The War in the Border States.; The War in the West

New York: Harper's Weekly, 1863. unbound. Woodcut. Page measures 20 1/4" x 13 1/2"

This large double-page print from Harper's Weekly shows scenes of horror as the Civil War tears through areas on the border between the Union and the Confederacy. Soldiers give hungry women and children bread during a snow storm; a woman and two children weep as the see a man killed under fallen rubble. Death and destruction everywhere emphasize the war's effect on civilians and soldiers alike, especially in battleground states. The verso contains text detailing the state of the war, and several small battle maps. The print is in good condition, with some minor (truncated) foxing and holes around the original center foldline.

Thomas Nast was a political cartoonist and illustrator; credited with devising elephant and donkey symbols of Republican and Democratic parties, and with creating American image of Santa Claus. He largely featured Catholicism and the papacy in Rome, Irish-Americans, and corrupt Democratic politicians (namely Boss Tweed and the Tammany Hall institution). This is a great example of his work. (Inventory #: 328248)