The Opelousas Courier - Le Courrier Des Opelousas, Louisiana Newspaper April 18, 1863

THE OPELOUSAS COURIER - LE COURRIER DES OPELOUSAS. Louisiana, April 18, 1863. Vol. 11 - No. 20. Not only is this a wallpaper edition, but it is a double-sheet, bilingual newspaper. It is almost twice the dimension of the typical newspaper with the left half in English and the right half in French with both having their individual mastheads. There is some civil war news in the first column, but it is mostly ads including an illustration of a runaway slave woman. Quite scare and in vg condition measuring 26 3/4 x 19 1/2 inches. Usual minor wear of light foxing and minor margin stain. We have never owned the combined English and French versions of this newspaper on one sheet.

"Founded in 1852, the Opelousas Courier / Le Courrier des Opelousas was published in a small but historically significant town on the so called "Cajun Prairie" of south-central Louisiana. Established in 1720 as a French trading post, Opelousas developed into a regional cattle and farming center. In 1862, during the Civil War, it served briefly as Louisiana's capital after the state legislature abandoned Baton Rouge. In April 1863, occupying Union forces took over the Courier and edited it for a week. A shortage of newsprint resulted in it suspending publication for short periods during the war; some issues were printed on wallpaper." (Library of Congress)