Description:

The last printed Confederate edition of the Vicksburg Daily Citizen, printed July 2, 1863 on ornate wallpaper

(CIVIL WAR) The Daily Citizen (Vicksburg, Mississippi: J. M. Swords, July 2, 1863), 10" x 18," printed on wallpaper with a large brocade pattern in white and brown on a cream background. First state of the final issue of this Confederate paper before the town fell to Union forces on July 4, 1863. Moderate toning, especially at extreme margins, small loss at top right corner does not affect text, relatively clean 2 inch tear affecting lower portion of left-hand column, moderate soiling, but overall very good condition.



The Union blockade of the Confederacy and Grant's long siege of the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg had made paper unobtainable in Vicksburg. As early as June 16th, the enterprising Swords, publisher of Vicksburg's Daily Citizen, had resorted to printing on the blank sides of sheets of wallpaper. (He is also likely to have curtailed the print run, to conserve paper.) By July 2nd, after prolonged bombardment, the siege was manifestly nearing its inevitable end. But there is no palpable hint of this in the paper printed by Swords that day, which remains jaunty, spirited and defiantly rebel in its sympathies.



An extremely rare survival, the first of two known editions of The Daily Citizen of Vicksburg printed on July 2, 1863. It was this paper (save for a few revised articles in the fourth column) that Union forces discovered on the press of J. M. Swords when they entered the final Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi on July 4, 1863. At the bottom of the second column lay printed the now famous sarcastic tidbit: " ON DIT. -- That the great Ulysses--the Yankee Generalissimo, surnamed Grant--has expressed his intention of dining in Vicksburg on Saturday next, and celebrating the 4th of July by a grand dinner and so forth. When asked if he would invite Gen. Jo. Johnston to join he said, 'No! for fear there will be a row at the table.' Ulysses must get into the city before he dines in it. The way to cook a rabbit is 'first catch the rabbit,' etc." When Grant's men seized the press, they added their own response in the well-known issue printed on July 4th: " " Two days bring about great changes. The banner of the Union floats over Vicksburg. Gen. Grant has 'caught the rabbit,' and he did bring his dinner with him..."



While the July 4th reprint has appeared not infrequently at auction, issues printed before the fall, which were printed in very limited numbers, are exceedingly rare. The two Confederate issues, perhaps printed only hours apart, may be distinguished as follows:



Probable first issue (the present): column four continues assorted " Yankee News" with a long notice of " An Immense Train of Negros" (reported from New Orleans, June 30th), news of a devastating fire at " The Bowman House" (a prominent Jackson, Mississippi hotel) and a brief notice: " A gentleman who recently passed the Federal lines says the Democratic ladies of New York have gotten up a magnificent sword, at a cost of twelve hundred dollars, intended as a present to Gen. Lee. It will be sent to Richmond by some underground railroad."

Probable second issue: column four has dropped notice of the " Immense Train" ; new text comprises a squib about the marriage of two African-American denizens of Vicksburg " mid the din and clash of arms," a humorous piece on a " venerable feline" killed and cooked in a stew, notice of the replacement of General McClernand, sickness among the Yankee troops, and the demise of the National Intelligencer of Washington. It is this setting which remained on the press when the Union forces took over Vicksburg on July 4th.

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