Broadside advertising pay bounties and pensions for Union troops: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A quarto size broadside issued by pension brokers M.J. Higgins & Co., Army and Navy Bankers. The broadside advertises pay bounties, pensions, prize money, and other compensation available to men who had enlisted in the Union Army. Printed in black ink using varous typefaces on an off-white sheet of paper, the broadsize begins with large type at the top reading [M.J. HIGGINS & CO., / Army and Navy Bankers], and then lists office locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Newark, New Jersey. This is followed by a section with a chart listing bounties of $100 to $300 available to men enlisted at various times and for various lengths of duty. At center, in boldface type is [Under the Equalization Act / 3 years' men get - - $100, / 2 years' men get - - $50, / COLORED TROOPS / Are entitled tot he same as white troops.]. The bottom half of the sheet lists details with the section headers [SAILORS,], [STATE BOUNTIES], [OFFICERS], [PENSIONS,], [PRIZE MONEY,] AND [$60 COMPENSATION]. At bottom left is [Mark J. Higgins] and at bottom right is [Leon Peartree.]. The verso has no marks or inscriptions. There is a large stain at top right and the bottom and right edges are torn.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1866
• Issued by: M.J. Higgins & Co., American, active 1860s
• Subject of: United States Colored Troops, American, 1863 - 1865
• Type: broadsides
• Medium: ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W: 9 1/16 × 6 1/8 in. (23 × 15.5 cm)
• Place made: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Finance
• Topic: Military
• Topic: Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
• Topic: Slavery
• Topic: U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
• Topic: United States Colored Troops
• Object number: 2014.251.7
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.