453. THE BLACK HAWK CHRONICLE A very rare and perhaps unique privately-printed Brown Water Navy newspaper poking fun at the Confederate situation in the beleaguered city of Vicksburg in The Black Hawk Chronicle, Monday, June 29, 1863, 2pp. folio. The first article entitled The Situation reads, in part: "...the thermometer stands at 105 in the ice house...bombs bursting in the air...Generals riding around and sweating at every pore...Joe Johnson [is] in the rear looking severely at his generals...Jeff Davis is in a quandary, niggers all running to be soldiers...many encomiums are passed on the people of Vicksburg for their stubborn holding out...we have destroyed all the enemy's transportation up the Yazoo; he cannot get provisions...our gunboats patrol up and down that river...our Reporter has heard...that a tremendous mine of 60,000 barrels of powder is being placed...where Joe Johnson come. Good-by to his army...". More interesting content with an amusing story about a conversation between a Union and Confederate soldier, the hanging of Rebel officers, the sinking of the USS Cincinnati and of destroying the battery that sunk her and of salvaging the Indianola. A rather sadistic advertisement reads, in part: "...Notice to our customers! On Monday...there will be opened a large supply of MORTAR SHELLS...and our customers in Vicksburg will be supplied at the usual prices...owing to the quantity thrown into the market, we can afford to let our old friends have their choice...the AIR BUSTERS are preferred by some, but the HOUSE SMASHERS are decidedly the most popular...". The first we have seen and from the personal archive of the USS Black Hawk's commander, Lt. Commander K. Randolph Breese. Very good condition. $800-1,000