The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 15, No. 92, June, 1865: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics

In Short

This issue of an influential American periodical gathers diverse voices to reflect upon a pivotal moment of national transition in June 1865. Through essays, short fiction, poetry, political analysis, and book reviews, the authors examine the end of the Civil War, the martyrdom of Abraham Lincoln, transatlantic relations, domestic life, and economic expansion. Its enduring value lies in its direct capture of contemporary attitudes, offering a vivid portrait of Northern intellectual life, cultural debates, and social philosophy during a historic turning point.

The Story

The volume opens with an examination of international relations and English public sentiment during the American conflict. The writer analyzes the psychological and political reasons behind British attitudes toward the North, critiquing hypocritical foreign sympathies while anticipating a stronger, post-slavery American Union that persuades the world through its principles rather than threats.

Transitioning from grand diplomacy to intimate natural observation, the text pauses to marvel at the miracle of life found in a simple clutch of hatching eggs. This celebration of organic growth leads into a dramatic narrative of rural New England life centered on a native cow named Biddy. Through local dialect and shrewd character exchanges, the story traces how a tender-hearted woman, forced to sell her companion to support her soldier son, finds an ally in a horse-trader who ensures the animal lands in benevolent hands.

The collection then shifts its lens to pressing social questions, particularly the position of unmarried women in modern society. It argues against viewing celibacy as a failure, advocating instead for elevated, diversified occupations that grant women independence and self-reliance. This focus on domestic dynamics continues in a fictional depiction of child-rearing, where a strict clergyman attempts to force a young girl into Calvinistic dread, contrasting sharply with a humorous account of an overbearing home manager who insists that rigid discipline solves all parental trials. A wiser voice counters both extremes, defending the gentle power of maternal persuasion over forceful coercion.

Broadening its scope, the issue addresses national infrastructure, presenting an economic argument for expanding canal networks along the St. Lawrence River to connect Lake wheat fields directly to European markets. Drama and literary criticism follow, examining a French play about an unrepentant gambler alongside reflections on the inevitable mortality of all written literature. The historical reality of war returns through a detailed account of General Grant’s relentless campaign strategy against Lee, demonstrating how systematic military pressure secured the final Northern victory.

The volume reaches its emotional climax in a solemn reflection on the death of Abraham Lincoln. Describing his fifteen-hundred-mile funeral procession, the text moves past individual grief to define Lincoln’s permanent place in world history as the champion of human equality. The collection closes by looking forward to a united, expanding nation whose democratic principles radiate across the globe, followed by a brief record of recent American publications.

How It Unfolds

Reflecting on foreign shores The opening writer muses on the physical ocean separating nations before dissecting English antipathy toward the Union during the war.

Witnessing small miracles A quiet observer watches downy chicks break through their crystal doors, experiencing a profound sense of wonder at the mystery of life.

Striking a compassionate trade A rural trader pays full price for a humble cow to assist a soldier's mother, reselling the beast to a prosperous country squire.

Defending single women An essayist examines census figures to argue that single women deserve meaningful employment and independent lives rather than societal pity.

Testing a child's heart A stern minister tries to convince young Adele of her innate sinfulness, but her innocent trust in divine forgiveness resists his rigid theology.

Measuring domestic resolve A boastful manager describes her relentless daily labor, prompting a gentle defense of mothers who use quiet persuasion rather than brute force.

Calculating national routes An economic assessment outlines how deep-water canals can lower freight costs and connect Western grain farmers to international ports.

Honoring a fallen leader The journal follows the solemn journey of Lincoln’s funeral train, establishing his enduring legacy as a defender of universal freedom.

The People

• The English Observer seeks to explain foreign hostility toward the Northern war effort, obstructed by British geopolitical fears, and ultimately foresees a restored Union grounded in universal rights.
• Aaron Stow wants to drive profitable livestock trades while maintaining his self-image, but his cynical resolve gives way when he meets a soldier's mother, prompting him to act with unexpected generosity.
• Squire Hollis wants to keep high-grade cattle and avoid being fooled, yet his gruff exterior softens enough to purchase a plain, native cow out of hidden kindness.
• Doctor Johns seeks to guide young Adele toward spiritual salvation through strict doctrines of human wickedness, frustrated by her lighthearted nature and her cheerful trust in divine mercy.
• Adele wants to please her guardian while enjoying childhood, facing his overwhelming theological lectures with resilient optimism.
• Mrs. Exact seeks to demonstrate her superior domestic efficiency through rigid schedules, blind to the physical limitations of less forceful women.
• General Grant seeks to destroy the Confederate army by cutting Lee's supply lines, enduring intense political criticism until his systematic strategy achieves total victory.

In Its Own Voice

"The ocean is chiefly remarkable as the element out of which the dry land came."

A writer opens his correspondence by reflecting on the vast distance separating nations.

"'You won't sell her to a hard master, will you?' says she. 'I want her to go where she'll be well cared for, an' I shall know where she is...'"

A woman asks a cattle trader to find a gentle home for her beloved cow.

"No one stopped to remark on the personal qualities of Abraham Lincoln, except to wonder that his gentleness of nature had not saved him from the designs of assassins."

An essayist reflects on the national mourning surrounding the slain President.

What It's Really About

The collection explores the struggle between rigid authority and human empathy across political, social, and spiritual life. In its political commentary, it contrasts self-serving foreign policy with a nation's moral duty to eliminate human bondage. On a domestic level, it challenges unyielding doctrines—whether the dogmatic Calvinism that tries to crush a child's natural joy or the hyper-efficient household management that ignores human fragility. Threaded throughout the text is an abiding belief in quiet persuasion, organic growth, and the steady advance of human freedom over arbitrary force.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers a compelling slice of American intellectual life written at an extraordinary historical crossroad. Readers fascinated by nineteenth-century history, civil war politics, and period social commentary will appreciate its authentic voice and unvarnished perspective. It provides an immediate, unmediated look at how mid-1865 Americans processed national tragedy, economic change, and changing gender roles.

The reading experience balances weighty political analysis with charming local-color fiction and sharp social observation. Modern readers may find the dense rhetorical style, occasional regional dialect, and Victorian moralizing somewhat challenging. Yet the writing remains remarkably clear, confident, and direct. The lasting impression is one of a society actively debating its core values while looking toward an expansive, democratic future.

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