Item No. 4434410

An extraordinary, highly localized, and incredibly rare piece of original Civil War-era Southern folk art and satire. This cohesive four-page piece consists of a completely handwritten and illustrated cartoon strip mocking the dramatic breakdown of a lovesick gentleman identified as “Mr. Beard.”

The piece originated in the family archive of Captain John S. Wilson, who served as the commander of Company D (“Chester Troop”) of the 1st South Carolina Cavalry.

The narrative parodies the overwrought, melodramatic literature popular during the 1860s, using a local backdrop familiar to Wilson and his contemporary circle in the Chester and Union District regions of South Carolina:

• Page 1: Introduces a proudly dressed Mr. Beard making an “oftenly & expectant” visit to the “Goshon Hill [Goshen Hill] Store and Post Office,” confidently telling himself, “verily I shall get a reply.” Strutting in a fashionable suit and a pristine “goodly beaver hat,” Beard is devastated when the postmaster checks the mail cubbies and reveals there is no letter. Vexed in his “spirits,” Beard retreats to the “Gooly Institute” (likely a local academy or field school) where he aggressively takes out his frustration by “whipping several students.”

• Page 2: Finds a visibly deteriorating Beard returning to the Goshen Hill office after repeated disappointments. He begins quoting biblical lamentations from the Book of Job (“verily a man is of few days and full of trouble”). When the postmaster notes how thin he has become and offers him refreshments, Beard dramatically refuses food but requests wine “for my Spirit's sake.”

• Page 3: Captures the peak of Beard’s Victorian melodrama. He is illustrated wild-haired and disheveled, melting backward onto a parlor lounge and crying out, “Oh! That I never had seen her, then I had never been thus.”

• Page 4: Delivers a cynical, brilliant punchline. Beard’s friends arrive at his bedside with delicacies, worried because he hasn’t eaten in three days. While Beard refuses the food, claiming no diet can cure a “broken heart,” he instantly drops the act to say, “You can leave that bottle however.” The bottle is clearly labeled “Old Rye.” The concluding text notes that during his theatrical thrashing, Beard has completely crushed and “mashed” his expensive new beaver top hat, which is seen crumpled on the floor beneath his feet.

The artwork features excellent, elongated pen-and-ink character caricatures reminiscent of period period block publications. The narrative relies heavily on a running double-entendre on the word “spirits” (alternating between emotional fortitude, ghosts, and alcohol), revealing that Beard’s devastating “illness” is nothing more than a dramatic excuse to avoid his duties and drink whiskey. Given its placement within the Wilson family papers, this was almost certainly drawn by a member of the Chester Troop, a local academic, or a relative to poke fun at a real-life mutual acquaintance’s pathetic romantic pining.

The piece was written upon four pages of a letter sheet measuring about 7 3/4” x 9 3/4”. The pages are separated at the center fold, but are otherwise in excellent condition. Creased at the original folds.