This replica of an original civil war poster is one of
many electronic exhibitions on the the Valley of the
Shadow archives. The display provides an example of the tension
between rhetoric and philosophy. Click
here to see the full-size replica. The document embodies
a near perfect mixture of documentary and exhibitionary elements of the
electronic archive. The poster is entirely legible, and thus conveys its
meaning to the viewer -- a $30 reward for the arrest of deserters, who
may be court-marshalled upon their return. But as important
as the content is the form of the information presented. The wrinkles
and creases of the original are reproduced electronically with almost three-dimensional,
tactile qualities. This rhetorical device is pleasurable for
the viewer. It also establishes authenticity. The formal presentation creates
verisimilitude. The pleasure, authenticity and verisimilitude
complement the philosophy conveyed -- the potential courtmarshall of the
missing soldiers seems real; the possible explanations for a soldier's
desertion may come more vividly to mind. Was the "Feigned sickness" a
result of failed courage? See Red Badge of Courage. Perhaps
the deserters objected to the philosophical cause, even sympathized with
the enemy (the emancipators). The moral issues are presented dramatically.
In addressing such issues, the viewer oscillates between the rhetoric
and the binary philosophies. Perhaps the deserted soldiers themselves
objected to the "rhetoric" of the dispute -- i.e., violence
and death. The form of the information also allows a viewer to sympathize
with the author of the poster. He is a man doing his job, the fruits
of which we can almost touch. Significantly, the presentation of
the replica without commentary creates a neutral and authentic text.
