GDG- Gettysburg Newspapers

[Smith David]

Ginny--

Regret that this is too late to help you, but you are right, there were
three main newspapers in Gettysburg at the time of the battle.  The
Republican Compiler (often just called "the Compiler") was a heavily
pro-peace paper that ran a lot of material very critical of the Lincoln
administration.  You probably know about the multiple arrests of its
editor, Henry Stahle, during the summer of '63.

The Adams Sentinel was a Republican newspaper.  During the early 1850s,
it had been Whig, and then it kind of proceeded as an independent paper
until its editor, Robert Harper, converted to the Republicans and
attended the 1860 National Convention in Chicago, where Lincoln was
nominated.

The Gettysburg Star and Banner (Star) was also a Republican paper.  It
had originally been cofounded by Thaddeus Stevens around 1829.  At
first, it supported Stevens' Anti-Masonry, and then was Anti-slavery
Whig for awhile.  During much of the 1850s, it was a Know-Nothing
(American) party paper.  It turned to the Republican party around 1856
or so. Although called the Gettysburg Star, my sense is that much of its
subscription base may have come from the York Springs area.

The Star's editors, the Buehlers, gave it up in 1857, after which issues
are harder to find.  The new editor, John McIlhenny, died (suddenly, I
think) in 1867, after which the Star was merged with the Sentinel to
make the "Star and Sentinel."

As far as I know, there isn't a book on this topic.

David

 

Message: 14

Date: Fri, 03 Nov 2006 07:07:39 -0500

From: Ginny Gage <lewandginny at emailmv.com>

Subject: GDG- Gettysburg's newspapers

To: Gettysburg Discussion Group <gettysburg at gdg.org>

Message-ID: <C1709B3B.4891%lewandginny at emailmv.com>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Lew and I will be giving a presentation to the SUV tomorrow, and in part
of

the program I discuss the demographics of the town of Gettysburg,
mentioning

the three newspapers at the time. For the life of me, I cannot remember

where I have read information on them. I ASSUME that one was a
Republican,

one a Democrat, and one an Independent, as far as politics were
concerned.

Is that correct? Can someone steer me to the right book on this?

Thanks for your help.

Ginny Gage