Recollections of Rebel Soldier in Petersburg Siege
In late March 1864 ominous Federal movements foreshadowed a major Petersburg assault. Pickett’s division and Fitzhugh Lee’s cavalry pressed Sheridan’s forces near Five Forks while Lee’s troops fought fiercely at Fort Mahone. General A P Hill and General Phil Kearney were killed in action during the brutal fighting as rain of shells pounded the city and civilians endured the bombardment with stoic resolve.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Thomas J. Murray
Washington Republican
Petersburg
Richmond
James River
Grant
Hatchet
City Point
Fort Fisher
N.C. Weir
Gordon
Fort Steadman
Sheridan
Lee
Pickett
Dinwiddie Court House
Danville
Fitzhugh Lee
Fifth Corps
Five Forks
Dinwindie Court House
White Oak
Warren
Second Corps
McKenzie
Merriott
Fort Mahone
A. P. Hill
Sid
Hull
Phil Kearney
Chantilly
Hill
Recollec
Will Pegram
Gercest
Cannister
Pegram
Virginia
Mosby
California
Appomattox
the James
Cereare
Noltice
Confederate of Tobacco
Retreat of the Army of Northern Virginia and Richmond fears
The narrator recalls heavy shelling and constant arrival of wounded from field hospitals as Confederate lines were stretched well back. While Grant pressed the right wing, there was fear he might strike works before Richmond, yet the Confederate defense remained firm and orderly in repelling a rapid collapse.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Northern Virginia
Grant
Richmond
Chronic Lassitude and the Lazy World of Inventions
A humorous piece on chronic lassitude describing a string of exaggerated laziness episodes from hotel escapes to avoided duties. The author jokes about lazy behavior as a spur to invention and shares personal anecdotes, ending with a boast of energetic effort and a playful challenge to readers.
Wobbly Men and the Lime Kiln Club Discourse
A dialect era piece criticizes unstable men who shift beliefs and loyalties. It urges straightforwardness and consistency, cautioning against wobbly friends and unreliable business partners. The speaker mocks opportunistic behavior and advocates plain dealing and steady religious or political stance.
Politeness in a Smoking Car Mixup
In a Detroit Free Press extract, three travelers in a sleeping car share quiet banter about swollen and shrinking feet during travel. A boot swap occurs after a comic mispairing by the porter who jokes about swapped boots between Wisconsin and Missouri men. The scene closes with pride in politeness and regional ribbing.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Detroit Free Press
Demar’ Butes
Sodia
Wisconsin
Missouri
The Old, Old Story in a Cincinnati Market Tale
Augustus and Clara break off their engagement after Clara admits it was a sham. He reveals the ring is a fake diamond purchased cheap for emergencies, and asks her not to tell the other girls as he departs.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cincinnati
Augustus
Clara
One Virtue that Mummies Possess
Hartford Post humor piece depicts the Shuttle family by the fire reacting to news of English actions against Egyptian hordes. Job jokes about Egyptian mummies becoming cheaper, while his wife sardonically asks for quiet to count stitches on a worsted scarf. The exchange blends domestic banter with imperial headlines.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hartford Post
Job
Prayer Slip Reverses Meaning Sparks Seminary Debate
At a Western theological seminary students debated if a printed prayer with a typographical error reversing meaning was received by Providence as spoken or as written. The discussion lasted an evening and ended in a tie vote.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Western Theological Seminary
Providence
Reverend Repartee and Sharp Retorts in Clergy Tales
A column of witty anecdotes about clergymen and lay preachers famed for ready retorts. It recounts exchanges from Sidney Smith to Dr Byles, Hall, Finney, Tooke, Porson and others, with deacons, bishops, and parishioners contributing clever rejoinders and moral quips across service and street.
London Letter in Hartford Times
A young country dentist earned a commission to craft a complete set of teeth for the Anglican bishop of his diocese. He was anxious about the request and its implications within church circles.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
Hartford Times
Twenty-one tailed people and legends across history
The article surveys reports of humans born with tails from Africa to Asia, noting explorers and scientists who discussed such cases. It cites Dr Max Bertels and others who documented twenty-one well authenticated tail-bearing individuals, discusses heredity, embryology, and rudimentary tail muscles, and comments on social attitudes and superstition surrounding tails in culture.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New Britain
Colonel du Corret
French Academy
Mecca
Ghilane
Belial
du Corret
John Struys
Formosa
Horneman
M. du Corret
Ethiopia
Wolff
Abyssinia
China
Mulisch
Constantinople
Hubsch
Newcastle
Max Bertels
Eirnsz Haeckl
Mr. Baring- Gould
Devonshire
Andrew Marvel
Kent
Thomas A Becket
Strood
Rochester
Self-acting Buggy Promises Easy Rides for All
A Williamsport inventor claims a two-lever self-propelled buggy allows riders to move six to seven miles per hour without a horse. It suits couples, offers quiet, relaxed travel, and costs about the price of a modern bicycle. Only one prototype shown for twenty five cents admission.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Williamsport
Romeo
Juliet
Jehu
Chinese Folk Lore of Unlucky Words and Amulets
Chinese folk lore reveals fears of unlucky words and death euphemisms, charms and amulets, and a belief in spirits and portents. It details geomancy, dragon symbolism, and the fatal power of water courses influencing ancestral fortunes and village luck.
Sponge Cruelty Sparks Bergh Protection Push
A Victorian newspaper style tale reports Mr. Bergh's attention to sponge abuse. A foreman in an uptown job printing office is alleged to have mistreated a sponge, sparking calls for better animal protection and a petition to curb cruelty toward sponges.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Igle
Broadway
Inventor Jonathan Hall’s Humorous Steamboat Failure
A Gloucestershire inventor, Jonathan Hall of Campden, patented a steamboat in 1736 and failed. The town’s local poet praised his effort in verse, noting Hall’s paper skull and his struggle to craft a machine that could sail against wind and tide, ending in embarrassment.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jonathan Hall
Campden
Gloucester
Clergyman Called to Cottage Where Deaf Patient Seeks Help
In Altoona Tribune style a country clergyman is sent for to a cottage. He asks the patient what brought him to summon him. The deaf man relies on his wife to interpret. The wife reports the minister asks what he says and the patient answers with a humorous line about the deuce.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Brother Gardner
Altoona Tribune
The Brain and Its Uses in Human Thought
An informal 19th century note extols brain value and cautions against overwork. It compares brain weights, notes the elephant and whale have larger brains by mass, warns that gaslight harms brain tissue, and jokes about doctors misdiagnosing brain trouble. It emphasizes using the brain wisely and discreetly in society.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bill Nye
San Francisco
Argonaut
Alas coquettes are but too rare in society
In a London Standard essay on flirtation, the author extols flirting as a social pastime and traces its evolution from innocent youth to married life. It describes male and female flirts, the effects of flirtation on character, and notes that married flirts often hold social sway while seaside cosseted coquettes are rare and admired.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London Standard
Max O’reil
England
Max O’ Reil
France
Juet
Fred
Nale
Naebody
Ani
Riviera
Mediterranean
Sherry
Lord Beaconsfield
Rose Terry
Valentine
Birdie
New England Pie in Boston Union Club Elates Pies
A Boston Union Club pie piece extols the apple pie as the state treasure. The dialect praises deep apple pies from Maine and a grand Union Club pastry, claiming even Supreme Court judges enjoy the pie with gusto. The essay parodies regional pride and culinary lore.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Boston
Chicago Tribune
New England
Maine
Union Club
Mme
Eve
Adam
Ples
Eden
Supreme Court
Supreme
Massasoit House
Springfield
United States
Massachusetts
Irretrievable Loss and a Buck Story
An Arkansas Traveller item features a dialogue with an old man claiming to have seen a buck and explaining why he could not shoot. The speaker defends himself against accusation, arguing he lacks a gun and should be cautious, while criticizing the listener for provoking trouble with talk of science and speculation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
CrArkansaw
A Drama of Governmental Life ACT I and II
Government official in a nocturnal office schemes to fend creditors until March 4th. Later at home he pleads with Maria to curb monopolistic gas interests, asking for relief from the gas light company.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington Hatchet
John
Maria
Laughing Plant from Arabia Promises Laughing Gas Effect
Vick's Floral Guide describes a plant from Arabia nicknamed the laughing plant for seeds said to induce laughter similar to laughing gas. The blooms are bright yellow and the seed pods are soft and woolly in appearance.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Vick's Floral Guide
Arabia
Valentine's Verses From The Past And A Valentine Song
A collage of old verse and poems about love and valentines. lines from Gilder Emerson and anonymous pieces recount longing, a light hearted boyish pledge, and poems about the beloved, with playful references to a comic valentine and family memories.
Also Mentioned on This Page
Arebel
Kearney
Bloomington
Cincinnati Enquirer
Sidney Smith
Dean Swift
Drs. Smith
Sherlock
Smith
Robert Hall
Hall
Archbishop Whately
Dr. Gregg
Cork
Whately
John Cork
Dr. Greeg
Norwich
Malvern
Isaae Barrow
Lord Rochester
Barrow
H Rochester
Finney
Chicago
Horne Tooke
Presley
Tooke
Byles
Board of War
Eredd
Philadelphia Times
B. C. Henry
National Republican
Grant White
Damon
Musidora
Miss Plainface
Yankees
Emerson
M Henry
Jane
Richard Gilder
Rose
Anon
New York Journal
Apter
A Valentine
Frank Dempster Sherman
Cupid
Ruth Mall
Peck
Aid
Chicago News
Gran’ma
Gran'pa
Gran'ma
Elsie
Kate Kellogg
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!