1861 Confederate Handbill Announcing the Upcoming Election and the Candidacy of Jefferson Davis as President and Alexander Stephens as Vice-President

1861. Handbill. Very Good. A scarce example of a piece of Confederate electoral ephemera from 1861. A fragile, original handbill announcing the November 6th upcoming Presidential election of the Confederacy, with Jefferson Davis running for President and his running mate Alexander Stephens running for Vice-President. Also includes information on the "Electoral Ticket. For the State at Large (Virginia)" and "for the Districts" (the 1st District through the 16th, with all of the candidates' names and their hometowns printed alongside their districts) and "for Congress" within the Confederacy (candidate Roger A. Pryor"). The handbill is firmly printed on thin, light-blue paper and there can be little doubt that almost none of these has survived the 160+ years until this moment. The original handbill measures 4" wide x 6" tall and is bright and relatively well-preserved, in spite of having taken on a bit of soiling to the front and showing one small closed tear along the top-edge. At the rear of the handbill is a crossed-out pen signature and below this the same signature ("Madison Gill") completed. An impressive piece of 19th century political Americana and a look into the shadowy world of Confederate history.