HISTORICAL NOTES RARE NEWSPAPERS IN HISTORICAL LIBRARY Auditor Orville E. Hodge on March 16 turned over to the IlliHistorical Library, at the suggestion of State Historian Harry E. eighty bound volumes of newspapers, chiefly those sent to the Auditor's to prove publication of delinquent tax lists and notices of sales of or of forfeited property, so that the publishers could receive payThis collection-one of the largest and most unusual added to the 1rV--l'o'ITPr< the years 1820, 1823-1831, 1834-1856, 1858-1890 and 1893 entire state, and 1891 and 1911-1917 for Cook County. The volumes on permanent deposit in the Library and available to researchers. 1831 the tax lists for the entire state were published in the lntelligencer, first at Kaskaskia and then at Vandalia. Later the list County was published separately, in whatever paper the county desired. Preference was usually given to local papers, if any; but a that Abraham Lincoln owed eighty-one cents on Cass County land for Vias found in the Winchester [Scott County} Republican of April 5, and the abolitionist Western Citizen of Chicago was chosen to pubtax list of strongly antislavery Putnam County. With the establishof the Hardin Gazette at Elizabethtown in 1873 each of Illinois' 102 Was represented by at least one newspaper published within its The Library previously had papers from only ninety-five counties. eighty volumes contain 7,704 individual copies of newspapers, of 2,044 are duplicates-from two to ten copies of the same issue. Of 193 194 HISTORICAL NOTES the 5,660 different issues, 4,790 were new to the Library. More than a h dred of the 914 different titles, published in 192 towns and cities, We reUit Uit. , known to Franklin W. Scott when he compiled Newspapers and Period ' • of Illinoi~, 1814-1879 (Illinois Historical Collections, Volume VI, 19~~all Dr. Scott would have welcomed knowledge of these papers, and wo~ have, found th~ othe~s. a gold ~ine of suppleme~ta~ data as to editors ancI ~ubhshers, thelr polmcal leanmgs, dates of begmmng and ending publica. tion, etc. Although nowadays a newspaper must be in continuous publication f six months before it is qualified to print legal notices, the Auditor's collecti: contains tax lists printed in Volume I, number 1 of the following papers: Alton: Western Argus, Feb. 19, 1845 Danville: Danville Patriot, March 28, 1844 Dixon: Dixon Telegraph and Lee County Herald, May 1, 1851 Elizabethtown: Hardin Independent, May 11, 1882 Grafton: Grafton Repot:ter, March 31, 1849 Hav.ana: Havana Times, April 23, 1852 Marshall: Marshall Messenger, April 28, 1865 Mt. Carmel: The Plough Boy, April 6, 1844 Mt. Vernon: The Sentinel, May 2,1856 Pittsfield: Pike County Sentinel, July 17, 1845 Shawneetown: Southern Illinoisan, May 7,1852 Sterling: Sterling Times and Whiteside County Advertiser, March 22,1855 Sullivan: Moultrie County Gazette, Sept. 19, 1861 The Ewington Pioneer issued the tax list on July 5, 1856, nineteen day. before its Volume I, number 1 on July 24. Over 160 other papers are rep sented in the collection by issues (later than number 1) from their volumes. The names of the papers would be a story in themselves, The r' and fall of such movements-as Greenbackism, Populism and Grangerism be traced in the names, as well as the contents, of various short-lived papers. Among 'many compound names the Quincy Herald, Adams, Brown Schuyler County Advertiser is the longest. Among the more unusual n in this collection are: Randall's Illustrated Aurora City Life (without an illustration!) ~ T Legal Tender [Benton]; The Herald of Truth [Carbondale] ; The Ca fJ 1 of Peace [Carlyle]; Rough and Ready (a Taylor campaign paper of Char ton); Egyptian Picket Guard and Chester R eveille and Homestead ~dVo[ [Chester]; Weekly Jacksonian Ventilator [DeSoto]; Stars and StrIPes ~] Quoin]; Protestant Monitor [Greenville]; The Squatter Sovereign [Bava i The Anti-Monopolist [Hillsboro]; Star-Spangled Banner [Law!encevJl Olney and Russellville] ; The Promulgat or [Metropolis); The LtberalJ.,ig former [Morris] ; The Western Spy [Mt. Sterling]; Egyptian Torch- HISTORICAL NOTES 195 Weekly Exponent [Mt. Vernon} ; Star of the Prairie Land [New . The Yellow Jacket [Palestine}; The Predestinarian [Paris}; Sucker , Record [Pittsfield}; The Plano Pivot; Raleigh Egyptian and (without any poetry!); The Political Examiner and The Test . The Industrial [Salem}; Western Voice and Internal ImproveJOfJrn~1 [Shawneetown}; A ge of Steam and Fire, Baptist Helmet, and Olive Leaf [Vandalia}; The Egyptian Artery [Vienna}; Little Fort Waukegan} Porcupine and Democratic Banner; Battle Axe and Polit'",tr.lrme1 [Winchester}. the most welcome volumes, however, were three which condelinquent tax lists: The complete file of the Illinois State Register for 1859, previously supposed lost and sought for everywhere; volumes of the New York Times and Journal of Commerce, Jr. for in 1855 and 1856. the index to the Sangamo Journal-Illinois State Journal for was being compiled, the Library obtained photostats of every from every collection listed in Gregory's Union List of Newspapers in the Library's own file; but in spite of this country-wide search, during that period were still missing. Six of these were found in collection, and nine others in the Moore collection mentioned the three years and a half since the compilation of the list of the newspaper holdings published in Illinois Libraries (April, 1951), volumes, 484 reels of microfilm, and approximately a thousand issues of non-cttrrent papers have been added. A visit to the office of T. Forsythe, owner of the Hancock County Journal of Carthage, that the old files of the Carthage Gazette (which stopped publica1951) and the Carthage Republican (merged with the Journal in were destined for a scrap drive: files of the Gazette from its begin(1865) and of the Republican since 1903, both more than ninety per , were donated to the Library. 119 volumes of newspapers collected and bound by Clifton H. of Clinton, Lincoln's associate on the Eighth Circuit, contained an complete file of Clinton newspapers from the town's first paper in 1899. In addition there were the first seven volumes of the ork Tribune, several volumes of the Chicago Times during the 1870's, number of miscellaneous papers including the nine Sangamo Journals fit to above-all new to the Library. That rara avis of library ·newseS--a complete file with no missing issues-came from the La Harper , covering its first 49 volumes (1875-1924) and presented ' by ,and daughter of publisher J. C. Coulson. Thirty-nine volumes of 196 HISTORICAL NOTES the Decatur Republican extend the Library's coverage on Decatur ba k 186}, and twenty-six volumes of the Edwardsville Intelligencer from ~d' Gilbert S. Giese complete the file back to the first issue (1862 ). I Among the microfilm acquisitions since 1951 are: Bloomington P a graph, 1886-1937 (173 reels); Centralia Sentinel, 1863-1924 (54 ree~ which will be extended as the other issues are filmed to complete the file ) date; Ott(Jwa Republican, 1856-1869 (3 reels), completing the Library's of the Republican and its successor the Republican-Times from the beg' ning (1852) to date; Sparta Democrat and Columbus Herald-Sparta He~ (the name of the · paper changing with that of the town) , 1839-1841 ( reels), the town's first papers; Warsaw papers (Message, Signal and West World), 1840-1853 (5 reels), presented by Nicholas G. Morgan, Sr., of Lake City; and Waukegan Sun and News-Sun, 1897-1946 (15 8 reels). The outstanding acquisition of unbound newspapers was purchased . the sale of" the collection of the late Oliver R. Barrett, and contained ov 250 issues new to the Library, most of them relating to Abraham Lincoln. These acquisitions render a new list of the Library'S newspaper holdin necessary, and such a list will be published in this J ottrnal as soon as it be prepared. The Library now has a total of 11,080 bound volumes, 6,01 microfilm reels and approximately 3,000 unbound issues of newspapers. receives currently 55 papers, including 40 dailies, of which 32 are receiv on film. JAMES N . ADAMS "GRANT LEATHER STORE OF 1860" Galena's "Grant Leather Store of 1860," a replica of the place of b ness which Ulysses S. Grant left to enter the Civil War, was opened April 27 (Grant's birthday) J or its second season as the city's newest histo shrine and tourist attraction. The restoration, located on Main Street near the De Soto Hotel is 0 block from the store in which Grant worked as a clerk. Every effort been made to have the interior an authentic 1860 establishment. It has furnished with bracket and hanging lamps, stove, benches, counters, tOO and other equipment of the period. Its "stock" consists of harness, h~ collars and saddles hung on wall pegs, copper-toed boots, buggy Whl leather trunks and hat boxes and harness hardware dating from 1860 earlier. The sign above the door bears the legend "Grant-Perkins Leather G~ The Grant in the firm name was Ulysses Grant's father, Jesse R. Grant. elder Grant was the owner or part owner of several such stores in Galena more than twenty years. His eldest son Ulysses worked only in the J. R. G 197 HISTORICAL NOTES GRANT'S LEATHER STORE IN 1954 When the replica of the "Grant Leather Store of 1860" was opened for ~nd season some residents of Galena dressed in pre-Civil-War costumes o serve the occasion. Examining one of the store's old sidesaddles is Ehrler, while the costumed onlookers are, left to right, Mrs. George .~lhnl1~" Jr., Irene Larey and Mrs. Henry Hoehn. at 145 Main Street, from the spring of 1860 to the spring of 186l. and businessman in Ohio, formed a partIn 1841 with E. A. Collins, tanner, in Bethel, Ohio. Grant operated tannery in Bethel and Collins the wholesale and retail store in Galena. J~ R. Grant, tanner, farmer 198 HISTORICAL NOTES The Galena Jeffersonian of May 7, 1853 reported the dissolution of partnership. Collins kept the old store and Grant opened a new one aged by his sons, Simpson and Orvil. In April, 1860 Ulysses S. Grant and his family walked down the plank of the steamboat Itasca at Galena with the intention of maki! . their home. Grant, the former army captain and Missouri farmer, be g a clerk-bookkeeper in his father's store. The Northwestern Gazette of A 24, 1860 and continuing through September, 1863 advertised "J. R. Gr Dealer in Leather, Saddlery, Hardware ... &c., No. 145 Main St., Gal Illinois, (New Milwaukee Brick Block)." Ulysses left in the spring of 186 to resume his army career. After Simpson's death in September 0 manged the business. The Northwestern Gazette of July 24, 1860 advertises the removal 149 Main Street of C. R. Perkins, dealer in leather goods and buggi This would have placed the two stores one or two doors from each at The two firms merged in the spring of 1864. The Galena Gazette of April 1864 carries the name "Grant & Perkins, No. 173 Main St." GRANT HELPS A VICKSBURG WIDOW A letter of General Ulysses S. Grant that would have won him co mendation by both sides in the Civil War-had it become knownrecently been acquired by the Historical Library. Addressed to Capt' Gilbert A. Pierce, whose name Grant misspells, it expresses a kindly inte and desire to be of assistance to the Widow Wright. HEAD QUARTERS, DEPT. OF THE VICKSBURG MISS. SEPT. 25 TH 1863. CAPT. PEARCE A. Q. M. CAPT. '03 Mrs. Wright has just called representing that our troops on CO!D\s to this place rifled her house completely not leaving any of the nec~ss~ for housekeeping. As payment cannot be made for articles taken tn 'des way I would direct that if you, or any other Asst. Qr. Mr. have such art! rtf, of household goods as she requires, from abandoned or captured prope • such articles as Mrs. Wright requires be given to her. i Mrs. Wright also owns a house which I understand is now oCf~' by Govt. employees. She being a widow, without any member of her fo( in the Southern Army, this house should be given up to be rented out her own benefit. Respectfully &c. U. S. GRANT Maj. Gn. e[ommandingJ HISTORICAL NOTES 199 Gilbert Nashville Pierce (1839-1901') enlisted in Company H, Vp!t!'inlen.r, Indiana Volunteers in 1861, was appointed captain and quartermaster by President Lincoln and brevetted lieutenant colonel After the war he practiced law and served in the Indiana house of In 1871 he accepted an editorial position on the Chicago serving as associate editor and managing editor for twelve years. governor of Dakota Territory in July, 1884 he served until No1886. He was elected to the United States Senate when North became a state in 1889. Pierce purchased the Minneapolis Tribune and became its editor-in-chief. GENERAL GRANT'S ARABIAN HORSES books purchased recently for the Alfred Whital Stern Civil War of the Historical Library is a rare volume whose twelve-line title History in Brief of "Leopard" and "Linde~," 'General Grant's Stallions, Presented to him by the Sultan of Turkey in 1879. And sons "General Beale," "Hegira," and "Islam," bred by Randolph Also Reference to the celebrated stallion, "Henry Clay." The volume was written by Huntington, a Rochester, New York horse as "a souvenir to the memory of Grant," and to "encourage what he like to do for the horse-breeders of America." ambition was to create "The National Thoroughbred TrotHorse of America." This, he said, would be in accordance with wishes since, "The general was a great lover of horses, and often that 'He saw no reason why America should not have a national . book was published in 1885 and so could not tell the ultimate of Huntington's plan. In addition to the text it contains drawings of Linden Tree (the full translation of his Turkish name) , Old Henry Hegira and General Beale-the first three by Herbert S. Kittredge. A LETTER FROM GRANT TO SHERMAN . Ulysses S. Grant landed troops at Bruinsburg, Mississippi, on Side of the Mississippi River south of Vicksburg, on April 30, 1863. his final successful thrust against Vicksburg. "When this was he wrote in hi.s Personal Memoirs, "I felt a degree of relief scarcely since. . . . I was now in the enemy's country, with a vast the stronghold of Vicksburg between me and my base of supplies." gave up his plan to make Grand Gulf his base of supplies when 200 HISTORICAL NOTES he arrived there on May 3. He knew his superior, General Henry W. in Washington, would disapprove but h~ expected the practicability of new plan would be demonstrated before It could be countermanded. noted in his M emoirs : "Even [William T.] Sherman, who afterwards ' bases of supplies other than what were afforded by the country while ing through four States of the Confederacy with an army more than as large as mine at this time, wrote me from Hankinson's ferry, advising of the impossibility of supplying our army over a single road. He me to 'stop all troops till your army is partially supplied with wagons, then act as quick as possible; for this road will be jammed, as sure as life: " Grant replied to Sherman in the following letter, the original of was recently acquired by the Illinois State Historical Library: HEAD QUARTERS, DEPT. OF THE TEN. ROCKY SPRINGS, MAY 7TH 1863. MAJ. GEN. W. T. SHERMAN, COMDG. 15TH ARMY CORPS. GEN. I do not calculate upon the possibility of supplying the Army with rations from Grand Gulf. I know it will be impossible without co rIStf111ct~_ additional roads. What I do expect however is to get up what hard bread, Coffee & salt we can and make the country furnish the We started from Bruinsburg with an average of about twO and received no more from our own supplies for seven days. was found in the mean time. Some cornmeal, bacon and vegitables found and abundance of beef and mutton. A delay would give the enemy time to reinforce and fortify. If was up now I believe we could be in Vicksburg in seven days. The conllDa. here has an average of about three days rations which could be made to that time. You are in a country where the troops have already lived off the for some days and may find provisions more scarse but as we get upon . soil they are abundant particularly in Corn and Cattle. Bring Blairs two Brigades up as soon as possible. The advance wlil to-day to about three miles beyond Cayuga and also in the Utica road. Your Division at Willow Springs should also move to this place. Yours truly U. S. GRANT Maj. Gen. . I P.S. In puplishing [sic] the order limiting the transportation designated Conduit Smith to take charge of the General supply done this because I know no one but him, now with the Army, and . h who is capable. I hope you will not regard this as an interferanc~ wdlt . Corps. It will be but a few days that his services will be require In service as furthest. U.S. G.