This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/18/2024
RARE CONFEDERATE IMPRINT ON WALLPAPER
[CIVIL WAR, CONFEDERATE NEWSPAPER]. The Daily Citizen. Vicksburg: J.M. Swords, 18 June 1863. Folio broadside (464 x 305 mm), four columns text, PRINTED ON THE BACK OF A SHEET OF DECORATIVE WALLPAPER, some marginal losses, title masthead and some text effected, also some loss to text at old fold, all professionally reinforced, spotting. RARE JUNE CONFEDERATE ISSUE; MUCH HARDER TO FIND THAN THE MORE COMMON UNION ISSUE ON JULY 4TH WITH THE NOTE ADDED. Due to the Union blockade of the Confederacy and General Grant’s extended siege of the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg (the newspaper describes a large number of transports arriving to reinforce Grant’s army), obtaining newsprint paper became near impossible, and as early as June 16 the publisher had resorted to printing on the blank sides of sheets of wallpaper. “On July 4 Vicksburg surrendered, the publisher fled, and the Union forces found the type still of the Citizen still standing. They replaced two-thirds of the last column with other matter already in type, added the following note and printed a new edition” (Smalldon, Early American Newspapers, p. 90). The note reads in part: “Two days brings about great changes. The banner of the Union floats over Vicksburg… The Citizen lives to see it. For the last time it appears on ‘Wall-paper’. No more will it eulogize the luxury of mule-meat and fricasseed kitten - urge Southern warriors to such diet nevermore. This is the last wall-paper edition, and is, excepting this note, from the types as we found them. It will be valuable hereafter as a curiosity”. Interestingly, the July 2 issue is more common than all the six issues that were printed on wallpaper as the June issues rarely come up at auction.