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Chronicling America
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Newspaper The Knapsack (Gauley Bridge, W. Va.) 1863-1863

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About The Knapsack (Gauley Bridge, W. Va.) 1863-1863

In the fall of 1863, Union soldiers of the Fifth Virginia Infantry stationed at Gauley Bridge in the western portion of Virginia (present West Virginia) formed a publishing association and began issuing theKnapsack, a four-page newspaper offered every Thursday morning for five cents. Lieutenant William Shelling and Sergeant James G. Downtain served as the editors, and the newspaper’s board of directors contained several officers and at least one experienced newspaperman: C.B. Webb, formerly the editor of the Ceredo Crescent in the years prior to the Civil War. In the Knapsack‘s salutatory message, Editor William Shelling made clear its goals. Hoping to cater to the “military, moral and intellectual interests of the regiment,” the Knapsack offered a wide variety of information meant to inform, entertain, and uplift its readers. Although only published for a few months, the paper sheds light on Civil War soldiers’ lives and politics.

The Knapsack reveals the sundry details of army life. It published a schedule of religious services, praised the temperance of the soldiers while in camp, lamented their prolific profanity, and happily announced the creation of a soldier-run bakery- “an important progress, which will be valued highly by the ‘Boys’.” When a favorite dog of the Fifth’s wagon drivers went missing, a poetic eulogy was printed. The regimental surgeon Daniel Meyer reminded readers of the importance of sleep, and the necessity of cooking beans fully before consuming them.

The Knapsack also kept its readers abreast of military affairs across the nation. In particular, it tracked the constant campaigning between Union and Confederate armies in Virginia, where the Fifth Virginia Infantry had fought the year previous. Indeed, the Knapsack devoted considerable space to an ongoing history of the regiment’s service in the war, an indication that the editors wrote not just for their immediate audiences but also for posterity.

Nothing, however, captured the attention of the Knapsack‘s editors or its readers more than the upcoming Ohio gubernatorial election. Despite its designation as the Fifth Virginia Infantry, many of the regiment’s soldiers actually hailed from Ohio. The 1863 Ohio gubernatorial election was a referendum of the war itself: Democrat Clement Vallandigham sought immediate peace with the Confederacy, while Union Party candidate John Brough stood for a continuation of the war and the restoration of the Union. The Knapsack staked a decisive position in this debate, voicing support for “the present administration in all its efforts to crush the rebellion and restore the Union of the States.” The paper offered a full-throated endorsement of Brough and hoped “the vote will be so unanimous and decided that the traitors and sympathisers [sic] everywhere will understand that soldiers do not fight their enemies with guns and at the same time fight their friends with the ballot.” In October 1863, Brough was elected governor with the overwhelming support of Union soldiers casting ballots in Ohio.

Undoubtedly both the Knapsack and its readers in the Fifth celebrated John Brough’s victory. Unfortunately, only a few extant issues of the Knapsack survive. By December 1863, the Fifth Virginia Infantry was campaigning again and may have needed to cease publication. Despite its short tenure, however, the Knapsack gained hundreds of readers, enjoyed the support of the regiment’s officers and men, and reveals how soldiers coped with camp life and remained deeply invested in the military and political affairs of the Civil War.

Provided By: West Virginia University

About this Newspaper

Title

  • The Knapsack (Gauley Bridge, W. Va.) 1863-1863

Dates of Publication

  • 1863-1863

Created / Published

  • Gauley Bridge, W. Va. : Fifth Va. Vol. Infantry, 1863-

Headings

  • -  Gauley Bridge (W. Va.)--Newspapers
  • -  West Virginia--Gauley Bridge
  • -  United States--West Virginia--Fayette--Gauley Bridge

Genre

  • Newspapers

Notes

  • -  Weekly
  • -  Vol. 1, no. 1 (Sept. 3, 1863)-
  • -  Ceased in 1863? Cf. Norona and Shetler. W. Va. Imprints.
  • -  Editor: J.G. Downtain.
  • -  Archived issues are available in digital format from the Library of Congress Chronicling America online collection.

Medium

  • volumes

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Newspaper

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • sn85059623

OCLC Number

  • 12776081

ISSN Number

  • 2640-2092

Additional Metadata Formats

Availability

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress believes that the newspapers in Chronicling America are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions. Newspapers published in the United States more than 95 years ago are in the public domain in their entirety. Any newspapers in Chronicling America that were published less than 95 years ago are also believed to be in the public domain, but may contain some copyrighted third party materials. Researchers using newspapers published less than 95 years ago should be alert for modern content (for example, registered and renewed for copyright and published with notice) that may be copyrighted. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item.

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

The Knapsack Gauley Bridge, W. Va. (Gauley Bridge, WV), Jan. 1 1863. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/sn85059623/.

APA citation style:

(1863, January 1) The Knapsack Gauley Bridge, W. Va. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/sn85059623/.

MLA citation style:

The Knapsack Gauley Bridge, W. Va. (Gauley Bridge, WV) 1 Jan. 1863. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, aj.sunback.homes/item/sn85059623/.