Rag Linen | Online Museum of Historic Newspapers

Source: The Pennsylvania Packet, September 13, 1773

The History Channel

“During World War I, in the winter of 1914, on the battlefields of Flanders, one of the most unusual events in all of human history took place,” according to the Snopes verification of what is called the Christmas Truce of 1914.

The Germans, who had been engaged in fierce trench warfare with the British and French, spontaneously erected small Christmas trees and lights outside their trenches, and began singing holiday songs. Not long after, across “no man’s land,” the British and French troops began caroling.

Slowly, soldiers left their trenches under an impromptu truce. After brief introductions, they buried their dead and settled into the traditional Christmas routine of exchanging gifts, such as cake, alcohol, postcards and tobacco.

“For a few precious moments there was peace on earth and good will toward men. All because the focus was on Christmas,” according to Snopes. Recognizing this rare event in history, the January 8, 1915 issue of the Daily Mirror published a group photo under the headline “An Historic Group”. As the caption states, “Foes became friends on Christmas Day.”

This time table for the Pony Express was published April 3, 1860 in the New York Herald.

As published in the December 26, 1803 issue of the Independent Chronicle (Boston).

Among the reports in issue numb. 12 of the Oxford Gazette is this one:

“Edinburgh, Dec. 15. Yesterday four young Fellows were whipt by the common Hang-man through the City, their Ears burn’d, and they afterward delivered to be Transported to the Barbado’s, for abusing one Mr. James Scot, Minister at Ancran, in Sermon time. Six Heads were set upon Gallows betwixt Leith and Edenburgh, for a Murther committed on the Laird of Murlle and his Brother, both young Men of great Estate, led on by Alester Mackull, one of the Lairds own Vassals : The Offenders being required by the Privy Counsel to come over and make answer to their Accusation, slighted the charge, and gave no obedience; whereupon, the Councel ordered a Glan that lived by them to take Arms, and to bring over their Heads, which accordingly was performed. This Alester and his Comrades, killed and wounded near 80 Men before they were taken.”

This report was featured on page 1 of Miscellaneous Anecdotes Illustrative of the Manners and History of Europe During the Reigns of Charles II, James II, William III and Queen Anne, by James Peller Malcolm, published in 1811. Under the subtitle “Antient Scots Customs” appeared this entry:

“A very dreadful circumstance occurred in 1665, which affords a striking picture of the peculiar manners of the Clans at that period. Alester Mackull, one of the vassals of the Laird of Murlle, having received some offence or injury from the above chief, conspired with others, and murdered the Laird and his brother. The Privy Council commanded the offenders to surrender themselves to take their trial, without effect; upon which an order was issued to a clan residing in their neighbourhood, requiring them to bring in the heads of Mackull and his associates. This they accomplished, but with the loss of near eighty persons killed and wounded; when the heads were exposed on the gallows between Leith and Edinburgh. Four young men were whipped through the streets of the latter city by the common hangman about the same time, and afterwards transported to Barbadoes, for interrupting and abusing Mr. James Scot, Minister of Ancram, when preaching.”

Below is the actual report, along with news of the Plague that followed, as printed in the December 21 to 25, 1665 edition of the Oxford Gazette.

The Culper Spy Ring was a professional network of 20 spies managed by Benjamin Tallmadge of the 2nd Connecticut Light Dragoons under orders of General George Washington. The Culper Ring’s mission, according to Wikipedia: Infiltrate British-controlled New York City and report troop dispositions and intentions, and conduct covert operations throughout the American Revolutionary War.

As P.K. Rose points out in The Founding Fathers of American Intelligence, the Culper Spy Ring was the most professional of Washington’s agent networks. However, beyond the Culper Ring, “Washington had numerous other agents reporting on enemy activities in New York City. Among them [was] James Rivington, a prominent Tory newspaper publisher.”

“Jemmy Rivington’s Tory newspaper, the Royal Gazette, was extremely critical of George Washington. However, Rivington was also a spy who passed along secrets of the British navy to colonial leaders. On one occasion, Rivington helped break a British code that almost surely saved American lives during one of the war’s earlier battles,” according to Infamous Scribblers: The Founding Fathers and the Rowdy Beginnings of American Journalism (Eric Burns, 2006).

Wikipedia states: “[Rivington] published one of the most famous Loyalist newspapers in the American colonies, while secretly supplying George Washington with information… Rivington, who opened a coffee-shop adjacent to his printing-house, would have been the last New Yorker suspected of playing the part of a spy for the Continentals, but he furnished Washington with important information. His communications were written on thin paper, bound in the covers of books, and conveyed to the American camp by agents that were ignorant of their service. The date of Rivington’s secret change of heart is disputed, but when New York was evacuated in November 1783, Rivington remained in the city, much to the general surprise. Removing the royal arms from his masthead, changed its title to Rivington’s New York Gazette and Universal Advertiser. But his business rapidly declined, his paper ceased to exist at the end of 1783.”

Pictured below is a rare 1783 issue of the Royal Gazette, printed by James Rivington, patriot spy.

A Googling of “John Hanson” reveals some controversy over whether he should be considered the first President of the United States, the third or just President of the Continental Congress (leaving the POTUS title for GW).

The fact is that John Hanson was indeed the first President of the Continental Congress elected under the terms of the Articles of Confederation, which were officially ratified by all 13 colonies on March 1, 1781.  The Articles of Confederation called for Congress “to meet on the first Monday in November, in every year,” (Article V), and gave Congress the authority “to appoint one of their members to preside, provided that no person be allowed to serve in the office of president more than one year” (Article IX).  Under these ratified Articles — the first constitution of the United States of America — John Hanson was elected on November 5, 1781.

Here is the brief but important report from the November 7, 1781 Freeman’s Journal (Philadelphia) announcing the election of what some historians recognize as the first President of the United States. To those who call Hanson the first, this is arguably the most important presidential report in newspaper history. Only the Pennsylvania Packet scooped this report with its own on November 6, 1781.

In an odd but Hanson-related note, the May 10, 1783 Newport Mercury (Newport, Rhode Island) published a report on page two clarifying the rumored death of John Hanson.  See below.

Here’s an odd and humorous discovery from the April 7, 1755 issue of the New York Gazette, printed by James Parker. Enjoy.