Guide to the Civil War Patriotic Envelopes Collection
Title:
Civil War Patriotic Envelopes Collection
Repository:
The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum
Phone: 614-292-0538
http://cartoons.osu.edu/
Creator:
West, Richard Samuel (Bookseller)
Dates:
ca. 1861
Quantity:
0.2 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
 A collection of thirty-seven Civil War- era (ca. 1861) patriotic envelopes featuring caricatures of political figures and political issues of the day. Most of the envelopes have a pro-Union stance.
Identification:
SPEC.CGA.PUR
Location:
CGA
Language:
The records are in English

History of Civil War Patriotic Envelopes

Civil War patriotic envelopes features symbolic imagery of the causes motivating the war. They acted as artistic promotions of patriotic sentiments. These envelopes were non-government printing, created by print shops. The envelopes were an element of popular culture during the Civil War and were collected and saved as souvenirs.

For further information on the history of Civil War patriotic envelopes, please see the book review of Patriotic Envelopes of the Civil War: The Iconography of Union and Confederate Covers by Steven R. Boyd.

Hubert, Matthew C. Rev. of Patriotic Envelopes of the Civil War: The Iconography of Union and Confederate Covers by Steven R. Boyd. "Civil War History" 58 (March 2012): 125-127. Accessed on September 24, 2012: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/civil_war_history/v058/58.1.hulbert.html

Scope and Content

This collection includes thirty-seven Civil War Patriotic Envelopes featuring caricatures of famous political figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. The envelopes are also of a pro-Union stance and depict the various issues of the Civil War era.

Statement of Arrangement

The envelopes in the collection are arranged into four series. Within each series, the envelopes are arranged
Series I. Abraham Lincoln
Series II. Pro-Union
Series III. Southern Secession
Series IV. Southern Treason

Restrictions on Use

All copyright laws pertain to any use or reproduction of published materials in the collection.

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions for materials in this collection.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Caricatures and cartoons-United States
Envelopes (Stationery)
Political cartoons-United States

Persons:

Bragg, Braxton, 1817-1876
Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
Scott, Winfield, 1786-1866
Seward, William Henry, 1801-1872
Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891
United States. President (1861-1865 : Lincoln)

Places:

United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Caricatures and cartoons
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865-Participation, African American
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865-Propaganda

Material Types:

Caricatures
Envelopes
Ephemera
Political Cartoons
Stationery

Custodial History

The collection was assembled by Richard Samuel West, bookseller- Periodyssey.

Preferred Citation

Civil War Patriotic Envelopes Collection, The Ohio State University, Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

Acquisition Information

This collection was purchased from Richard Samuel West, Bookseller- Periodyssey, Easthampton, Massachusetts, 2012

Detailed Description of The Collection

This collection of thirty-seven envelopes from the Civil War- era depicts political and social issues of the time. The subjects of the envelopes are varied, ranging from depictions of famous individuals such as Abraham Lincoln, to the issues of slavery, secession, and treason.



Series I. Abraham Lincoln, ca. 1861

Box PUR 1 / Piece 1
Championship prize envelope Lincoln & Davis in 5 rounds: 1st Round, 1861

Physical Description: Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis fighting in a ring, with crowd. Caption



Box PUR 1 / Piece 2
A.L.- His Mark, J.D., undated

Physical Description: Flag with leg labled



Box PUR 1 / Piece 3
Championship prize envelope Lincoln & Davis in 5 rounds: 2nd Round, 1861

Physical Description: Lincoln and Davis fighting in a ring, with crowd. Caption reads



Box PUR 1 / Piece 4
Championship prize envelope Lincoln & Davis in 5 rounds: 3rd Round, 1861

Physical Description: Lincoln and Davis fighting in a ring, with crowd. Caption reads



Box PUR 1 / Piece 5
Championship prize envelope Lincoln & Davis in 5 rounds: 4th round, ca. 1861

Physical Description: Winfield Scott and William H. Seward, Jr, standing in fight circile, pointing at ground. Caption reads:



Box PUR 1 / Piece 6
Championship prize envelope Lincoln & Davis in 5 rounds: 5th round, 1861

Physical Description: Abraham Lincoln standing in front of pyramid with bald eagle, cannon, and an American flag. Caption reads:




Series II. Pro-Union, ca. 1861

Box PUR 1 / Piece 7
The cause of all our troubles, undated

Physical Description: An African American man, background is a cotton field.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 8
"Come back here, you black rascal." "Can't come back nohow, massa; Dis chile's contraban", undated

Physical Description: Show a white man holding a whip facing a group of African Americans running towards Fort Monroe.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 9
Commissioners of C.S.A. at the foreign courts, undated

Physical Description: Barefooted children with feather hats and sashes with man with cloak and cane.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 10
The Country's in danger!- That's what's the matter, undated

Physical Description: Uncle Sam with American flag as a cloak and bayonet.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 11
General Boar-A-Guard, on duty, undated

Physical Description: Boar dressed in a Confederate uniform with bayonet



Box PUR 1 / Piece 12
"Let Me Alone. " Jeff. Davis & Co. "seeing the elephant", undated

Physical Description: Elephant labled as



Box PUR 1 / Piece 13
It has shone before on a United States, and it shall again by the Eternal, undated

Physical Description: Depicts a sun breaking through clouds to shine on the United States.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 14
Man pulling a string on a trap, baiting a lion with cotton, undated




Box PUR 1 / Piece 15
Longing for the White House, undated

Physical Description: Man with beard smoking pipe and looking into the distance.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 16
North- Wide Awake, undated

Physical Description: Depicts a dog laying down with one eye wide open



Box PUR 1 / Folder 17
Oh! " Let Me Alone."Jeff. Davis Coat of ALMS, undated

Physical Description: Skull with crown, bottle of whiskey, and a rattlesnake to form a crest



Box PUR 1 / Piece 18
One of the "Flowers" of the Rebel Army, provided with a pair of seven-league boots, undated

Physical Description: Confederate soldier with dunce cap and sword, with a pair of boots attached to posterior.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 19
Sherman's flying artillery. Virginians retreating, undated

Physical Description: General Sherman on a winged cannon chasing Virginians fleeing by horse and carriage



Box PUR 1 / Piece 20
A Southern gorilla, (Guerilla), undated

Physical Description: Bearded creature with paws, in a Confederate Soldier uniform. Envelope has poem on it.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 21
Southern menagerie is coming, 1861

Physical Description: On the road with a circus caravan of animal cages with the names of Confederate politicians and generals.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 22
Virginia in 1776/ Virginia in 1861, 1861

Physical Description: Depicts five young boys gathered around a woman with book in 1776. In 1861, five young boys gambling, smoking, and boy with a bag labeled



Box PUR 1 / Piece 23
What if a hungry rat should cross the path of an elephant, squelch it, by Heaven, squelch it, undated

Physical Description: Elephant with American flag about to step on a rat.




Series III. Southern Secession, ca. 1861

Box PUR 1 / Piece 24
A convention of secessionists after the war, undated

Physical Description: Depicts five men at table with urn labled



Box PUR 1 / Piece 25
Jeff Davis' Passport- Mr. Jeff Davis and friends are permitted to leave the state of Virginia- Winfield Scott, ca. 1861

Physical Description: Hand holding sign



Box PUR 1 / Piece 26
This modern Blondin leaves but one impression upon the mind of every clam spectator: How easily we circumvent SECESSION/ Must now be clearly seen by this arch-traitor, undated

Physical Description: Man labled as



Box PUR 1 / Piece 27
Secession, undated

Physical Description: Hot air balloon labeled



Box PUR 1 / Piece 28
The Union locomotive clearing the secession track. "Clear the Track", undated

Physical Description: Goblins and other creatures on track as train with American flag approaches.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 29
'Walk into my parlor,' says the Spider to the Fly." Secession Web, undated

Physical Description: Depicts Jefferson Davis as spider in web. The wings of the flies have Southern states names.




Series IV. Southern Treason, ca. 1861

Box PUR 1 / Piece 30
The BRAGG fruit of Palmetto Tree-son, undated

Physical Description: Confederate General Braxton Bragg hanging from plametto tree.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 31
Death to traitors, undated

Physical Description: American flags and Union soldiers forming the letters in traitors.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 32
Fate of traitors!, undated

Physical Description: Depicts Jefferson Davis hanging from gallows. Soliders with bayonets watch from under an American flag.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 33
J.D. His Marque, undated

Physical Description: Skull and cross bones and on a black flag with the letters



Box PUR 1 / Piece 34
On the road to Washington, undated

Physical Description: Confederate generals hang from gallows on a road with in sight of the United States Capitol building.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 35
"Scott's Tactics." Stopping up the rat holes! "When I want to catch a rat, I first stop up all the holes -W. Scott", 1861

Physical Description: Union soliders with dogs driving rats from bags.



Box PUR 1 / Piece 36
You fain would steal, my national (veal) weal. / But Jeff, you better mizzle, / For when you're in "my trap of steel," / Pop goes your weasel, 1861

Physical Description: Depicts two weasels, one has hat labeled



Box PUR 1 / Piece 37
"When I wish to catch rats, I first stop their holes." Gen'l Scott, undated

Physical Description: Depicts seven ships with names of Southern cities around a circle labled