The Union Cavalry and Artillery Starting in Pursuit of the Rebels up the Yorktown Turnpike (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. VI)

The Union Cavalry and Artillery Starting in Pursuit of the Rebels up the Yorktown Turnpike (from "Harper's Weekly," Vol. VI) is a significant early work by Winslow Homer, executed in 1862. This powerful image was created as a wood engraving, a crucial medium for journalistic illustration and mass communication during the American Civil War. Homer, acting as an artist-correspondent for the popular illustrated magazine, captured the active involvement of the Union Army during the Peninsula Campaign in Virginia.

The composition focuses on the rush and vigor of military movement. Homer depicts the chaotic but determined start of the pursuit, showing columns of mounted men, the cavalry, alongside supporting artillery teams and their horses, pressing forward. The reliance on the relief printing technique, characteristic of wood engraving, lends the scene a sharp, graphic immediacy suitable for rapid reproduction. Homer’s detailed rendering of the men and the organized movement of the large animals provides a valuable firsthand glimpse into the reality faced by soldiers during the conflict.

As one of the era’s most effective documentarians, Homer often centered his early works on the specific duties and actions of the Army, moving beyond generic battle scenes to focus on human and animal interaction under pressure. This work remains a historically vital print detailing the crucial early years of the American Civil War. Classified specifically as a wood engraving, the piece resides within the extensive collection of prints and drawings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its historical importance means that high-resolution images of this print are often available through public domain initiatives, ensuring widespread access to Homer’s crucial Civil War documentation.