Z 1466.000 Civil War Patriotic Envelopes

In 1861 the high emotionalism of secession prompted the publishing of patriotic envelopes by firms in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati. These envelopes were sold to soldiers by camp vendors, and the soldiers sent them home to their families. They were used both as propaganda and to express patriotic fervor. Most of the envelopes bore serious messages of patriotic slogans and quotations. Some commented on the attitudes of France and England, some were directed toward women, and others ridiculed the Confederate leaders and Army.