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   Letter writing blossomed during the Civil War as people struggled to remain connected with loved ones.  These popular works of art, eagerly bought and used by soldiers and civilians, give us insight into their fears, hopes and dreams.  The artists and printers responded to the necessity the war caused for letter writing with a constant supply of new patriotic covers and stationery.

   We have been reproducing US and CS patriotic stationery for over ten years.  It fits into our enjoyment of reenacting which we've been doing for over 15 years.  As a family we portray the U.S. Christian Commission, which was a soldier's aid society during the Civil War.  Funded by donations from people back home, they sought to minister to the physical, moral and spiritual needs of the citizen-soldiers serving in the Union Army.  They gave away food, clothing, stationery, helped in the hospitals and encampments.  Any place there was a need of encouragement and comfort, the Christian Commission delegates were there.  One significant part of their encouragement was helping the soldiers stay connected with loved ones back home.  They gave away stationery, wrote letters for the sick and dying, carried letters back home to be distributed to family and friends.  So I began to reproduce USCC envelopes and stationery to hand out to the reenactors.  If you come to our tent today, you can pick up a free mail kit.

   From this I branched out into reproducing US and CS patriotic stationery from my collection, as well as stamps.  (All US reproduction stamps are marked "copy".)  It's fun to see covers placed in scrap books a century and a half ago come to life again.

Lockport, IL Sept. 2007

A sign hangs
on the fly:
  "Free food for
the soldiers
God bless you"

To those who ask "how much?" comes the answer:
"God's love
is free
so is
this food"