87A. LADIES GUNBOAT SOCIETY OF CHARLESTON BROADSIDE Excessively rare Confederate imprint, 1p. 7" x 13", Charleston, 1862, issued by the Ladies Gunboat Society and printed by Evans & Cogswell, a broadside promoting "A PATRIOTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL, proposed by some Public Spirited Ladies of Charleston in aid of the THE LADIES' GUNBOAT...will be presented at the Hibernia Hall...".The two-part program presents various classical music performances and songs, the evening closing with the chorus singing "My Maryland". Moderate toning in places, with an expert archival reinforcement on verso at a central horizontal fold, some pencil notes on verso, else very good.  Somewhat similar to the Sanitary Commissions of the North, the women of several Southern States formed "gunboat" societies or associations for the purpose of building or refitting Confederate naval vessels. The first Ladies Gunboat Society was founded in Charleston followed by others in Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama, These organizations raised funds through musical festivals, quilt-making, drama productions, and donations of family silver or jewels. The Ladies Gunboat Society of South Carolina was responsible for launching two ironclads. More than half the funds used for the fitting of the CSS Palmetto State (also known as the Ladies Gunboat) were provided by the Society. The Palmetto State was intended as a large commercial steam vessel but was refitted with 2 inch armor plating, two 7" rifled guns, and two 9" smoothbore cannons and launched in 1862. In 1863 she fought and forced the surrender of the USS Mercedita and attacked and disabled the USS Keystone State just outside Charleston Harbor. The ship was active in repelling DuPont's attack on Charleston's forts in April 1863 and assisted in the evacuation of Fort Wagner in September 1863. The ship was burned to avoid capture when Charleston was evacuated in February 186S. The second boat financed by the Ladies Gunboat Society was the CSS Charleston which was launched in 1864 and was the flagship of the squadron on the South Carolina coast under the command of Isaac N. Brown. Like the Palmetto State, the CSS Charleston was destroyed when Charleston was evacuated. The Society was also instrumental in launching the CSS Atlanta and the CSS Georgia. This broadside is likely unique: not in Parrish & Willingham, NUC, OCLA, or Hummel.    $2,000- 3000