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The Defenders of the Union
The lithograph The Defenders of the Union, a poignant visual chronicle, encapsulates the gravity of the Civil War's early days through the dignified portrayal of Union generals strategizing the preservation of a nation divided. Created by the firm of Sarony, Major & Knapp in 1861, this lithograph is not merely a representation of military figures; it is a tableau of the pivotal architects of Union wartime strategy.
Historically situated at the inception of the Civil War, a conflict that would test the very fabric of the American ethos, this lithograph symbolizes the collective resolve of the Union's military leadership. The scene focused around a map of Virginia—a significant theater of the war—serves as an allegorical representation of the meticulous planning and coordination required to navigate through the nation's most trying period. It speaks volumes about the foresight and deliberation with which these men approached the daunting task of reunifying the nation.
Central to the composition are Generals George B. McClellan and Winfield Scott, captured in a moment of deep consultation over the Virginia theater of operations. McClellan, a key figure early in the war, is depicted with a paper in hand, perhaps indicative of his well-known organizational skills, while Scott, a venerable elder in the military establishment, gestures towards the map, embodying the strategic challenges they faced. Surrounded by their peers, the unity of these leaders underlines the Union's concerted effort to defend the integrity of the United States.
![(American Lithography) [Collection of Early American Lithographs, including the First Known American Lithograph of a Natural History Subject - by Charles Alexandre Lesueur; early lithographs by Abadie and other unnamed experimentalists; and unattributed student artwork, likely by pupils of Marie Duclos Fretageot's girl's school]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/90036.jpg)
![[Original photograph:] Outdoor council of Native Americans, possibly Cheyenne and Arapaho in Indian Territory](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/78743.jpg)
![(U.S. Civil War) Panorama des Kriegsschauplatzes [Bird's-Eye View of the Theater of War Showing Virginia, Maryland, Deleware & Columbia]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/99760.jpg)
