Bull Run Russell in his True Part at Last

This cartoon references Bombastes Furioso, a “a burlesque tragic opera,” which was popular in the nineteenth century. In Bombastes Furioso, King Artaxaminous wishes to leave his wife for Distaffina, who is betrothed to General Bombaste. Artaxaminous offers Distaffina half of his crown, and Distaffina accepts. When Bombastes discovers the betrayal, he goes mad and hangs his boots from a tree and challenges anyone to remove them. Artaxaminous cuts down the boots, and Bombastes kills him. Fusbos, the minister of state, then kills Bombastes. The cartoon, published in Harper’s Weekly on March 29, 1862, portrays Lord John Russell, the British foreign secretary during the Civil War, as General Bombastes.