The Empty Sleeve; or Soldier's Appel

Boston: John Smith, 1874. 32mo, 16 pages, publisher's original blue printed wraps. Scarce Civil War veterans’ appeal booklet centered on the emblematic image of the “empty sleeve,” a phrase widely associated with Union amputees and disabled soldiers after the war. The Empty Sleeve, or, Soldier’s Appeal belongs to the poignant postwar literature of wounded veterans, combining patriotic memory, sentimental verse, disability, and public appeal. Such ephemeral publications were often sold or distributed to raise sympathy and support for injured soldiers, making surviving examples uncommon. A meaningful piece of Civil War, disabled veterans, medical-history, amputee, and mendicant ephemera. A few small rips and chips to the wraps, some creases, else in good + condition. Item #310

Price: $150.00