Silence Of The Press

The owner of the “Philadelphia Evening Journal, Albert D Boileau was arrested on January 27^th 1863 for allegedly printing anti-Union stories.

Albert D Boileau was the proprietor of the Philadelphia Evening Journal.  On the night of January 27^th 1863 Union military authorities arrested him under a warrant drawn up by the War Department in Washington, DC.   The charge was that he was printing anti-Union propaganda.  It centered around an editorial he had published on January 20^th 1863 entitled “Davis’ Message”.  Boileau was held for a few days at Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland until he made an apology and was released.

“I, ALBERT D. BOILEAU, citizen of Philadelphia, editor and publisher of the Philadelphia Evening Journal, now confined in Fort McHenry, for the publication of an editorial article, under the title of "Davis' Message," in that newspaper, Jan. 20, 1863, and for the publication of other articles of like dangerous character, tending to the support and encouragement of the rebellion against the Government of the United States, do hereby freely and voluntarily express my regret for the publication of that article, or of any other article of like tendency or character, and distinctly disavow such-article or articles being published with my proper authority or knowledge, and declare that each publication has been made by other persons, agents or employees, without my sanction and intention, and I do hereby further give to Maj.-Gen. HOBERT C. SCHENCK, commanding the Middle Department and Eighth Army Corps, by whose order, in behalf of the Government, I have been arrested, my sacred parole of honor that upon being discharged from my present imprisonment, and the suspension of the publication of my newspaper being removed, I will not write, print, or publish, or permit others in my name to write, print, or publish, any articles having such dangerous character, or tending to the support or encouragement of the rebellion; but will demean myself in all things as true and loyal citizen of the United States, intending only to support the Government, the Constitution and the Union as a faithful citizen should; and it is to be further understood that these declarations and pledges are made as well to relate to matter hereafter to be published in the weekly newspaper called the Democratic Leader, made up from the daily Philadelphia Evening Journal itself, and to any other newspaper that may be published or controlled by me.”