Life in Camp, Part 2: Fording

Life in Camp, Part 2: Fording is a striking color lithograph created by Winslow Homer in 1864, offering a direct, unromanticized glimpse into the daily trials faced by Union soldiers during the American Civil War. Executed when Homer was working extensively as an illustrator and documenting military life, this print was published by L. Prang & Co., making it a widely distributed piece of wartime visual history.

Homer focuses not on battle, but on the practical logistics and discomfort of camp movement. The composition features a line of infantry men carefully traversing a stream. To protect their essential gear, the soldiers have removed their heavy boots and are shown wading barefoot through the water, holding their shoes and socks aloft. This intimate focus on the effort required to keep footwear and uniforms dry highlights the continuous physical strain placed upon the men. Homer’s choice to depict the tedious process of the crossing, rather than heroic action, grounds the work in realism and the specific hardships of the campaign trail.

The use of the color lithograph medium was key to distributing Homer’s imagery quickly and widely, contributing significantly to public perception of the war beyond official reports. As a seminal work from the artist’s Civil War period, it is an important example of 19th-century American prints. This particular impression of Life in Camp, Part 2: Fording is held within the distinguished collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.