Military Periodicals and the Civil War

Michael E. UnsworthHistory LibrarianMichigan State

University Librariesunsworth@msu.edu

OUTLINE• Importance• Definition• Antebellum Efforts• Need during the War• Journals:

o Army & Navy Official Gazette

o United States Service Magazine

o Army and Navy Journal• Postwar developments• Summary

Definition of Journals:Elastic

IMPORTANCE:Military Professionalism

IMPORTANCE:American View of Military Leadership

Military Professionalism:Specialized Education

Military Professionalism:Specialized Knowledge

Antebellum Efforts,1796-1853

Civil War Rapid Expansion of the Union Forces = Need for Information

Year Army Navy & Marines

1860 16,215 11,743

1861 186,845 30,267

1862 637,264 35,860

1863 918,354 41,707

1864 970,905 60,819

1865 1,000,692 62,156

1866 57,072 19,677

Army & Navy Official Gazette(July 7, 1863-June 27, 1865)

Founded by Edwin M. Stanton

Type of Publication:Official Gazette

• Acts as an Official publication of a Government:

“bringing together data from numerous official sources and enabling users to cross-reference official information easily”• Lists:

Appointments and Promotions

Public Honors Legal Notices State Notice

Army & Navy Official GazetteContents

• Reports of Battles• “Important” Orders of the War Dept.• Records of Courts-Martial• Directories of Army officials & military

hospitals• General & Special Orders from government

departments• Additions & corrections to drill manuals• Correspondence• Announcements• Articles from Other Publications

Army & Navy Official Gazette“Dismissals in the Department of the

Cumberland, Oct. 23, 1863”“Second Lieutenant Oscar D. Kress, 17th Kentucky volunteers, from April 1, 1863, for frequent rowdyism and drunkenness in public places, persistent neglect of duty, and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman and also for general worthlessness.”

United States Service Magazine(Jan. 1864-June 1866)

Founded by: Prof. Henry Coppée

PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL TAILORED TO AN AUDIENCE OF

CITIZEN-OFFICERS

CURRENT OPERATIONS

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

FOREIGN DEVELOPMENTS

OPINION

EDITORIALS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

HUMAN INTEREST

POETRY

ADVERTISEMENTS

LITERARY TOPICS

FEW ILLUSTRATIONS

1863-

Founded by William Conant

Church

WEEKLY NEWSPAPER & TRADE JOURNAL

Devoted “with singleness of purposed to the impartial discussion of military questions and to the dissemination of correct information.”ANJ, Vol. 1, no. 1

“Careful and Trustworthy Narrative” of Current Operations

Official Reports Of Military And Civilian Agencies

New Military Inventions, Especially Iron Clad Ships

“Correspondence from the ablest officers…on professional questions…suggestions of

changes and improvements; discussions of military subjects”

EDITORIAL CRITICISMS AND DISCUSSIONS

Personnel Information

ADVERTISEMENTS

CONTRIBUTORS & CORRESPONDENTS

• “Old Fogy”= Isaac Newton, 1st assistant Engineer, U.S.S. Montor• “Corporal”= L.L. Crouse, Military correspondent, New York Times• West Point Professor Dennis Hart Mahan on operations and developments• Commander T.A.M. Craven, U.S.N., on the Gulf Coast Blockade• General George B. McClellan on the “Military Topography of the United States”• Brig. Gen. W. B. Hazen on the Battle of Chickamauga• Admiral John Dahlgren• Admiral Louis Goldsborough• Admiral David Dixon Porter• General William T. Sherman

STRUCK A CHORD• Major General George Mead: “sincere pleasure to

add my [financial] contribution..”• Admiral John Dahlgren: pleased with the early

issues• Major General William Rosecrans: “The success of

the paper…is highly desirable.’• Major General W.H. French: “The Army requires just

such a paper..”• Charles Francis Adams, Jr.: “…the only American

newspaper which treats calmly and intelligibility of military operations.”

• Henry Raymond, New York Times editor: every army and navy officer and many enlisted men should subscribe

• Historian Edward Everett Hale: “triumphant national success.”

“I send you a copy of the Army and Navy Journal General Meade gave me, and call your attention to a rebel article on cavalry. Read the part I have marked; it is but a line. We need cavalry for such purposes.”Maj. Gen. G.K. Warren to Maj. Gen. A. A. Humphries (Dec. 1, 1863) Source: War of the Rebellion: Series 1, vol 29, Part 2 p. 525

STRUCK A CHORD

Quoted by:• Albion• Arkansas State gazette• Bangor [Me.] Whig & Courier • Boston [Me.] Advertiser• Boston Herald • Central City [Colo.] Miners’ Register • Chattanooga Gazette• Chicago Tribune• Christian Examiner• Cleveland Herald• Columbus Gazette • Detroit Free Press• Dover [N.H.] Gazette• Edinburgh Revie• Fayetteville [N.C.] Observer• Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper• Harper’s Weekly• Idaho Territory Superintendent of Public

Instruction• Jackson Mississippian • Knickerbocker Monthly• Liberator • Littell's Living Age • London Times

• Louisville Journal • Lowell (Ma.) Citizen and News • Maine Farmer • Medical and Surgical Reporter• Memphis Appeal• Milwaukee Sentinel• National Intelligencer• Natchez Courier• New Haven Palladium• New Hampshire Statesman• New Orleans Picayune • New York Evangelist • New York Herald• New York Observer and Chronicle • New York Times • North American and United States Gazette • Richmond Whig • San Francisco Evening Bulletin • Scientific American • United States Service Magazine• Vermont Chronicle • Vermont Watchman and State Journal • Zion's Herald and Wesleyan Journal

Postwar: Retained Its Influence“It was not a professional journal...but along with its social and other items about service personnel it carried articles, correspondence, and news of interest to military people that helped bind its readers together in a common professional fraternity.“

Stewart, Richard W. American military history. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, 2005 : Vol. 1, p. 312.

Morphed From a Weekly Newspaper to a Monthly Journal

POSTWAR: CHURCH’S ACTIVITIES

POSTWAR: Professional Military Journals

• 1874- Proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute

• 1879-1917 Journal of the Military Service Institution of the U.S.

• 1888- Cavalry Journal (Now Armor)• 1892-1954 Journal of the U.S. Artillery (Later

Coast Artillery Journal)• 1904-1950 Infantry Journal• 1909- Professional Memoirs, Corps of

Engineers (Now Military Engineer)• 1911- Field Artillery Journal • 1916- Marine Corps Gazette

END

• February 6, 1864. Brigadier-General, P. ST. GEO. COOKE, to ADJUTANT-GENERAL U. S. ARMY, Washington.

• “I have found in the Army and Navy Journal of January 23 what purports to be part of Major-General McClelland's official report, and of which the following is an extract, relating to the battle of Gaines' Mill: “

• OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 11, Part 2 (Peninsular Campaign) p. 43

“If not inconsistent with the customs of service and the views of the War Department, I have the honor to request that the reports of division and brigade commanders may be published in the Army and Navy Journal or Official Gazette.”Brevet Major-General J. H. Wilson to Brigadier General William D. Whipple (June 29, 1865)

OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 49, Part 1 (Mobile Bay Campaign) WILSON'S RAID - ALABAMA AND GEORGIA.

STRUCK A CHORD