Adalbert J. Volck (1828-1912): Confederate dentist, artist and anti-Lincoln satirist

Dr. Adalbert Volck, a native of Bavaria, Germany, was a man of many talents: he was a skilled, innovative and versatile dentist, artist, artisan, craftsman, and a Confederate Civil War cartoonist and caricaturist. In 1848, after participating in a national revolution gone sour, Volck emigrated to the U.S. In 1852, Volck received his DDS degree from the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, and subsequently, he established a life-long residency and dental practice in Baltimore. Dr. Volck gave staunch support to the spirit and force of organized dentistry. Among his professional accomplishments was his work in the early development of dental porcelain restorations. Although he was a non-combatant in the U.S. Civil War, Volck demonstrated his loyalty to the Southern cause by becoming a blockade runner; smuggler of drugs and medical supplies; "safe house" operator for Confederate soldiers and agents; Rebel spy; and personal courier for Jefferson Davis (the President of the Confederacy). The popular anti-Confederacy political cartoons of the great Thomas Nast inspired Volck to execute similar lampoons against the Union. Early in the war, Volck, through his caricatures, attacked the person and policies of President Lincoln and his Northern leaders. By using irony, sarcasm and ridicule, Volck attempted to sway popular sentiment toward the South.