On my last scope I briefly talked about “mourning stationary.” The black border around this letter written in 1899 symbolizes a phase of grief. If the border was thicker it meant that the loss of a loved one just happened. The border helps the receiver of the letter know the emotional state the writer. Wonder why we don’t do that today…

Original Document can be found at the American War Museum archives. Formerly the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, VA.