The War for the Union, 1862 - A Bayonet Charge

The War for the Union, 1862 - A Bayonet Charge by Winslow Homer is a striking wood engraving created in the second year of the American Civil War. Serving as a special artist and correspondent for Harper’s Weekly, Homer utilized the medium of wood engraving to translate battlefield actions into widely consumable images for the Northern public in the United States. This early print captures the brutal immediacy of close-quarters combat, depicting a desperate surge of Union infantry executing a bayonet charge.

The composition relies on dynamic diagonal tension and dense grouping of figures to convey the sheer force and terror of the advance. Unlike the artist's more measured oil paintings, this work showcases the raw, journalistic perspective required of a wartime illustrator working directly from the front lines. The technique of wood engraving facilitated the rapid reproduction necessary for illustrated periodicals, making Homer’s early visual interpretations instrumental in shaping contemporary understanding of the conflict.

Homer’s focus on the individual soldier’s experience within the larger mechanized warfare is evident in the detailed rendering of uniforms, equipment, and facial expressions of strain and determination. As a key early contribution to American visual documentation of the Civil War, this work established Homer’s reputation for unflinching realism. Today, documentation and high-quality prints of this important piece, which frequently enters the public domain due to its age and original distribution, remain vital resources for historical study. The War for the Union, 1862 - A Bayonet Charge is preserved in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.