Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper New York May 24, 1862 (Reissue)

We are pleased to offer for sale this FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER DATED NEW YORK May 24, 1862. (This is a reprint from 1962).

On the top of the front page is a picture of “CAPRURE OF FORT MASON – COMPANIES A AND B OF THE 5TH RHODE ISLAND REGIMENT COVERING THE WORKING PARTIES WHILE CONSTRUCTING CAPT. MORRIS’S THREE PARROTT GUN SIEGE BATTERIES” (see pics).

On the bottom of the top page is a picture of “THE END OF THE MERRIMAC – DESTRUCTION OF THE REBEL IRON CLAD STEAMER MERRIMAC, BLOW UP BY IT’S COMMANDER, ON THE MORNING OF MAY 11”. (see pics).

The USS Merrimack, was a steam frigate, best known as the hull upon which the ironclad warship CSS Virginia was constructed during the American Civil War. The CSS Virginia then took part in the Battle of Hampton Roads (also known as "the Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack) in the first engagement between ironclad warships.

On 20 April 1861, before evacuating the Navy Yard in Norfolk Virginia, the U.S. Navy burned the Merrimack to the waterline and sank her to preclude capture. The Confederacy, in desperate need of ships, raised Merrimack and rebuilt her as an ironclad ram. Commissioned as the CSS Virginia 17 February 1862, the ironclad was the hope of the Confederacy to destroy the wooden ships in Hampton Roads, and to end the Union blockade which had already seriously impeded the Confederate war effort.

The paper has 16 pages full of other pictures, commentaries, and some very cool advertisements from that era. There is a picture covering half of the back page with a giant scorpion attempting to sting itself with a torch on fire and has a bale of cotton on its head. This is referencing the South killing their own main source of income, which was cotton. I can’t take the picture because I don’t want to try and bend the paper. I’ll leave that up to the buyer to open the paper.

THIS IS HISTORY IN YOUR HANDS. The paper has been folded in half and is fragile so take care when you open it. The paper gave a vivid picture of typical American life during the decades of its publication. It has a price of 10 cents, which was a lot of money back then!