1859 Battle of Solferino (Red Cross Origin), Sickles Vindication Letter — Jul 30

🗞️ HARPER'S WEEKLY · July 30, 1859
Complete Issue · New York

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A historically exceptional issue documenting two of the most consequential events of 1859 — the Battle of Solferino, the bloodiest battle since Waterloo whose carnage directly inspired Henri Dunant to found the International Red Cross, and Daniel Sickles's letter to the editor vindicating himself after his acquittal on the first temporary insanity plea in American history. Combined with Prince Metternich's obituary, the Austrian Quadrilateral war map, and a continuing Dickens serialization, this is one of the richest single issues of the entire 1859 run.

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⚔️ THE BATTLE OF SOLFERINO — BIRTH OF THE RED CROSS
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💥 DOUBLE-PAGE CENTERFOLD — THE BATTLE OF SOLFERINO — TWO HALF-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS
A double-page centerfold documenting the Battle of Solferino — fought on June 24, 1859, the largest battle in Europe since Waterloo, in which 300,000 men fought for fifteen hours across a twelve-mile front. The French and Piedmontese under Napoleon III and Victor Emanuel defeated the Austrian army under Emperor Franz Joseph himself — but at a staggering cost: 40,000 men killed, wounded, or missing in a single day. The carnage was so horrific that Swiss businessman Henri Dunant, who witnessed the aftermath, was so appalled by the 40,000 men left dying on the field with minimal medical care that he wrote A Memory of Solferino (1862) and founded what became the International Red Cross in 1863. The battle also so shocked Napoleon III that he secretly negotiated the Armistice of Villafranca eleven days later, ending the war before Venice was liberated. Two illustrations capture the battle — Napoleon directing his Boltiguers of the Guard to take Solferino, and a general view of the battle. A primary document of one of the most consequential battles of the 19th century.

💥 FULL PAGE — "HOW THE TURCOS FIGHT — BATTLE AT SOLFERINO"
A full-page illustration of the Turcos — the Tirailleurs Algériens, North African light infantry from Algeria who served in the French army and whose ferocious fighting reputation at Solferino made them one of the most talked-about units of the battle. A vivid piece of French colonial military history and the Battle of Solferino.

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⚖️ DANIEL SICKLES — LETTER OF VINDICATION
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📰 LETTER — DANIEL E. SICKLES VINDICATES HIMSELF IN THE NEW YORK HERALD
A letter written by Daniel E. Sickles to the editor of the New York Herald in which he vindicates himself following his acquittal on the first successful temporary insanity defense in American legal history. Published under the "Domestic Intelligence" column, this letter is a primary document of the Sickles affair's long aftermath — the acquitted congressman's attempt to manage his public image in the months after his trial. The Sickles saga has now run across five consecutive Harper's Weekly issues (March 12, 19, 26; April 9, 16; April 23; July 30) — making this complete set a comprehensive primary document of the most sensational crime and trial of the antebellum era.

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🗺️ THE AUSTRIAN QUADRILATERAL
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🗺️ FULL PAGE MAP — "THE SEAT OF WAR IN ITALY, SHOWING THE FAMOUS AUSTRIAN QUADRILATERAL"
A full-page map of the Austrian Quadrilateral — the great system of fortresses at Mantua, Peschiera, Verona, and Legnago that had made Austrian dominance of northern Italy virtually impregnable for decades, and which remained unconquered even as the armistice was declared. A significant piece of Italian military cartography and Risorgimento history.

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👑 PRINCE METTERNICH — OBITUARY
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👤 HALF FRONT PAGE — "THE LATE PRINCE METTERNICH" — WITH ARTICLE
A front-page memorial portrait and article on Prince Klemens von Metternich — the great Austrian statesman who had dominated European diplomacy from 1809 to 1848 and whose conservative order was now being finally dismantled by the Italian War he had spent his career preventing. Metternich died on June 11, 1859 — just thirteen days before the Battle of Solferino. A significant piece of European diplomatic history.

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📚 CHARLES DICKENS — "A TALE OF TWO CITIES" CONTINUES
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✍️ CONTINUING SERIALIZATION — "A TALE OF TWO CITIES" BY CHARLES DICKENS
A continuing installment of A Tale of Two Cities — the novel whose themes of war and sacrifice resonate alongside the Solferino content in this issue.

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📋 CONDITION
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I photograph every page of every issue so you can inspect the condition closely before purchasing. Please review all images carefully and don't hesitate to ask any questions — I'm happy to provide additional detail or close-up shots of any page, illustration, or area of concern before you buy.

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📌 DETAILS
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Publication ········ Harper's Weekly
Date ··············· July 30, 1859
City ··············· New York
Format ············· Illustrated newspaper, complete in 16 pages

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📦 SHIPPING & PRESERVATION
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• Stored in an acid-free protective bag and flat-shipped in a padded envelope with heavy cardboard reinforcement
• Fully tracked for your peace of mind

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