Panel Three - Civil War

This panel is based on the battle of Gettysburg. As the Confederate Army marched from Seminary Ridge, the focal point was a clump of trees – later referred to as the Copse of Trees. Near the stone wall at the angle was a single tree. If you’ve visited the battlefield, you probably recognize it. The fiercest fighting of the battle on July 3, 1863 took place right around this tree that is showcased in the panel. It is a symbol of the climax of the Battle of Gettysburg and heavy losses.

The clear blue sky implies a beautiful day, which is in direct contrast to the fierce, bloody battle that is taking place. From the top to the bottom of the panel, the attitude changes. There are two soldiers – one fighting for the Union and the other fighting for the Confederacy. Pickett’s charge was led by the Confederates, ordered by Robert E. Lee, and lasted for less than an hour. You can see in the background a row of tents that has been abandoned. The battle has been over for a while. The tree in this panel is the landmark of where the charge broke the Union line, the only place where that happened. The Union line held, and this scene portrays the fatal consequence of hand-to-hand combat.

The tree has a few bullet holes and can be considered a “witness tree”. The Union soldier is holding on to the Confederate soldier in an awkward stance, as if they fell down together. The image implies that the two soldiers are related. Their hair color is the same, and their eye color is the same. Is it possible they are brothers? This scene was drawn to show how the Civil War broke our country apart. Family members and friends drew blood from each other on the battlefield. The Confederate soldier has a mortal abdominal wound, and there’s a lot of blood. The artists chose to feature this to show the reality of war.

The position of the soldiers’ heads is significant. The Confederate soldier looks younger. He has no facial hair and has a very youthful appearance. His mouth is open as if taking his last breath, and he’s looking up toward heaven. The older brother is looking in the direction of the remaining panels. This could be interpreted as him calling for help, or it could be implied that he can never look back. Either way, the older brother is looking in the same direction as George Washington is in the initial panel – toward the future.

There’s a rifle featured on the left side. It looks as though the older brother threw down his rifle to embrace his younger brother one final time. Compared to the rifle in the first panel, there are subtle changes. War is always advancing in technology and being waged differently. The type of rifle suggests it is a Union soldier’s weapon because the North far surpassed the South in their capability of mass production.