Details
Title Miners and Sappers envelope 2
Date 1861-1865
Physical description 1 envelope; 8 x 14 cm. (3 x 3.5 in.)
Notes Image: Benjamin Butler and another white soldier face a group of five African American sappers and miners, who have pick axes and shovels propped against their shoulders. Refers to the contraband policy that banned soldiers from returning runaway slaves to their owners once they crossed Union lines.
Verse 2653: Volunteers sappers and miners from the F.F.V. [First Families of Virginia] or merchandise contraband of war.
Caption: "Massa Butler, we's just seceed from de 'Meen-asses Junction,' and wants to 'list in the counter-band rigiment. We's no great hands at fightin', but we kin run 'most fast as our old massas did toder night, Now, ef you wants any trenches or forti'cations made, WE'S de niggers to call upon in dat ar line." We borro'd des yer tools at de Junction, and gwine to carry em back at de close ob horsetilities.
Genre Patriotic envelopes 1860-1870
Coverage United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.
Is part of Civil War Envelope Collection
Civil War Envelope Collection
Has format TMP.objres.5415.jpg
Provenance McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector
Identifier Caricatures - Blacks
Accession number Envelope C-BL-69
Bibliographic citation William R. Weiss. The catalog of Union Civil War patriotic covers (Bethleham, Pa.: William R. Weiss, 1995).