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Distaffina Wise - Oh, Cruel man, where are you going? Played out I am, in spite of all our Blowing. Bombastes Davis. - I go, I go, all comforts scorning; Some death I'll die before the morning. Distaffina Wise. - Heigho, heigho, sad is the warning; Dry up old man, nor die before the morning. Artaxonimous Letcher. - Give 'm' whiskey smash, cold wa'r'r shcor'n'n Dar'n 'f sh'l die before er morn'n.
No full text1862-04-05Davis is trying to go away toward Mexico but Letcher dressed as an old English monarch and Wise dressed as a woman hold him back. Behind them is a sign with hands pointing to Mexico in the West and Richmond in the East
J.B. - "What I said a few years ago is neither here nor there. Do you think I was in earnest when I called such a cove as you a 'man and a brother'?"
No full text1863-05-16A black man in chains kneels at the feet of John Bull who has his back turned to the slave. Behind them is a sign that says, "Negroes for Sale J. Bull Agt for J. Davis." Even though the British had affirmed the horrors of slavery and abolished it years before, they were unwilling to force the Confederacy to give up slavery. By nominally allying themselves with a slaveholding nation, they were again affirming the legitimacy of slavery
In Search of the Last Ditch. I started on the first day of June, from my headquarters, to find the Last Ditch; a place I have been seeking for some time. Being in a wild country, and having no money, I took an Economical Conveyance, and proceeded several miles to the South. At first, I thought of going Northward, but after mature deliberation and counsel with friends, I decided that a trip in the latter direction might be made unpleasant by many Little Obstacles, with which I was not prepared to cope. Accordingly, I journeyed downward, into the land of song and beauty, my own dear Sunny South; perfumed all through the year by sweet flowers, and Haunted by Birds. The sight of thrifty planters, burning their cotton, tobacco, etc., to get ashes for manure, gladdened my heart in many regions; but what pleased me the most was the display of earnest men who were determined to drive the invaders from our soil. The military I saw were really terrifying in their attitude, and when the decisive moment comes, I am sure they will be found As Brave As Any. I will pledge my life that if the hirelings of Lincoln meet these unflinching and immovable guardians of our property, without being driven from the land, I will freely own that I have been suffering under A Great Mistake. On the third day of my journey, I fell in with a well-known Union man, to whom I applied for a trifling loan. He had money, but declined parting with it. A warm discussion ensued between us, and I succeeded, at length, in persuading him to lend me all he had, with his watch, books, ect. This was the result of a dexterous use of certain Unanswerable Arguments familiar to every Southern Gentleman. Shortly after this adventure, I arrived at the Mississippi shore, and wished to cross, but was told that the Confederate Army was Retiring, so I started toward the coast. Travelled for a week in this direction, and finally neared a formerly important shipping town, which I knew well. Here, however, I found none of my friends. The fortifications bore the hated flag of our enemies, and further progress would have been hazardous, on account of the Untoward Circumstances that surrounded the place. Turning my face towards the Gulf, then I pursued my way, hoping to find the happy region of rest we have so often promised ourselves. In this trip I have encountered many hardships, and narrowly escaped capture, several times. I foiled my foes, however, by making some of those brilliant strategetic movements which have delighted all military men, North and South; in fact, just What the Southerners Always Make, and ere long found myself in another village, which had - in years gone by, been a prosperous sea-port on the Gulf. This place, I was pained to see, was A Little Out of Repair, like most of the Southern towns at present, so I did not linger.
No full text1862-06-28This series of illustrations is a satiric portrayal of the “Journey of A Rebel Officer”. The illustrations are utilized as visual representations of key elements in the “journey”. The first is of a pair of slave’s feet labeled as “An Economical Conveyance”, referencing the South’s dependence on slave labor. After having acquired this “economical conveyance” and heading south a little, the officer comes to the conclusion that he should not pursue any course to the North since it was riddled with many “Little Obstacles”, or the bayonets of the Union forces. This is referencing the military power and potential of the North and further alludes to Southern inability to cope with such “obstacles”. The next illustration depicts the defenders of the South as being “As Brave As Any”, although the depiction is actually of mere scarecrows. The narrative continues by asserting that the “hirelings of Lincoln” will be driven from the land or he will own that he has “been suffering under A Great Mistake.” In this case “A Great Mistake” is depicted as the First Confederate National Flag; equaling a direct and scathing evaluation of the Southern Confederacy.
The narrative continues on the opposite side with the officer’s encounter with a Union man whom he is trying to obtain a loan from. Though initially denied, he succeeds in obtaining all the possessions the man had through “Unanswerable Arguments familiar to most Southern Gentleman”, which are depicted as a pistol and saber. This is a reference to the violent and rash modes of persuasion that the cartoonist believed were employed by the South. After this the officer heads towards the Mississippi River coast intent upon crossing to instead find the Confederate forces “Retiring”, which is depicted as a full blown rout of frantic men. In lieu of this he started for the coast only to find the shipping town now under “the hated flag of the enemy”. Furthermore any greater progress in that direction was impeded by “Untoward Circumstances”, shown as the heavy mortars of the Union fortifications. This resulted in a change of course toward the coast and several instances of near capture in search of “the happy region of rest we have so often promised ourselves”. In the course of avoiding escape he employed many “brilliant strategic maneuvers” that is “What The Southerners Always Make”. With the accompanying illustration this is asserting that the South always leaves footprints as a result of their continual retreats. After these maneuvers the officer finds himself at a previously prosperous seaport on the coast that is currently “A Little Out of Repair like most of the Southern towns at present”. This particular seaport is depicted as being utterly devastated by war. As a result the officer decides not to linger.
This narrative combined with the chain of illustrations combines as an effective mockery of Southern aspirations and adeptness. Not only does it predominately mock the South’s military skill and position, it also attacks the principals and integrity of the South through references to slavery and strong-arm forms of persuasion. The most striking illustration is certainly the Confederate Flag being captioned as a great mistake, leaving no question as to the cartoon’s overall stance on the Southern Confederacy
