Harry, the innocent contraband
1863
Edwin Forbes sketched this heartbreaking scene during the American Civil War in 1863, capturing a young boy named Harry fast asleep on the cold ground outside a wooden structure. The term 'contraband' was used by Union forces to describe escaped slaves seeking refuge, and this exhausted child likely found temporary safety near the army lines. Forbes, an official artist for the war, used his pencil to document the harsh realities faced by civilians, turning a simple moment of rest into a powerful historical record that humanizes the conflict.
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