1863

The Great "Cannon Game." Punch, Volume 44, May 9, 1863, p. 191

An exasperated Abraham Lincoln fumes at Jefferson Davis' successful run on the billiard table, while Davis gloats over his latest score: "Hurrah for Charleston; that's another to me." A series of Northern reverses on land had been capped by the April 7, 1863, failure of Admiral du Pont's naval expedition to capture Charleston. In the hazy background, Mr. Punch warily eyes the two antagonists.

English billiards is played on a specially marked table using only three balls: white, spot white, and red. Players score points by pocketing balls ("hazards") or by hitting both other balls with the cue ball (called "cannons," or caroms). The caption to this cartoon makes a play on the game's terminology, at the same time referring to the hazards of battle and the exchange of cannon fire at Charleston.