The McAllister Collection contains about 7,000 Civil War envelopes collected by John A. McAllister. Issued by stationers, printers, and publishers, the envelopes contain patriotic designs and slogans to promote support for the war. Predominately published in the Northern states between 1861 and 1862, a small number of envelopes with anti-Union designs printed in the Confederate states circulated as well. The designs depict portraits of historic and prominent military figures, military scenes, state seals, cartoons, Liberty, American eagles, flags, and other military and patriotic emblems.

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Confederate soldier sees his shadow envelope
Image: A Confederate soldier, in a red uniform, holds a bayonet decorated with the Confederate flag. He approaches a doorway, in which he sees a shadow of his body hanging from a rope., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Connecticut envelope
Image: Lady Liberty stands with the Union flag, facing right, and leans her right elbow on a circular framed image depicting the Connecticut state seal surrounded by flags and cannons. The state seal depicts three grapevines and a banner with the motto "QUI TRANSTULIT SUSTINET," or "He who transplanted, sustains." On the right hand side of the envelope are large letters with stars spelling out "Union", in front of which is a "Connecticut" banner., Caption: Connecticut / Union / The Loyal States., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
"Contra-Band" envelope
Image: A freed African American family plays instruments. The father and mother are seated on the ground and play the tamborine and banjo, respectively, and the child stands and plays unidentifiable instruments in the middle. Refers to the contraband policy that banned soldiers from returning runaway slaves to their owners once they crossed Union lines., Verse 1426: Music by the "Contra-band"., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
"Contraband barricade" envelope
Image: Union and Confederate soldiers face one another and are lined up for battle., Verse 453: Contraband Barricade. Come and get your property., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
"Contraband" boy envelope
Image: A freed African American baby boy, wrapped in blankets, is held up by a grinning white man. Refers to the contraband policy that banned soldiers from returning slaves to their owners once they crossed Union lines., Verse 929: "Him fader's hope, Him moder's joy, Him darling little Contraband Boy.", Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
"Contraband" man envelope
Image: Freed African American man wearing a straw hat. The man is superimposed on a black star containing the abbreviations of the states of the Confederacy. Refers to the contraband policy that banned soldiers from returning runaway slaves to their owners once they crossed Union lines., Verse 1057: I'se contraband., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Corn is king envelope
Image: Anti-confederate envelope depicting a young white worker harvesting corn. "Cotton is king" refers to Great Britain's reliance on the South's cotton supply, but in fact, Britain needed grain more than cotton from the states., Verse 460: Corn (not cotton) is king., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Cornerstones envelope
Image: A bust of George Washington is depicted the upper left hand corner, and a bust of an African American is depicted in the upper right hand corner., Verse 461: Corner Stone of the Federal Union/Corner Stone of the "Southern Confederacy.", Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Cotton bales envelope
Image: Two African American men rest indolently on a pile of cotton bales on a horse-drawn cart. Another man walks with a whip next to the cart., Verse 152: Away down South in Dixie., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Cotton bales envelope 2
Image: Two African American men rest indolently on a pile of cotton bales on a horse-drawn cart. Another man walks with a whip next to the cart., Verse 152: Away down South in Dixie., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Cotton bales envelope 3
Image: Two African American men rest indolently on a pile of cotton bales on a horse-drawn cart. Another man walks with a whip next to the cart., Verse 565: Farewell to the Good Old Times., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Cotton harvest envelope
Image: An African American man holds a basket of cotton in a field., Verse 462: Cotton is king, but de crop's small dis year, dat's sure., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
"Cotton, Jeff and contraband" envelope
Image: Jefferson Davis, dressed in military uniform, sits on a large bundle of cotton in the water with an African American man. Three white men wearing straw hats tow the cotton bundle in a row boat labeled "Union"., Verse 455: Contraband, or Jeff on Cotton. Our Union Flag has caught a prize, which will, no doubt, create surprise -- and they will safely tow them into land, Cotton, Jeff and Contraband., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Cotton picker envelope
Image: An African American man is picking cotton and loading it into wicker baskets., Verse 1571: One of the Rebels., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Crawling African American man envelope
Image: An African American man, wearing a striped jumper, is crawling with a whip in his right hand. The proportions of his body are grotesquely distorted., Verse 2716: "Whar's Jeff Davis?", Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
C.S.A. loan poster envelope
Image: A young African American boy stares with wide eyes at a poster., Verse 2660: Wanted, a $15,000,000 loan for the C.S.A., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Dancing "contraband" envelope
Image: Racist caricature of an African American couple with grotesque features speaking in a black dialect. They're dancing and celebrating their contraband status. Refers to the contraband policy that banned soldiers from returning runaway slaves to their owners once they crossed Union lines., Verse 216: "Bress de Lor, we am Contraban.", Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Death to the northern invaders envelope
Verse: Death to the Northern Invaders of the South! We will greet you with Bloody Hands to Hospitable Graves.", Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Death to traitors envelope
Image: The phrase "Death to traitors" is spelled out using soldiers, flags, gallows, and a lynching scene as the letters. Tents and soldiers in a military camp are depicted in the background. Includes address lines., Verse 482: Death to traitors., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Declaration of Independence envelope
Image: In the upper left hand corner is printed in black and white an extremely fine image of the Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776. This is surrounded by 16 circles, each with a different image. In one is the eagle; the next is George Washington. The others seem to represent the 13 original states. Written in ink across the face of the envelope: "Messrs. McAllister & Bro.", Caption: W.L. Germon, photographer, No. 702 Chestnut St. S.W. cor. of 7th., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Detroit and Native American man envelope
Image: On the left hand side of the envelope a Native American man sits on the ground and leans on "Enterprise" symbols. He holds a bow and arrow in his right hand, and more arrows in his left hand. An eagle hovers over him. On the right side of the envelope is a birds-eye view of the industrial city of Detriot., Verse 498: Detroit., Caption: Wolverines, "MOTTO," We live for the Union, We die for the Union, We will uphold the Union., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Dinah and Pompey envelope
Image: Racist caricature of a slave couple speaking about the war in a black dialect. Dinah washes clothes in a washtub, while Pompey lights a pipe., Verse 501: Dinah. "What is you gwing to fite for?" Pompey. "Dat's what dis chile can't find out, Massa says he don't know.", Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Dis chile's contraban
Image: Racist caricature showing an African American man smoking and dancing in celebration. Refers to the U.S. policy that declared fugitive slaves as contraband of war., Verse 502: Dis chile's contraban', Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Dixie ensnarled in "secession" snake envelope
Image: Dixie, depicted as a woman, crouches over and covers her head, as a snake, labeled "secession", prepares to strike., Verse 504: DIXIE!, Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Dixie's Land
Image: Grotesque caricature of a grinning African American man who holds up a picture of a Southern plantation., Verse 505: Dixie's land., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Dragoon envelope
Image: Depicts a soldier on horseback carrying a flag with a red stripe (top) and a white stripe (bottom) and the phrase "U.S. Dragoons." The soldier wears a blue uniform with red trim., Verse 2598: United States Cavalry., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
E Pluribus Unum seal with Union flags envelope
Image: Stationery package with an image of the "E Pluribus Unum" seal, which depicts an eagle clutching arrows in its talons. Includes a shield decorated with the stars and stripes. Two Union flags flank the seal and drape over an arch., Caption: Victory Package / 15 sheets commercial note paper. 16 buff envelopes. 5 white envelopes. 1 superior pen. 1 accommodation pen holder. 1 best quality pencil. 33 patriotic songs. 1 self-ruler for superscribing letters. 1 design for ladies' undersleeves. 1 design for child's apron. 1 design for ladies' embroidered collar. 1 design for infants' christening robe. 2 designs for marking letters. Also one piece of beautiful jewerly. / Receipts. For making gold, silver, silver-plating fluid, oreide, ladelible ink, bichromatic writing fluid, western cider without apples, honey without bees. Also for making whiskers grow, and hair to curl in beautiful ringlets. Secrets for catching game, foxes, and fish. And a complete cure for Rheumatism. A currency table, showing the value of a greenback in gold., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Eagle and U.S. Senate envelope
Image: Depicts two scenes, the left hand side shows an eagle gripping a laurel wreath in its beak and standing above a shield on a rock near the sea. The right hand side of the envelope depicts an interior view of the Senate in session., Verse 2629: U.S. Senate., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Eagle approaching Uncle Sam and Jefferson Davis envelope
Image: Jefferson Davis, weighed down by rifles and packages labeled Mobile, New Orleans, Charleston, Norfolk (in the form of a cannon) and the U.S. Treasury, is prevented from leaving the Union by Uncle Sam. A bald eagle, carrying a Union shield and a dead snake, approaches the scene. Fort Pickens and Fort Sumter sit in the background., Verse 1162: Jes so Jeff/ and more to/I only want to be let alone., Verse 2605: Unkle Sam & Jeff, Yankee doodle is the tune Americans delight in, It'l do to whistle sing and play, And just the thing for fightin'., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Eagle facing left stands on Union symbols envelope
Image: An eagle stands on a drum, over which is draped a Union flag. Includes bayonets on the ground and upraised flags in the background., Verse 1219: Let your motto be "Libert now and forever!" Your trust be in God, in truth and the right; come back to us victors, or come to us never! On, brothers, on! for freedom and right.", Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Eagle facing right envelope
Image: An eagle faces right., Verse 405: Columbia, Columbia, to glory arise, the queen of the world and the child of the skies; Thy genius commands thee; With rapture behold, while ages on ages thy splendors unfold., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Eagle perched on rock envelope
Image: An eagle, facing left, is perched on a rock., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Eagle standing on flags and shield envelope
Image: An eagle, facing left, is perched on a Union shield, which sits at the center of four intersecting flags., Verse 2565: Union and Liberty., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Eagle with eye envelope
Image: An eagle, facing right, grasps a banner in its talons, above an open, human eye., Verse 2374: The Union of States none can sever., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Eagle with flag envelope
Image: An eagle, facing left, holds the American flag in its talons., Verse 457: Cooper Shop Volunteer Refreshment Saloon, No. 1009 Ostego Street, Below Washington Avenue., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Eagle with flag, locomotive and ship envelope
Image: An eagle, facing left, stands near a Union flag. A locomotive emerges on the left side of the eagle and a ship is visible to the right., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Eagle with globe and flag envelope
Image: An eagle, facing right, perches on a globe wrapped in the Union flag. The United States is the only visible country., Verse 2576: Union Forever., Verse: 2776: Wrapt in its folds OUR WHOLE COUNTRY shines resplendent through its stars., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Eagle with shield and banner envelope
Image: An eagle flies above a shield decorated with the stars and stripes. The eagle grasps a banner in its mouth: "Love One Another." Blue stars with the initials of the states form a border around the envelope., Verse 1280: Love One Another., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Eagle with shield, locomotive and ship envelope
Image: An eagle, facing right, stands near a Union shield. A locomotive emerges on the right side of the eagle and a ship is visible to the left. Image covers entire envelope., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Eagle with Union shield and star border envelope
Image: An eagle, facing left, grasps a red, white, and blue Union shield in its talons. A liberty or death banner accompanies the shield. Red stars form a border around the envelope., Verse 1232: Liberty or Death., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector

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