The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 11, No. 65, March, 1863: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics

In Short

This issue of The Atlantic Monthly presents a mid-Civil War collection of literature, history, narrative fiction, and current events commentary. The volume features an analysis of Plutarch's biographical methods, a publishing history of Scotland's Blackwood’s Magazine, an investigation into slavery and revolution in San Domingo, and a personal account of the naval disaster that sank the U.S.S. Monitor. It also contains frontier stories of missing children, travel sketches of Victorian England, and geopolitical essays comparing American democracy to classical antiquity. Together, these pieces capture a pivotal moment in American thought, examining freedom, human character, and national destiny.

The Story

The issue opens with a critical reflection on classical biography, arguing that human character is best revealed through minor incidents and personal traits rather than grand military triumphs. This biographical lens shifts to mid-nineteenth-century publishing with a detailed narrative of the founding of Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine. The history follows William Blackwood's initial editorial missteps, his parting with Whig editors, and his reorganization of the periodical into a sharp, satirical Tory powerhouse that shook the literary establishment with its scandalous, allegorical attacks on political rivals.

Attention then turns to the institution of slavery and its historical consequences. An extensive account examines the French colony of San Domingo, detailing how initial merchant ventures along the West African coast transformed into a state-sanctioned slave trade. The narrative outlines the legal frameworks of the era, specifically analyzing the Code Noir, which prescribed severe penalties for rebellious acts alongside rules for emancipation and master-slave duties. Intertwined with this history are contemporary ethnological debates regarding African tribes, including the Foulahs, and cultural commentaries on prominent figures of African descent like the actor Ira Aldridge.

Narrative fiction and personal memoirs broaden the issue's scope. A story set in the American frontier traces a family's life in the wilderness, focusing on young Willie's fascination with prairie-dogs and the lingering memory of an Indian toddler named Wik-a-nee. As the children grow, Willie's brother Charles embarks on a prolonged search across Canadian forests to track down a lost young man raised among indigenous tribes, culminating in a reunion and the eventual marriage of the pale-faced youth, William, to an Indian bride, A-lee-lah. Another story follows Swan Day, a man whose rural upbringing and early romance with Dorcas Fox fade as he pursues commercial wealth in distant lands. Decades later, a transformed, aging Swan returns to the old mountain farm only to find a altered environment and a unrecognizable Dorcas.

Firsthand reporting brings the reader directly into the active Civil War. A eyewitness account documents the harrowing final hours aboard the U.S.S. Monitor during a storm off Cape Hatteras. The narrative recounts the scramble for safety, the rescue of crew members by the Rhode Island, the quiet devotion of officers assisting injured men and black servants, and the final sinking of the ironclad as its turret light disappears into the ocean.

The issue concludes with scientific and political analyses. Naturalist essays argue that geological strata show a clear, orderly progression of life beginning after the lifeless Azoic period. Political essays draw direct parallels between the Union and classical Athens, contrasting Northern democracy with Southern oligarchy. Finally, literary reviews examine contemporary books on emancipation, military tactics, and constitutional law.

How It Unfolds

The biographical lens The issue begins by establishing that true human character is discovered in small details rather than broad historical battles. Plutarch's enduring popularity serves as proof that personal portraiture creates lasting truth.

The battle of the press A historical account traces how publisher William Blackwood reshaped his failing Edinburgh magazine into a formidable political voice. By introducing fierce satire and partisan wit, he built a notorious publication despite facing libel lawsuits.

The mechanics of bondage An investigation explores the rise of the transatlantic slave trade in San Domingo. It details the corporate charters, royal bounties, and legal statutes of the Code Noir that governed colonial slavery.

Lost in the wilderness A frontier narrative follows a family living in the American territory, highlighting young Willie's curiosity about the prairie. The story shifts to his brother's persistent search across Indian encampments to locate a missing youth.

The passage of time A tale of ambition traces Swan Day's journey from a mountain farm to international commerce. Decades of business alter his appearance and memories, making his eventual return to his childhood home a bitter confrontation with aging.

The loss of the Monitor A personal memoir details the dramatic sinking of the Union ironclad Monitor during a gale. The narrator describes the desperate rescue efforts, injured sailors, and the eventual disappearance of the vessel's light.

Democracy and history A political essay compares the American Civil War to the conflicts of ancient Greece. It positions the Union as the heir to Athenian democracy while viewing the South as a slave-holding oligarchy.

The People

• Plutarch: The ancient Greek biographer whose method of capturing individual souls through minor details, rather than grand historical events, serves as a model for understanding human nature.
• William Blackwood: A determined Edinburgh publisher who overhauls his struggling, flat magazine into a sharp, influential Tory periodical by embracing bold personality, wit, and fierce political satire.
• Willie Wharton: An inquisitive frontier boy fascinated by nature and prairie-dog colonies, whose childhood memories are shaped by a brief encounter with a young Native American child.
• Charles Wharton: Willie’s brother, who displays quiet resolve as he journeys through cold Canadian forests to locate a lost white youth living among indigenous tribes.
• William (the pale-faced youth): A young man raised in an Indian camp who eventually reunites with his community and marries A-lee-lah while maintaining his distinct frontier habits.
• Swan Day: An ambitious farm boy who trades his quiet mountain life for global trade. Over decades of commercial success, he loses his youthfulness and connection to his past love.
• Dorcas Fox: Swan’s early love, who remains on the mountain farm and matures into an older woman whom the returned Swan initially fails to recognize.
• Captain Bankhead and Lieutenant Greene: Naval officers aboard the U.S.S. Monitor who display steady leadership during a lethal storm, prioritizing their crew's rescue over their own safety.

In Its Own Voice

"Sometimes a matter of less moment, an expression or a jest, informs us better of their characters and inclinations than the most famous sieges, the greatest armaments, or the bloodiest battles whatsoever."

The opening essay cites Plutarch to explain why individual human choices reveal more than massive historical conflicts.

"They adhere closer to the original simplicity in which mankind was created than we ourselves do; they love, quarrel, laugh, cry, and turn their actual selves inside out, with greater freedom than any class of Americans would consider decorous."

An American observer reflects on the unreserved, public behavior of working-class crowds gathered in Greenwich Park.

"One lingering look, and he left the Monitor's cabin forever."

A survivor describes the solemn moment an officer abandons the sinking ironclad as water floods the wardroom.

What It's Really About

Underneath its varied contents, this volume explores the conflict between human freedom and social structure. Whether examining the legal codes that bound enslaved people in San Domingo or the ideological divide triggering the American Civil War, the essays constantly ask how societies balance power, justice, and liberty.

The issue also explores the passage of time and the weight of memory. Personal stories depict how years of commerce change a man's character, or how sudden sea disasters test courage under pressure. Throughout its pages, the publication argues that national crises and individual lives are governed by the same underlying moral choices.

Why Read It Today

This issue offers a vivid, unfiltered look into the intellectual and cultural life of the United States during the peak of the Civil War. Rather than viewing the 1860s through modern summaries, the reader experiences the era as its contemporaries did—debating emancipation, following naval disasters, analyzing foreign press tactics, and reflecting on classical history. The writing balances sharp political commentary with genuine human storytelling.

Readers should expect the formal cadence and elevated prose typical of nineteenth-century periodicals. The text reflects the complex, sometimes uncomfortable racial theories and period attitudes of the era, particularly in its scientific and historical discussions. Yet, the volume's rich variety—spanning sea rescues, literary rivalries, and frontier life—makes it an engaging read for anyone interested in American history, literature, and political thought.