Rebels Outside Their Works at Yorktown, Reconnoitring [sic] with Dark Lanterns (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. VI)

Rebels Outside Their Works at Yorktown, Reconnoitring [sic] with Dark Lanterns (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. VI) is a powerful early career work by Winslow Homer, dating from 1862. Created during the height of the American Civil War, this striking image was published as a wood engraving in the influential illustrated newspaper, Harper’s Weekly. Homer was employed as an artist-correspondent covering the military movements, and his contributions provided a critical visual record for the Northern public. This piece specifically references the Peninsular Campaign and the Siege of Yorktown.

The composition captures a moment of covert action and tension. It depicts Confederate soldiers, the “Rebels,” scouting the Union lines under the cover of darkness. The title specifies they are "Reconnoitring with Dark Lanterns," a detail Homer expertly renders through the stark contrast between the intense light cast by the handheld lamps and the deep shadows of the nighttime setting. Homer’s skill in depicting the tense atmosphere is evident in the postures of the men, emphasizing the constant danger and psychological strain faced by soldiers during wartime service.

Unlike Homer's later renowned paintings, these early Harper’s Weekly contributions solidified his reputation for accurate reportage and compelling genre scenes. The immediacy inherent in the print format made such American Civil War illustrations accessible to a wide audience across the Union. As a key example of historical reportage transformed into high-quality art, the work is held within the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Given its nature as a widely published historical illustration, many high-resolution prints of this seminal work are now readily accessible.