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| Materials: Paper |
| Measurement: 7.6 x 18.0 cm |
| Source: Transfer from the National Archives |
| Note: |
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Dated December 2, 1862, this note was almost completely worn out by the time someone got around to strengthening it with a piece of newspaper. Why would they have bothered? We know that the repair was done in 1864, because the newspaper fragment mentions Andrew Johnson, who had been chosen to be Abraham Lincoln’s running mate in the upcoming Northern elections.
By 1864, a Confederate dollar bill was worth very much less than a dollar, because most people could see the bleakness of Southern prospects. But money was money, and beyond its value as a means of exchange, it represented the hopes and dreams of an aspiring nation. Apparently, this bill mattered enough for someone to go to the trouble of patching it up and sending it on its way.
But look closely: they used a Northern newspaper. If such a publication were common enough to be recycled in this way, then matters were dire indeed. Night was closing in on the Confederacy, and on its money. Both were departing the realm of real events, moving into the realm of legend.
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| Related Events |
| 1848: U.S. Mexican war ends and western territory is acquired from Mexico. |
| 1861: The Confederate States of America issue paper money-more than $30 million by the end of 1861. |
| 1863: Southern defeats at Vicksburg and Gettysburg mark the turning point of the Civil War. |
| 1865: The Civil War ends when Confederate armies surrender and Confederate government collapses. |
| 1868: Ulysses S. Grant elected U.S. President. |
| 1877: Reconstruction period ends when Federal Troops are removed from Southern states. |
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Legends of the Human Spirit The following objects are in this section.
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| United States, 2 Dollars, 1776 | Connecticut, 2 Shillings 6 Pence, 1776 | Confederacy, 1 Dollar, 1862 | | United States, 30 Dollars, 1776 | Confederacy, 5 Dollars, 1862 | Norfolk, Nebraska, 1 Dollar, 1933 | | Virginia, 15 Dollars, 1776 | Confederacy, 5 Dollars, 1863 | Pismo Beach, California, 1 Dollar, 1933 | | Maryland, 1 2/3 Dollars, 1775 | Confederacy, 10 Dollars, 1863 | Pismo Beach, California, 50 Cents, 1933 |
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