The New York Herald is the newspaper of record in the Confederation of North America. Throughout For Want of a Nail ... Sobel quotes the Herald's Grand Council election returns as authoritative, and frequently quotes the paper on other occasions.
Two members of the Herald's staff received major party nominations for Governor-General: publisher Theodore Lindsay was nominated by the Conservative Party in 1883, and editor Jeffrey Martin was nominated by the People's Coalition in 1958. Galloway Plan supporter James Kilroy was also a reporter for the Herald.
On 4 January 1878 an unnamed Herald reporter described the People's Coalition's national convention as "a combination circus-revival meeting-German wedding-Irish wake, managed by people who are novices at this sort of thing, and attended by some of the strangest characters ever to be seen in C.N.A. politics." Scott Ruggles is quoted in the 3 April 1887 edition of the Herald saying, "The truth of the matter is that the Age of Renewal is, and always has been, a sham. The Liberals have had their chance, and have failed. Now it is time for true reform, and not just fancy maneuverings." Thomas Kronmiller is quoted in the 17 February 1908 edition remarking on Albert Merriman's electoral victory, "In this way we enter the fifth term of King Ezra Gallivan."
Sobel takes the text of several notable speeches from the Herald, including John McDowell's Age of Renewal speech of 11 October 1882, and Ezra Gallivan's address of 17 May 1899 on the Great Northern War.