Civil War. Six Military and Patriotic Songs.

(Civil War). Six Military and Patriotic Illustrated Songs. Elaborately Colored. In a novel form. Series No. I. [Wrapper title].

New York: Charles Magnus. Branch Office: 520 7th St., Washington, D.C., [1863-65?]. First, probably only edition, presumably reprinted during the period given noted variants in the imprint. [A note in the Worldcat entry states that the Washington D. C. office included in the imprint dates the item "about 1863 and 1864]. All seams split, thus in four separate leaves of stiff paper with color printing and hand finishing. Some chips to edges, moderate staining or soiling. The title has two separate "corrections": one attempts to change "Series I'  to "Series II", and a second, in pencil and more recent correct it "# 1".

Evidently a sample booklet; the rear cover is an extensive, fully priced catalog of the various sheets, booklets, views, prints, atlases, maps, games. Rewards, Envelopes, etc. Published by Charles Magnus during the Civil War years.

Included among the 6 Broadside Song Sheets is "Dixie's Land" featuring a Black Minstrel Show Band and two Black Dancers (I am cautious to go outside my sphere of knowledge- but my gut talls me these are not whites in blackface, I welcome correction). There is a second Black Americana Song titled "Kingdom Coming" with the illustration showing two Black Slaves looking out over a harbor full of Union Ironclad Battleships and singing a tale of the horrors of slavery and the joys of emancipation. This is "Copied by permission of Root & Cady,” music publishers in Chicago. Other titles include "Want-A Substitute" (a somewhat tongue in cheek song about a draftee's desire to find a substitute to take his place in the Union Army), "Young America and ould Ireland" (a song about the Irish immigrants fighting in the Union Army and their "Irish Brigades"). "The Captain With His Whiskers" (the illustration showing a company of Zouave Soldiers marching in formation) and "Our Grandfather's Days" (a timeless lament for "better times" gone by). [OCLC #191282571 Notes: Charles Magnus published as an individual at 12 Frankfort St., New York, between 1860 and 1867. Works which also include Washington, D.C. imprint were published about 1863 and 1864.] A very scarce and appealing item. This dealer sold a copy of Series i and Series II together, I have seen only two other examples in trade of part one, and I acquired and sold both.

The complete songs, in order: