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VERY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE CIVIL WAR COVER DEPICTING ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE WIDE AWAKES, AN ANTI-SLAVERY PRO-REPUBLICAN PARAMILITARY GROUP WHICH AROSE IN THE CAMPAIGN OF 1860.
The Wide Awakes were an anti-slavery, pro-Republican organization of young men who first appeared in Hartford, Connecticut, in early 1860. Dressed in shiny oilcloth unifrom capes and carrying oil-burning torches, the Wide Awakes adopted a military marching style and paraded at night. After the Republican Party convention nominated Lincoln, the Wide Awake clubs spread throughout the midwest. For more information, go to http://www.journalofamericanhistory.org/projects/lincoln/contents/grinspan.html
The addressee, Sullivan D. Green, was a Civil War correspondent and newspaper reporter for the Detroit Free Press. He was regarded as "one of the most accomplished newspaper writers the West has had." Our search for information about the writer, E. P. Austin (or Auslin) was fruitless. This August 1861 cover was probably part of a large letter-writing campaign to newspaper editors, and the 3c stamp was used inadvertently or expediently on this cover to a local Detroit paper.
We have located very few examples of Wide Awake designs, and this is the only one with Lincoln's portrait. A different Wide Awake design is offered in this sale as lot 1974. A third design was offered in our Sale 433 (lot 1057). Considering their historical significance and great rarity, we regard them as important Civil War era covers.
Ex Matthies (Image)
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VERY FINE. A REMARKABLE WIDE AWAKES PARAMILITARY MARCHING DESIGN USED IN OCTOBER 1860, SHORTLY BEFORE THE ELECTION THAT PUT LINCOLN IN OFFICE AND TRIGGERED THE CIVIL WAR.
The Wide Awakes were an anti-slavery, pro-Republican organization of young men who first appeared in Hartford, Connecticut, in early 1860. Dressed in shiny oilcloth unifrom capes and carrying oil-burning torches, the Wide Awakes adopted a military marching style and paraded at night, as depicted on this cover. After the Republican Party convention nominated Lincoln, the Wide Awake clubs spread throughout the midwest. For more information, go to http://www.journalofamericanhistory.org/projects/lincoln/contents/grinspan.html
We have located very few examples of Wide Awake designs, and this is the only one showing a march. A different Wide Awake design is offered in this sale as lot 1973. A third design was offered in our Sale 433 (lot 1057). Considering their historical significance and great rarity, we regard them as important Civil War era covers. (Image)
VERY FINE. ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST UNUSUAL OF 1860 CAMPAIGN DESIGNS, ADVOCATING LINCOLN AS THE "COLD WATER CANDIDATE".
Temperance advocates embraced Lincoln as their choice for president in the 1860 election, naming him the "Cold Water" candidate. Envelope designs using this temperance theme are rare, and they were all published by M. H. Allardt of Cleveland. The Analyst newspaper was started in 1858 by J. A. Spencer, who apparently sold it to M. H. Allardt before 1860. Including this cover, we are aware of only four examples of this design (two others in the Matthies sale with 3c 1857 stamps, and one with a 10c 1857). (Image)