A Little Game of Bagatelle, Between Old Abe the Rail Splitter & Little Mac the Gunboat General 1864

John L. Magee created this lithograph, “A Little Game of Bagatelle,” to satirize the political climate during the American Civil War. The print illustrates a game of bagatelle, a billiards-like game, where political figures like Abraham Lincoln and George McClellan are players. The artist uses caricature to emphasize the perceived strengths and weaknesses of each figure. Note how Lincoln, labeled "Old Abe the Rail Splitter," is depicted making a shot, while McClellan, "Little Mac the Gunboat General," is portrayed as small and less capable. A Black man serving refreshments is in the background, a reminder of the slavery question central to the conflict. The bagatelle table is labeled "The Union Board," and we see figures like Jefferson Davis and other Confederate leaders as animals, like rats, attempting to undermine the game. The print captures the intense political divisions of the time, reflecting anxieties about leadership, race, and the future of the nation. The game itself becomes a metaphor for the fragile state of the Union.