August 18 & 19, 2020 Edged Weapons, Armor, & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/18/2020
This is a wonderful "Daily Union Extra" newspaper report of the breaking news of the Battle of Gettysburg. These "daily extras" were quickly hand-set by compositors in a newspaper's composing room on small "job presses" that would be used to literally "crank out" limited edition immediate reports of news as it was received from various sources. These are the epitome of "ephemera," printed from long rolls of newsprint that might be posted or folded up in a pocket, but not intended to be a lasting record, though for us they are snapshot of very narrow moment in time. This one is based on Meade's telegraphed report to General Halleck in Washington of the fighting on July 3, specifically Pickett's Charge, and subsequent news, reports, and rumors of the retreat of the Confederate army, the capture of General Longstreet, etc., along with Lincoln's slightly cautious announcement on July 4 that reports indicated the Union army had so far covered itself with the highest honor and the day should be a day of national thanksgiving. The headlines, of course, are not so reserved, reading "Glorious News! with a cannon firing a salute next to a U.S. flag and a number of sub-headlines recording the driving of the Confederate army for four miles, the capture of Longstreet (not exactly accurate,) and 3,000 men, including "a great number of officers." The "Daily Union" part of the headline probably indicates this was printed by the Daily Union and Advertiser of Rochester, N.Y. A small addendum at bottom by their editors notes that General Wadsworth was unhurt in the battle. Wadsworth was from western New York and would be of significant interest to citizens in the Rochester area. This is has been professionally and archivally mounted and framed, displays impressively and is ready to hang. It is a remarkable survivor that conveys the immediacy and uncertainty of historically significant breaking news, in this case of the most famous battle of the Civil War. The reverse of the backing board bears some ink notations by a prominent Civil War collector. SR
Item Dimensions: 32" x 9 - 1/2".