Women and children greet their loved ones as African-American soldiers muster out of the military in Little Rock, Arkansas. The men were probably part of the nine units of "colored troops" which originated in that state. An estimated 180 - 200,000 African-American men served in the Union forces. Thousands of other men and women helped the Union by working as scouts and nurses at the front and blacksmiths, cooks and stevedores in the rear.

Alfred Waud sketched the scene for Harper's Weekly. Because cameras could not capture action, the public depended on sketch artists to depict battles and other animated scenes. Waud, an English immigrant, became recognized as the most skilled illustrator of Civil War battles, including Gettysburg and the Wilderness Campaign.

The medium is 1 drawing on green paper: pencil and Chinese white. It was published in Harper's Weekly on May 19, 1866. J.P. Morgan gave the drawing to the Library of Congress in 1919.

MEDIUM: 1 drawing on green paper : pencil and Chinese white

CREATED/PUBLISHED: [1866]

CREATOR: Waud, Alfred R. (Alfred Rudolph), 1828-1891, artist.

NOTES: Published in Harper's Weekly, v. 10, 1866 May 19, p. 308. Gift, J.P. Morgan, 1919.
Prints & Photographs Division

Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 weeks.

Product #: afamsomuouta