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An old-style currency note from the City of New Orleans, valued at one dollar. It features images of two ships, elaborate designs, and portraits of women. The note is dated January 1, 1863, with decorative borders and numerals 49 120.

War Bonds for Soldiers

Money, Money, Money!
Money and Why There Was Never Enough
Banking in the Antebellum South
Banking and the Civil War
Greenback Revolution

Wars are expensive, necessitating large expenditures for munitions, supplies, and labor. The American Civil War was no exception, and as the war dragged on, Southern states faced a new financial crisis in the form of insufficient funds available for the support of the families of those in service to the Confederacy. Measures such as the 1863 act from the Louisiana legislature below mandated that parish police juries disburse funds to qualified families across the state and then apply to the state treasury for reimbursement.

Vintage bond certificate from the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, dated 1872. Includes ornate designs, denomination of 500 dollars, and a section for coupons at the bottom. Text and engraved illustrations of a ship and crescent moon are visible.
City of New Orleans Confederate war bond, 1862. HNOC, gift of Harold Schilke, 55-8-L
A vintage document titled By Authority with densely packed text, discussing legislative acts. The layout consists of two columns filled with small, printed words. Overall appearance is aged, with faded sepia tones and visible creases.
An Act to Provide for the Support of the Families of Officers, Soldiers, and Marines, Non-Commissioned Officers in the Military and Naval Service of the Confederate States and of this State, 1863. HNOC, 86-2246-RL
An 1864 Confederate States of America tax receipt for Lewis H. Morse issued in Louisiana, totaling $14.20. The document includes official signatures, payment conditions, and a note about an additional soldiers extra pay tax.
Confederate States of America tax assessment, November 10, 1864, by Robert Mills Lusher, state tax collector. HNOC, 73-193-L

Robert Mills Lusher—after whom the modern-day New Orleans charter school is named—served as a Confederate and state tax collector throughout the Civil War. Lewis H. Moore of DeSoto Parish could have paid this 1864 assessment with any combination of Confederate, state, and parish banknotes.

Chapter 13: Greenback Revolution