An image printed on the envelope shows a hand reaching for a man with fly wings carrying a skull and crossbones banner. The hand is labeled “W.S.” and the man/fly J.D. This identifies the fly as Jefferson Davis and the hand catching it as belonging to Winfield Scott, Commanding General of the United States Army from 1841 to 1861 and a political candidate.
according to the American Antiquarian Society: “Though popular with collectors, these envelopes are a very underutilized source of Civil War iconography. The majority of the envelopes are about 3 x 5″ in size, and were published in nearly all of the major cities, with New York and Boston being the largest producers.”