Battle of Williamsburg VA May 5th 1862

Dateca. 1862

Maker Currier & Ives

MediumLithograph on rag wove paper

DimensionsOverall: 10 1/4 × 14 in (26.03 × 35.56cm)

Credit LineGift of the John D. Rockefeller, 3rd, Fund, Inc., through the generosity and interest of Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, 3rd, and members of the family.

Object number1979-179

DescriptionThe lower margin reads, "Pub. By Currier & Ives./ 152 Nassau St NY/ Battle of Williamsburg VA. May 5th 1862./ Victorious charge of the gallant Soldiers of the North and East, under Genl. Mc.Clellan, the invincible leader of the Army of the Potomac."Label TextThis print celebrates the efforts of Union soldiers and Major General George B. McClellan at the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, 1862. Early in the American Civil War, Union and Confederate forces met about a mile East of Williamsburg because Union troops hoped to make their way through the area and seize Richmond, the Confederate Capitol. Both Union and Confederate forces claimed victory, but the battle was indecisive and ultimately a tactical draw. The print was created by the New York City print firm Currier & Ives, who created a series of prints romanticizing American Civil War conflicts, such as Harper’s Ferry, the Battle of Shiloh, and the surrender at Appomattox Court House. Founded in 1834 by Nathaniel Currier, the firm expanded to include a new partner, James Merritt Ives, in 1857. Currier & Ives manufactured a variety of relatively cheap prints across a diversity of subjects.ProvenanceBefore 1937, The Downtown Gallery (New York, NY); 1937, purchased by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller [1874-1948] (New York, NY); 1979-present, given to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA).