Abstract:
Broadsides were a cheap and easy way to circulate songs and poetry amongst large groups of people during and after the American Civil War. This was the case of the broadside ballad, Shelling of Fort Anderson, March 14th, 1863 by Dr. Sutherland, a 46-year-old physician and private in the 92nd New York Volunteer Regiment which occupied Fort Anderson in New Bern, North Carolina. The ballad poetically describes the assault on the fort by Confederate besiegers and the Union defense. The broadside also provides a unique perspective on a well-known military action during the Civil War.