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Convalescent Soldiers Passing Through Washington to Join Their Regiments

A hand-colored print on the cover of Harper’s Weekly, showing convalescent soldiers passing through Washington in 1862. On foot and horseback, the soldiers wear blue uniforms, and carry bags, canteens, and a rifle. The half-finished Capitol dome is visible in the background./tiles/collection/6/6941.xml
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A hand-colored print on the cover of Harper’s Weekly, showing convalescent soldiers passing through Washington in 1862. On foot and horseback, the soldiers wear blue uniforms, and carry bags, canteens, and a rifle. The half-finished Capitol dome is visible in the background.
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Date

1862-11-15

Artist

Johannes Adam Simon Oertel

Publication

Harper's Weekly

Publisher

Harper & Brothers

Dimensions

22 1/2 × 17 in. (57.2 × 43.2 cm) Framed: 24 1/16 × 18 3/4 in. (61.1 × 47.6 cm)

Accession Number

2004.081.000

Credit Line

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives

Object Details

Artist-journalist Johannes Oertel showed the effects of the ongoing Civil War in this 1862 image. Describing the scene of men released from medical care, he said, “[T]hey were on their way to the railway station near the Capitol, and belonged to different regiments, representing nearly all the states, and were in every variety of garb. You will perceive they are not in Broadway fashion. The soldier who has seen service is a different looking object from the trim gent he was when he left home.” The half-built Capitol dome in the background hints at the unfinished job ahead for these recovered soldiers and the United States Army.

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Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov