Card-playing was a very popular pastime with the soldiers, and sutlers generally carried an abundant supply. This deck is complete and made on very heavy paper, and the backs of each card appear to have been hand colored with water color. The cards are smudged from much use, but in otherwise excellent condition. They came out of an old New England Civil War collection and have been stored for many years in a well-used period cribbage board box. The game was imported from London and made by De La Rue & Co. A variation from the Belgian-made cards which turn up from time to time.