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Latey, John Lash (editor) : The Illustrated London News. No. 1118. Vol. XXXIX. Saturday, November 23, 1861. AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

(London: George C. Leighton, 1861)

400 x 280 mm; magazine, disbound from volume XXXIX, without wraps (as issued), and contained within a film fronted bag; pp. [511-534]; several woodcuts. Regular light browning; some soiling and fingering throughout; some glue remnants to stitching; one short tear, repaired with archival tape. News in this issue includes the storm at Scarborough (with illustrations), and the continuing American Civil War, with information up to the 6th of November, as reported in New York. The front page illustration shows "The Fight at Ball's Bluff, Upper Potomac - desperate effort made by the 15th Massachusetts Regiment to clear the woods by a bayonet charge." Another American Civil War illustration: "Retreat of the Federalists after the fight at Ball's Bluff, Upper Potomac, Virginia" (p. 514). Excerpts: 'The expeditionary fleet had weathered the fierce gale which beset it, only one tug-boat, one ferry-boat, one gun-boat, and a steam-transport laden with horses and stores, having put back disabled. On Saturday night, the 2nd inst., the fleet was seen, in fine order, within thirty miles of Bull's Bay, on the coast of South Carolina. Bull's Bay is twenty-five miles north of Charleston. It is generally supposed that Captain Dupont will effect a landing at this spot. … In order to satisfy public opinion that the action of the Administration was justifiable in reference to Fremont, the Cabinet has given to the public the report of the Adjutant-General on which they acted. … Previous numbers of this Journal have contained some particulars of the unsuccessful attempt of Stone's and Bank's columns to effect a landing on the 21st ult. on the Virginian shore of the Upper Potomac, near Leesburg; and we now give two Illustrations, from Sketches by our Special Artist, in connection with this seemingly mad enterprise on the part of the Federal forces. The whole affair appears to have been ill-planned, and adds another to the series of blunders committed by the Federal commanders. It is hardly credible that 1800 men should have been sent across a river in the face of an enemy most strongly posted, and left unsupported when 30,000 of the division to which they belonged were within sound of their rifles. The small body, however, fought gallantly throughout the day against three times their number. One incident of the fight - a desperate effort made by the 15th Massachusetts Regiment to clear the woods by bayonet charge - is illustrated on our first page. This is believed to be the only instance in which a bayonet charge has been attempted by a regiment in the Federal army.'

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