The Advance Guard of the Grand Army of the United States Crossing the Long Bridge over the Potomac at 2 A.M. on May 24, 1861

The Advance Guard of the Grand Army of the United States Crossing the Long Bridge over the Potomac at 2 A.M. on May 24, 1861, is an essential historical wood engraving created by Winslow Homer (American, 1836-1910) and published in the influential periodical Harper's Weekly. Issued during the tumultuous early weeks of the Civil War, this print immediately conveyed the urgency of the Union cause, documenting the critical moment when Federal troops secured the strategic territory of Alexandria, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington D.C.

Homer, serving as a special correspondent and staff illustrator, used the medium of wood engraving on paper to depict the shadowy column of soldiers marching silently across the Long Bridge. The subject matter captures the seriousness and scale of the midnight military operation, utilizing sharp contrasts of light and shadow inherent to the printmaking technique to emphasize the darkness of the hour and the few points of light provided by lanterns carried by the advance guard. This early work establishes Homer’s commitment to naturalistic, unromanticized scenes of army life, often focusing on the operational rather than the heroic dimensions of conflict.

As a print distributed widely across the United States, this image provided crucial visual documentation to a populace hungry for updates from the front. The publication within Harper’s Weekly ensured its rapid dissemination and impact. Although Homer would later achieve fame for his celebrated oil paintings, his illustrative works offer invaluable insights into the daily realities of the Civil War. This historical piece is classified as a print and resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a key example of 19th-century American illustration. Prints of this significant work are widely studied and often exist within the public domain.