The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-07-26
.VIL WAR CARTOON
ENVELOPES.

Northerners and Southerners
expressed itself during the civil war was
in the use OF decorated envelopes. These
envelopes were made to sell TO the gem
eral public; business houses had thei.'
own special designs, and many men and
women had the envelopes used in their
private correspondence ornamented with
their own designs, much in the manner
of the srnartly lettered stationery of tho
present day.
Decorated" is scarcely an appropriate
word for some of these envelopes. for
they we're covered with crude cartoons
that were most bitter and yindictive in
spirit and design.
The extent to which this use of deco
rated envelopes went is shown by col
lection of them that has been formed by
Henry B. Blackwell. of this city. says
the New York Press" Mr. Blackwell
has 1000 individual envelopes in his col
lection, and he was twenty years in
gathering them. The envelopes some
times were issued in series. such as OF
cities like Washington, New York, Alex
andria, st. Louis: OF States. with the
coat OF arms emblazoned in colors in
the left-hand corner; of battles, and CT
designs of the cartoon order Those in
the series of cities were the precursors
of the souvenir postal cards OF the pres
ent day. though. OF course, the artistic
qualities are OF markedly different
order.
BY far the best of these several series
is one based on the House That-Jack-
Built" jirgIes. The first envelope shows
cut of the Capitol at Washington with
the line over II. THE house that Uncle
Sam built" The second shows a fat
malt bag. on which is printed. THE
blessing we have enjoyed as one peo-
pie. and the Jingle beneath reads, This
Is the malt that lay in the house that
Uncle Sam built Number three shows
rat labeled Secession - and the lines
This is the rat that ate the malt that
lay in the house that Uncle Sam built &"
Next comes a big cat, Union Pre-
served" which "is the cat that will kill
the rat that ate the malt" etc. A dog
labeled JEFF is over the line Davis is
the dog that worried the cat that will
Kill the rat" etc. cow marked
Scott" is THE COW with the crumpled
horn;' Liberty is "the maiden all for
lorn:" Uncle Sam is the man all tat
tered and torn" and Washington is 1.-The
parson now dead and gone that married
the man all tattered aud torn"
There were thirteen in the Washing
ton series. and as many in the Alexan-
dria and Fredericksburg series, all of
these cuts occupying the whole face OF
the envelope. One OF the crudest kind
represents mule labeled Southern
Confederacy" pulling away from a
hitching post on which an American flag
is flying.
From the tail OF the donkey a Con-
federate flag flies. and this gem of sar-
DOME humor is called Southern ASS
Stock-Crazy." which is explained by ,he
line Southern Aristocracy" under
meath white skull and cross bones
on black flag are the sign of u. D..
His Marque," the fling, OF course. being
at Jefferson Davis. The President Of the
Confederacy was a favorite subject Of
these cartoonists
Abraham Lincoln was used by the en-
velope makers as a frequent decoration.
His portrait between two flags and
under an eagle bears the title Honest
Abe" He is also shown splitting logs
for rail fences in the dooryard OF the
historic log cabin. and again with Han
nibal Hamiin.
OF the Northern generals, Scott was
the popular hero on the envelope.
though General Mcclellan comes ont
strong. Some Of the regiments had de-
signs OF their own. That Of the Forty
seventh Pennsylvania was a soldier in
full dress guarding a field of tents set
out in front OF the Capitol at Washing
ton. One OF the best ones devised was
FOR sending letters TO soldiers in the
field. 1t had blank spaces for the num-
her OF the regiment, company. and corps.
Of the State 10 which the regiment he
longed OF the colonel commanding and
the name of the camp. With one OF
these envelopes there was small chance
OF letter going astray.
The formation OF this collection OF Mr..
Blackwell's was a matter Of much Labor.
The envelopes came from all sorts OF
places. the most frequent source being
| out OF the bags and trunks of officers.
On going over war relics numbers Of
the envelopes were unearthed. and these
gradually fell into his hands. The
greatest number he ever succeeded IN
| getting at one time was a lot OF over
1000.
THE WORLD IS SMALL.