Dating from 1888, the N78 Heroes Of The Civil War Card Set consists of fifty (50) cards, 2 5/8" x 1 1/2", and an absolutely spectacular 56-page Album, 10 3/8 X 6 3/4". These items were originally offered as premiums by the W. Duke & Sons Tobacco Company. Each card presents a color lithograph of a prominent Civil War general, backed by thin attached pages providing a concise history of their role in the war; the fifty cards are divided equally between Union and Confederate generals. The Album provides additional lithographs, including action scenes, supported by vivid textual descriptions. This magnificent group is widely considered to be the most desirable of all non-sports card sets, and it is highly unusual to find an offer of a set in its entirety. That the extremely scarce Album / Premium Book is included in the set makes this, literally, a "once-in-a-lifetime" find. Condition of the cards ranges from VG to NRMT and average EX, with the key General Robert E. Lee and U.S. Grant cards rated as EX. Of the fifty cards, only a handful show light creasing, and 2-3 have small pinholes. The extremely rare Album is EX-MT+, with only a bit of wear at the spine and slight rounding of the corners. The interior pages are pristine, and it is likely that the album was rarely opened. An opportunity to own perhaps the finest known complete set of these historically significant items.