A Short History of General G. T. Beauregard, from the Histories of Generals series (N114) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Smoking and Chewing Tobacco 1888

"A Short History of General G. T. Beauregard" was created circa 1870-1920 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a promotional tool for their tobacco products. This small card, part of a series called "Histories of Generals," depicts General P.G.T. Beauregard, a figure central to the Confederacy. It’s impossible to separate this image from the context of the American Civil War, an era defined by slavery, racial injustice, and deeply entrenched power structures. The inclusion of Confederate symbols evokes a painful history of oppression and the fight to maintain a social order built on inequality. How do we reconcile the romanticized depiction of Confederate figures with the brutal realities of the system they fought to uphold? What does it mean to see this image today, knowing its role in perpetuating a revisionist narrative? It invites us to reflect on the complexities of memory, and the ongoing struggle to confront uncomfortable truths about our past.