General Lee at Cashtown, PA
July 1, 1863


As so many students of the civil war have learned, the battle of Gettysburg has an irresistible attraction. After 135 years of Gettysburg-related artworks, there are still so many scenes that beg to be painted - or painted as I believe they really occurred. With the 135th anniversary of the battle pending, I again visited Gettysburg and the Cashtown Inn.

While there, I thought about the events that took place on the road outside the Inn's front door - of all the marching Confederate troops, their officers, and General Lee. I imagined the pageantry and drama of this moment and decided it would make a powerful and memorable picture.

Lee and his staff had passed the inn at Cashtown on the morning of July 1st as General Anderson's Brigade was moving along the road. Several bands went by the inn that day, and I thought of a scene similar to Stonewall Jackson's triumphant entry at Winchester, Virginia in 1862, which was the subject of my painting, Jackson Enters Winchester.

It had rained the night before, which kept the dust down, and the morning's mist had given way to a bright sunny day. This gave a chance use the contrasts of light and shade to create a dramatic effect. I deliberately put Lee in shade to create the greatest contrast of light and dark between the black of the underside of Lee's hat against the white of the sunlight on the side of the porch. This brings the eye immediately to Lee, the center of interest.

Although he was concerned about the battle unfolding without him ahead at Gettysburg, Lee at this point had such high hopes. What lay ahead? The light of victory or the darkness of defeat? Lee could not know, but at this moment he hoped so much for a victory that would end this bloodiest of American wars.

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