Exploring American Histories: Printed Page 406

Document 13.4

Timothy H. O’Sullivan | Burial of Federal Dead, Fredericksburg, Virginia, May 1864

As the first war to be photographed extensively, the Civil War offered civilians new perspectives on the horrors of battle. Exhibited in the studios of photographers such as Mathew Brady in New York City, urban residents could view the carnage of war in stunning detail. This image was taken by Timothy H. O’Sullivan, an Irish-born photographer who worked with Brady after serving in the Union army. It captures a Union burial team near Fredericksburg during a period of intense fighting in northern Virginia.

Explore

image
Library of Congress

  • Question

    Why were black Union soldiers, like those pictured here, often assigned to bury the dead?

  • Question

    How does this photograph represent the boundary between the battlefront and the home front?

  • Question

    What does this image suggest about the different experiences of officers and enlisted men even after death?

Put It in Context

Question

How might images such as this one affect civilian attitudes toward the war?