About three weeks before the U.S. presidential election the October 22, 1864 issue of Harper’s Weekly (at Son of the South) took a swipe at the peace-loving Democrats:
THE COPPERHEAD PLAN FOR SUBJUGATING THE SOUTH.
War and Argument—Cold Steel and Cool Reason—having failed to restore the Union, it is supposed that the South may be bored into coming back.
Our Picture represents the successful operation of this exceedingly humane and ingenious device.
War, cold steel … don’t forget plundering the civilian population, as the following article implied.
From the Richmond Daily Dispatch October 22, 1864:
Best preparation for Raids.
–The very best preparation, of course, for a raid,–says the Lexington (Virginia) Gazette,–is for the people to remove all their valuables out of the reach of the enemy. This cannot always be done, but there is one article which soldiers always seek after, which is, perhaps, more abundant in this country than it ever was before, –We mean apple brandy, which, it cannot be removed, ought to be poured out by every one on the approach of the enemy. The Yankees behave had enough without liquor, but they are ten times worse when they become intoxicated. It would be much better for a man to lose a fine lot of brandy than save it for the Yankees, and lose, in other respects, ten times its value besides, to say nothing of the effect that the drinking would have on their behavior.
