There were thousands of newspapers in business throughout the country, and some of the smaller newspapers relied on the larger papers to get the story to its readers. Newspaper companies that had a large circulation could afford to employ artists to illustrate the battles and draw portraits of officers for the paper. One of the more famous battlefield artists was Alfred R. Waud, the man seated on the boulder in the photo above. This photograph of Mr. Waud at work was taken near Devil's Den at Gettysburg soon after the battle.
Alfred Waud was one of several correspondents and artists who traveled with the army and made true to life sketches to document battles and campaigns. Edwin Forbes, James E. Taylor, and Theodore Davis were some of the other artists. Each man was sponsored by a newspaper or news service, eager to supply the American public with the latest illustrated news from the front. Illustrating the War
Soldier Artists Charles Reed, who had served as a member of the 9th Massachusetts Battery, was also an illustrator. Reed drew for fun during the war, highlighting his experiences as a bugler with the battery, drawing the battles he was in, and sketching the places he had been. Reed was employed as an artist after the war and provided illustrations for one of the best books ever written about soldier life called Hardtack and Coffee, or the Unwritten Story of Army Life, written by John Billings and published in 1887. Reed's southern counterpart was Allen C. Redwood, who served in the 55th Virginia Infantry. Trained as an artist before the war broke out, Redwood sketched scenes of camp life that he sent home to illustrate his life as a soldier. A serious wound to his elbow at Gettysburg nearly cost him his artistic career, but he recovered. After the war, Redwood settled in Baltimore and then moved to New York where he drew and painted realistic portraits of Confederate soldier life based on his experiences in the 55th Virginia. Many of Redwood's paintings are on display in the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond. It's hard to imagine today, but in the 1860's, newspapers and book publishers used artists and their drawings to illustrate publications. Photography was still in its infancy at that time and the process to transfer photographs to newsprint had not yet been developed. These old sketches and illustrations are as much relics of the Civil War period as are the old bullets and rusting canteens of that era. Many of America's finest illustrators and artists worked for 19th Century newspapers before they became well known for their art. |
Kids Zone Exhibits
Battle of Gettysburg
Civil War Timeline
Confederate Flags
Civil War Cooking
Civil War Exhibits
Women in the War
Young Reader Books
Civil War Store
![]() The Boys War With the many boys who fought in the civil war most of them lied about their age. A lot of them wrote letters or had a diary. Johnny Clem had run away from his home at 11. At age 12 he tried to enlist but they refused to let him join because he was clearly too young. The next day he came back to join as a drummer boy. |
![]() The Civil War for Kids History explodes in this activity guide spanning the turmoil preceding secession, the first shots fired at Fort Sumter, the fierce battles on land and sea, and finally the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. Making butternut dye for a Rebel uniform, learning drills and signals with flags, decoding wigwag, baking hardtack, reenacting battles, and making a medicine kit bring this pivotal period in our nation's history to life. |
![]() Behind the Blue and Gray: The Soldier's Life in the Civil War Civil War reading can be very dry, but not this book. Delia Ray takes us on a soldiers journey beginning with enlistment and ending with a soldiers life after the war, using quotes from actual letters and diaries strategically placed throughout the book. |
![]() The Big Book of the Civil War: Fascinating Facts About the Civil War, Including Historic Photographs, Maps, and Documents |
![]() The Battle of First Bull Run: The Civil War Begins Three months after the shelling of Fort Sumter, Union and Confederate forces met for the first time in earnest combat. However, neither side was prepared at this early stage of the war, and confusion reigned on the battlefield |
![]() Epic Battles of the Civil War Historical Comics Marvel, First Bull Run First major batle of the War. The union army marched from Washington, D.C. with the expectation that following this battle they would proceed to Richmond Virginia, and end the war. Instead, the Union Army was defeated |
![]() The Civil War Songbook This collection of "War Between the States" music has been the standard one in the re-enacting circuit for many years now. The sheet music is published just as it was originally and it contains some of the best known classic songs. |
![]() Voice of Freedom: A Story About Frederick Douglass Interesting for both children and adults, this book does much to evoke the strong-minded, highly-principled person who inspired so many others |
![]() Civil War Historic 1000-piece Puzzle The famous faces and fearsome facts of the Civil War are captured in this 1,000-piece cardboard puzzle for Civil War buffs and serious puzzle fans. |
![]() 22 Piece Civil War Gettysburg General Robert E Lee Headquarters Plastic Army Men Playset with 54mm 1/32nd Union and Confederate Soldier Figures, Building, Cannon |
Civil War Stratego
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![]() Burnside Bridge Plastic Army Men Playset 2.5 feet long with TEN 2inch Great looking bridge play set with 5 Union and 5 Confederate Soldier Figures. Bridge comes unassembled with 22 pieces and snaps and slides together easily |
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![]() House Divided Board Game
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Monitor 21" Civil War Ship Wood Model Fully Assembled
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![]() American Civil War Poker Playing Cards Playing Cards commenmorating the AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, featuring great portraits of statesmen, generals and fighting men, as well as graphics scenes of battle in color. Evocative images from the Library of Congress are featured on all 54 cards |
![]() 20 piece Civil War Artillery Playset Civil War Artillery Set: 20 piece set includes 12 Artillery Crew Figures in Blue and Gray that stand up to 58mm tall, 4 Parrott Rifle Gun Cannon about 4 inches long, and 4 Cannonball stacks |
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![]() Robert E Lee CSA 12 inch Action Figure by Dragon |
![]() Civil War Nurse Barbie Part of the American Stories Collection. She comes with her own storybook and wears a costume of the times. Go back to Gettysburg, (1863), where Barbie tends to the wounded soldiers. She comes with a nurse's cape, cap, bag, stand and small storybook. |
Civil War chess set Painted civil war chess set. Dimensions: Chess set pieces: 3-1/4" King's; 1-1/8" bases |
![]() Civil War Union Cavalry: 25 Piece Set
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National Park Service
Gettysburg National Military Park
97 Taneytown Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325