Bidspirit auction | February 28, 1865, Issue of

February 28, 1865, Issue of The Long Island Farmer Newspaper, Jamaica, New York - This is an original four-page broadsheet newspaper titled The Long Island Farmer, published in Jamaica, Queens County, New York, by Charles Welling. The masthead displays the motto: Fear No Man, and Do Justice to All Men. This specific issue is dated Tuesday, February 28, 1865, and categorized as Old Series, Vol. XLIII; New Series, Vol. XXXII, No. 51. The issue provides a primary source record of the final months of the American Civil War. Interior news columns detail the progress of the Union Army, including General Sherman's campaign through South Carolina and the capture of Charleston. It also contains reporting on the ratification of the Constitutional Amendment to abolish slavery (the 13th Amendment). In addition to war news, the paper features local interest columns such as Queens County in Olden Times, which chronicles events from 1808 to 1810, and serial literature including Chapter VIII of Seth, the Guide: A Tale of the Early Days of New York by Willie F. Gilchrest. The publication is heavily illustrated with period advertisements, notably woodcuts for Dr. Schenck's Pulmonic Syrup featuring before and after recovery portraits, Helmbold's patent medicines, and promotions for U.S. government war bonds (7-30 Loan). Other advertisements represent mid-19th-century commerce in Jamaica and New York City, including insurance brokers, savings banks, a carriage maker, and an undertaker. Approximate dimensions: 24 x 18 inches. The newspaper is in fair antique condition. The newsprint shows natural age-toning and moderate foxing with scattered brown staining throughout. There are significant irregular losses and tattered edges, particularly along the top margin where a large portion is missing. The paper has deep horizontal and vertical fold lines from historical storage, with minor splitting and pinholes at the intersections. Despite the marginal losses, the masthead and the vast majority of the text remain intact and legible.