Detail View: Civil War Postal Covers : Volunteer Sappers and Miners from the F.F.V. or Merchandise Contraband of War
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Filename:
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Volunteer Sappers and Miners.jpg
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Title:
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Volunteer Sappers and Miners from the F.F.V. or Merchandise Contraband of War
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Subject:
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Postal covers
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Subject:
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United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
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Subject:
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Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893
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Description:
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Postal cover showing slaves (contrabands) talking to General Benjamin Butler with the description "Volunteer Sappers and Miners from the F.F.V or Merchandise Contraband of War."
Caption: "Massa Butler, we's jest seceded from Harper's Ferry, whar we larn'd de trade ob making Trenches and Forti'cations. And now if yer wants anything done in dat ar line ob bisness, we's de Niggers to call upon. We borrow'd des yer tools at de Ferry, and if dey is'ent Contraban we's gwine to carry em back at de close ab horsetilities."
This postal cover is a reference to General Butler's contraband policy that argued that escaping slaves who reached Union lines would not be returned to slavery because they constituted "contraband of war" that could not be returned to their former owners. The United States Congress upheld the contraband policy with the Confiscation Act of 1861.
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Date:
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1861-1865
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Format:
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Printed envelope, 3 x 5.5 inches
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Rights:
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This image may be used without charge for non-commercial web sites under the condition that the sites or pages on which images appear contain a link back to the home page of the Noel Collection. The image may also be reproduced without charge in scholarly publications or in other printed material related to non-profit scholarly activities provided that such publications include a credit line acknowledging the Noel Collection as the source of the visual material. For all other purposes, please request permission to republish or redistribute images from the Noel Collection Curator.
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