond's name and explains he is searching for his unknown uncle in Tennessee, provoking an awkward pause and a cautious exchange.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Atlanta Constitution
Nat Hammond
Colonel Hammond
Hamie
Hammond
de Guring
Tennessee
Auctioneer Roused by Mrs Dee Spelling Escapade
In a Merchant Traveler tale a cheap stove is sold when a small crowd speaker asks for who bought it. A woman identifies herself as Mrs Dee and demands the full name. The auctioneer struggles to spell Dee and nearly falls from the box in laughter.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Merchant Traveler
Dee
Blondin’s back ride thrills Niagara daredevil tale
Chicago artist Harry Colcord recalls riding Blondin across Niagara Falls on a rope in 1860. He details rope setup, weathered nerves, and the crowd’s awe as Blondin steadied the 2000 foot span. After crossing they were celebrated by crowds and the Prince of Wales. Colcord, now in Chicago, still bears night terrors from the feat.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago News
Harry Colcord
Chicago
Niagara Falls
Blondin
Boston
Martinetti
Ravels
Cincinnati
Niagara
Porter
Terrapin Tower
Davis’ Hotel
Horseshoe Falls
Jondin
White
Clifton House
Maniia
New York
International Hotel
Prince of Wales
N. P. Willis
Brooms and Girls and Poetic Fragments in 19th Century Verse
A collection of verses and quips from Merchant Traveller and Chicago Rambler fragmenting themes of domestic life, longing, and piety. Lines praise a transforming dawn in loss, a rosebud touch blooming with a lady, and a prayer scene where Ethel asks God to be a good girl with childlike earnestness.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago
Summer Girl and Witty Verses in a Patchwork Page
A collage of light verse and comic snippets from early 20th century papers includes poems about a summer girl, bridal imagery, playful lines about tunnels and trains, jokes about a widow and a post office, a goat tale, Cupid’s moods, and a mischievous piano lesson from a child named Johnny Fizzletop, painting a multifaceted snapshot of humorous verse and light fiction across columns.
Bargain and Sale Poem Prelude to Springs Trip
Clinton Scollard in Town Topics and Paulina Loquitur present a playful poem about packing for a journey. The speaker teases over dresses, trunks, and ball costumes as she contemplates a future trip to the Springs, hoping Cupid may bless her with fortune, a handsome stranger, and a castle of wealth.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Clinton Scollard
Paulina Loquitur
Cupid
Dan Cupid
Gibraltar
Why They Want a Revival, Nebraska Nugget
A temperance revival is urged as a remedy for widespread drunkenness. The item notes alarm over many young and older men seen daily with whiskey on their faces, suggesting heat is not the sole cause and alluding to visible signs like feverish cheeks and worn pants from lighting a penny nail.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Nebraska
Sol
Also Mentioned on This Page
Fitz Hugh Lee
Ben
Peck
Railways
Harper's
Pittsburg
San Francisco Chronicle
Selamlik
Turkey
Constantinople
Hee
Hanoum
Ely
Brooklyn Eagle
Hun
Allons
Ieee
Evansville
Andrew Hedbrook
St. Paul
Mortimer Collins
Wild Rose
William Allingham
Rosie
Rosa Sylvestris
Hades
Chicago Ledger
Spirit Land
Jimmy
Billy
Quick
Arkansaw
Rascal
Texas Siftings
Johnny Fizzletop
Johnny
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!