The crossing of the Rapidan at Germanna Ford, May 5, 1864–Wilderness campaign
1864
Edwin Forbes sketched this bustling scene right in the middle of the American Civil War, capturing the massive Union army crossing the Rapidan River to kick off the brutal Wilderness Campaign in May 1864. You can see a long line of covered wagons carefully navigating the water while thousands of troops swarm the hills in the background, with smoke already rising from the distant treeline. As a special artist correspondent, Forbes traveled with the Army of the Potomac to document the gritty reality of war, turning chaotic military maneuvers into vivid historical records.
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