The Union Playing Card Company made a number of themed card decks in the 19th century. To cater to Northerners during the Civil War (1861-1865), the company replaced the traditional hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds with eagles, stars, shields, and American flags. Decks made for the Southern market exchanged traditional suits with Southern generals or cabinet members. Civil War soldiers often broke the monotony of camp life by playing draw poker, cribbage, euchre, faro, keno, twenty-one, and seven-up.
American Card Company. Union Playing Card. 1862. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1978-41a/. Accessed on April 26, 2025.
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