Price
$24.00
Condition
used
Product Condition
Very fine
Size
5.5" x 3"
Civil War Satirical Cover – “Southern Fools Deputize an Ass” Patriotic Cartoon, 1861. Civil War patriotic cover featuring a vivid satirical illustration of a donkey dressed in a lion’s skin beneath an American flag. Accompanied by a biting verse mocking Southern leadership, this design reflects Northern propaganda at the outbreak of the war in 1861. Published by Wm. Ridenburgh of New York, the cover combines bold imagery with political humor. A visually compelling and historically revealing piece of Union-era ephemera. Unused and original.
From a large collection of civil war covers in very fine condition that we recently acquired.
This cover is a classic example of early Civil War Northern propaganda, using humor and ridicule to undermine the Confederacy. The donkey—often symbolizing foolishness—is disguised in a lion’s skin, suggesting Southern leaders were pretending to possess strength and authority they did not truly have. The accompanying verse reinforces this message, predicting failure (“dis-Ass-ter”) for the Confederacy. Produced in 1861, such covers were part of a broader effort to rally Union support and shape public opinion through satire and symbolism.
$24.00
used
Very fine
5.5" x 3"