What does the phrase i assumed this ground mean ?

How does crane's depiction of the way information was spread in the nineteenth century affect the novel? crane seeks to use the novel as a way to criticize the journalists of the time for how they glorified war as a means of union propaganda. by depicting the extent to which newspapers were circulated, crane seeks to expose the lack of unbiased reporting at the time. by giving newspapers a major role in the novel, crane seeks to make a connection between the increasing role of the military in national affairs and the decline of farming. crane captures the power of journalistic reports at a time when it was the primary means of transmitting information to a broad audience by showing its influence on henry.