The War for the Union, 1862—A Bayonet Charge

"The War for the Union, 1862—A Bayonet Charge," a powerful wood engraving on paper, was created by Winslow Homer (American, 1836-1910) and published in 1862 by Harper's Weekly. This illustration reached millions of readers across the United States, offering a dramatic, often brutal, visual report on the realities of the American Civil War. As a staff illustrator and occasional war correspondent, Homer focused on moments of intense combat and soldier life, quickly earning recognition for his raw realism and unsentimental approach to the conflict.

The piece captures the chaotic intensity of close-quarters fighting during a bayonet charge, one of the most terrifying scenarios in mid-nineteenth-century warfare. Utilizing the high-contrast technique characteristic of wood engraving, Homer depicts Union soldiers pressing forward against an unseen enemy, their bayonets fixed and their silhouettes stark against the background. The composition emphasizes the kinetic energy and bodily commitment required of the infantrymen, capturing a visceral, immediate action rather than an idealized, sweeping battle narrative.

Homer's tenure at the highly influential Harper’s Weekly established him as one of the preeminent visual chroniclers of the era. The rapid dissemination of such prints was essential for shaping public opinion and illustrating the unfolding conflict for citizens back home who relied on periodicals for news. This significant print, a key document of 19th-century American culture, resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Due to the era of its creation and its initial wide publication, this image is frequently found among digitized resources, making these historic prints readily accessible to modern audiences through the public domain.