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Volck, Adalbert John (1828-1912) Formation of guerrilla bands

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00493.16 Author/Creator: Volck, Adalbert John (1828-1912) Place Written: s.l. Type: Print Date: circa 1880-1890 Pagination: 1 etching : b&w ; 26.1 x 34.6 cm. Order a Copy

Foreground depicts an angry figure trying to convince a farmer, who has had his homestead destroyed by Union forces, to take revenge by joining a guerrilla band in the background. The farmer sits with his wife and son among the ruins of what appears to be their house while other buildings smolder in the background. One of them could be the angry man's house. The men of the guerrilla band raise their fists in defiance and carry a banner that reads "No more surrenders." Size in extent is for the mount. The actual size of the etching is 20.2 x 26.5 cm. Title in pencil on verso.

Adalbert John Volck was a dentist, political cartoonist, and a caricaturist who sympathized with the Southern cause. During the Civil War, Volck supported the Confederacy through his satirical political cartoons. He also smuggled drugs and medical supplies for the Confederate army, and served as a personal courier to President Jefferson Davis.

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