Volck, Adalbert John (1828-1912) Jennison's Jayhawkers
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00493.17 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
Depicts a group of Union guerillas, known as Jayhawkers, attacking a Southern homestead. During the war, the Jayhawkers were the Seventh Kansas Calvary commanded by Colonel Charles R. Jennison. A man rides off with a woman on his horse amidst a scene of chaos and destruction. The Jayhawkers have attacked a homestead, shooting the men, stealing the animals, destroying the house, and burning the barn. The women trying to run away in the distance appear to be in danger of being shot, while the woman in the foreground in the clutches of the rogue on horseback looks heavenward. The bodice of her dress is open and the man who has kidnapped her looks down upon her bare breasts in a lecherous way, leaving no doubt that the woman is in danger of rape. Size in extent is for the mount. The actual size of the etching is 20.4 x 26.6 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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