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Broadside, folio sheet, 43 x 35.5 cm. The bold caption title, followed by three long columns of text. Old fold lines, archivally repaired on verso along the horizontal fold, breaks filled in with Japanese paper (a bit of loss to a word or two of text), scattered pencil marks in margins; some shallow chipping along bottom edge of broadside. Signed in type by B.K. & H.B. Tully, September 27th, 1865. The partnership of B.K. & H.B. Tully, of Russellville, Kentucky, state that they purchased a flock of Goats "imported to this country in 1857 by Mr. Brown, United States Consul residing at Constantinople in Turkey. In 1860 Mr. Brown made a second importation of Cashmere Goats; the whole of which flock, together with their entire offspring, we also purchased. From 1859 to the present time, we have been continually engaged in raising, crossing, grading, feeding and sale of these Goats." The farms had available for purchase several hundred, both pure blood and cross strains. Information on raising, feeding, yield of the fleece, value of the wool and manufacture into fabric, etc. are given, followed by testimonials. The Tullys were pioneers in the breeding of Cashmere goats in America before and during the Civil War. Though Kentucky at first attempted to stay neutral during the war, Russellville, Kentucky was in the portion of the state which was sympathetic to the Confederate cause. In November 1861 a convention of delegates met there to form a provisional government. They passed a secession ordinance, made Bowling Green the capital of the newly created "state" and were admitted to the Confederacy becoming the thirteenth star on the Southern flag. Soon occupied by Union troops, this shadow state's existence was relatively brief. This broadside was published just a few short months after the war ended. According to the Agricultural Reports for the year 1865, [House Documents, Vol. 12, (GPO: 1865)], p. 542: "In connexion with wools, mention may be made of a contribution recently received from B.K. Tully, Russellville, Kentucky, of very beautiful specimens from the fleeces of the Cashmere goat, together with fabrics of various qualities made from the same. The locks are from eight to ten inches long, some of them brilliantly dyed, and of the texture of the finest satin floss. The fabrics made from these fleeces seem very firm, even, strong, and durable. A specimen of the yarn is exhibited, spun on a common flax wheel, and measuring 16,800 yards of single thread to the pound of wool." The U.S. Consul John Porter Brown, from whom the Tullys purchased their initial flocks, spent some 40 years in Turkey and is considered one of the first Asian specialists in the foreign service, fluent in several languages and a publisher of scholarly works on the area. No listings found on OCLC.
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