This scene portrays Confederate army units withdrawing from Maryland, apparently after the Battle of Monocacy, with the caption noting they were “taking away booty seized from the enemy.”

In 1864, elements of the warring armies again met in Maryland, although this time the scope and size of the battle was much smaller than had been the case earlier. The Battle of Monocacy was fought on July 9, just outside Frederick, as part of the Valley Campaign of 1864.  The battle was part of Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Early's raid through the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland, attempting to divert Union forces away from Gen. Robert E. Lee's army under siege at Petersburg, Virginia. Early defeated Union troops under Maj. Gen Lew Wallace, but Wallace delayed Early for nearly a full day, buying enough time for Ulysses S. Grant to send reinforcements from the Army of the Potomac to the defense of Washington, preventing Confederate forces from taking the nation’s capital.

This is a contemporary page from the French press (Le Monde Illustré) from August 20, 1864, NOT/NOT a later copy or reproduction. European journalists and illustrators had exceptional access on the ground during the Civil War (with both sides eager to get their story out to European audiences), and European illustrators often worked from direct field accounts. A great piece of Americana, and perfect for framing, an exhibition, or as a gift.   14 in x 10 in. Mailed in a tube.