Life in Camp, Part 1: Building Castles; Hard Tack; Upset His Coffee; Water Call; A Shell is Coming; Riding on a Rail; Surgeons Call; An Unwelcome Visit; Late for Roll Call; Stuck in the Mud; The Guard House; Tossing in a Blanket

Life in Camp, Part 1: Building Castles; Hard Tack; Upset His Coffee; Water Call; A Shell is Coming; Riding on a Rail; Surgeons Call; An Unwelcome Visit; Late for Roll Call; Stuck in the Mud; The Guard House; Tossing in a Blanket is a significant color lithograph created by Winslow Homer in 1864. This print, a composite genre scene focusing on the daily realities of the American Civil War soldier, features twelve small, captioned vignettes illustrating the routine and occasional disorder of military life away from the battlefield. Homer, working as an artist correspondent during the conflict, captured both the necessary discipline and the brief moments of shared humanity among the men.

The collection of scenes offers a detailed look at the Union soldiers’ routine, covering activities from mundane consumption, such as the struggle with inedible "Hard Tack," and essential duties like the "Water Call," to humorous or disciplinary moments like "Upset His Coffee," "The Guard House," and being punished by "Riding on a Rail." Many of the men are depicted relaxing, often smoking pipes or cigarettes while coping with the tedium and discomforts of camp life, sometimes punctuated by real danger, as suggested by the vignette "A Shell is Coming."

Homer’s decision to execute this work as a color lithograph allowed these detailed, observational illustrations to be reproduced and widely distributed to the public during the war, defining the home front’s perception of the common soldier. The piece emphasizes the camaraderie and resilience of the men. This visual documentation of 19th-century American history was crucial in establishing Homer’s early reputation before he transitioned primarily to oil painting. As a key example of American graphic art produced during the war, this important print resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.