Kelly’s Ford – Stonemans raid, April 21st 1863
1863
Edwin Forbes captured a rare quiet moment during the American Civil War in this field sketch of Stoneman's Raid at Kelly's Ford. In the foreground, exhausted Union soldiers and their pack mules take a much-needed breather, with some men even lying down to rest, while cavalry troops gather in the middle distance. The scene feels surprisingly peaceful with rolling hills and a lone farmhouse, but the little numbers scattered across the landscape reveal Forbes was actually mapping out troop movements for a future engraving.