The Angel of the Battlefield

The Angel of the Battlefield
Clara Barton with Walt Whitman at Chatham, December 15, 1862
   Following the Battle of Fredericksburg in December of 1862, Clara Barton tended to hundreds of wounded men at a field hospital that had been established at the Lacy House, also known as Chatham. Lying among the sea of bloody blue uniforms were a number of gray-clad wounded in need. One rebel, Captain Thurman Thomas of the 13th Mississippi Volunteers, was caught behind enemy lines, but grateful for the mercy he received. Barton treated the wounded Confederate with the same care and concern that she employed with her own boys. Her act of charity for Thomas and his companions echoed the sentiment that true compassion drew no political distinction. Throughout the remainder of the war she routinely helped soldiers from both sides and those who survived regarded her as their savior.
   While most Civil War artists  have directed their attention strictly toward painting battle scenes, Mort Kunstler's focus often goes beyond the battlefield to tell a more intimate story of those who experienced the Civil War up-close and personal.  Free Shipping.