This fantastic pen and ink sketch is an original done by Allen Christian Redwood better known in Civil War and art circles simply as A. C. Redwood. The sketch shows Confederate soldiers preparing to cross the Potomac River at the start of the Gettysburg Campaign. The artwork focuses on a group of seven Confederate soldiers consisting of one officer and six enlisted men.

The first two soldiers the eye is drawn to stand on the low bank of a ford looking into the river where some shadowy forms of men can be seen in the process of crossing. The man on the right wears a forage cap with a dark band around its base and a slightly up turned visor. His trouser legs are pulled up to mid-thigh exposing his muscular legs. His upper body is covered with equipment. He has a double bag knapsack on his back with his canteen and haversack on the left side of his back and his cartridge box on the right. Also suspended from his waist belt is his bayonet and scabbard on which he seems have hung his boiler. A blanket roll hangs over the top of his knapsack. His right arm supports his musket over his right shoulder and in his left hand he carries his brogans. His bearded companion wears a light slouch hat at a jaunty angle and a gray shell jacket and white shirt. He has totally removed his trousers as the long white shirt tail can be see hanging down to mid-thigh. With his right hand he holds his rifle over his right shoulder. Suspended from the rifle is his waist belt with bayonet and scabbard. His trousers are draped over his left arm and he also wears a knapsack with a blanket roll over it. A cartridge box sling is visible but the box is hidden by the blanket roll.

Behind these two figures are two other privates, one is seated talking to another who stands next to him. The seated soldier wears a beat up high crowned slouch hat, jacket and trousers with the legs tucked into his socks above his brogans. He wears all his accoutrements as well as a knapsack. His rifle leans against him. The soldier he is speaking to wears a forage cap with a dark band around its base, jacket and trousers with a thin leg stripe. He leans forward on his rifle as he talks to his seated companion. This soldier wears all his accoutrements also but they are a bit different. His double bag knapsack has the blanket roll attached at top from which his boiler hangs. Also, a good view of his cartridge box shows it to be of the English pattern.

The left foreground is dominated by a seated soldier with his rifle resting on the ground next to him. He wears a light-colored straw hat with a dark band around the base of the crown, jacket, trousers and brogans. The soldier is in the process of tucking his trousers into his socks. He wears a knapsack with blanket roll as well as all his accoutrements.

In the background a young soldier stands next to a bearded officer. The young soldier wears a slouch hat pushed to the back of his head and stands with his legs spread leaning on a carbine or two banded rifle. He wears his blanket roll and all his equipment. The officer wears a slouch hat, frock coat and trousers with waist belt and rectangular plate. He holds his sword over his right shoulder and hanging from the sword is a blanket or spare garment.

This well-known and often published sketch can be seen in numerous books on the battle of Gettysburg to include “BATTLES & LEADERS OF THE CIVIL WAR,” the Time-Life “GETTYBURG” volume, “GETTYSBURG: THE FINAL FURY,” “THEY MET AT GETTYSBURG” and many other Gettysburg and Civil War classics.

The sketch meas. approx. 13.00 x 11.00 inches with a “dog-leg” cut in the lower right corner. This cut is original and shows up in the reproductions of this sketch published in some of the books mentioned above. Sketch is also signed “A.C.R.” in this corner.

The overall condition is excellent. The thin paper has been attached to a black paper backing of unknown composition. It seems to be tacked in the corners with some adhesive and with the proper tools it can probably be re-backed with acid free material. The edge of the paper shows some light wear from age and there is an old chip at bottom center. Edges also show some minor separations from handling over the years. Upper left corner has an old two-digit number in red ink. These are all minor and do not detract from the grandeur and history of the artwork.

Allen Christian Redwood was born on June 17, 1844 at Prospect Hill Plantation in Lancaster County, Virginia and was educated at academies in Baltimore, Maryland, and at the Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, New York. Shortly after his seventeenth birthday he enlisted in Company C, 55th Virginia Infantry. At Mechanicsville, in June 1862, he received a slight wound. At the Second Battle of Manassas, he was taken prisoner, but eventually exchanged. At Chancellorsville, in May 1863, he was stunned by a shell explosion. At Gettysburg, on July 3, 1863, he was shot through his right arm. In January 1864, he transferred to Company C, 1st Maryland Cavalry and that May he had his horse shot from under him at Pollard's Farm. He was captured again, near Somerton, Virginia, in April 1865, and in July 1865 he finally took the oath of allegiance.

After the war, he became an artist and writer residing in Port Conway, Virginia. He wrote articles in various magazines and illustrated them in oil and water colors. He also illustrated articles written by others in publications such as THE CENTURY and HARPER'S magazines. Redwood never married.

Allen C. Redwood died in Asheville, North Carolina on Christmas Eve of 1922. At his funeral he had an honorary escort of prominent Asheville citizens and uniformed members of the Zeb Vance Camp, United Confederate Veterans. He was laid to rest in Ashville’s Riverside Cemetery.  [ad]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS,

CLICK ON ‘CONTACT US’ AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE,

THEN ON ‘LAYAWAY POLICY’.