"Negroes Leaving the Plough," March 26, 1864 | State Historical Society of Iowa

Published in the March 26, 1864 edition of Harper’s Weekly as part of “Scenes Connected with General Custer’s Movement Across the Rapidian,” Alfred R. Waud’s drawing depicts three slaves on horseback leaving the field to join Union troops marching down a nearby road.

Courtesy of Library of Congress, Waud, Alfred R., "Negroes Leaving the Plough," March 1864

Description

Published in the March 26, 1864, edition of Harper’s Weekly as part of "Scenes Connected with General Custer's Movement Across the Rapidian," Alfred R. Waud's drawing depicts three slaves on horseback leaving the field to join Union troops marching down a nearby road.

Source-Dependent Questions

Who were the people on horseback in the foreground of the drawing? What were they doing before the arrival of the Union soldiers in the background?
How would the Emancipation Proclamation issued one year and two months prior to the events drawn have impacted the status of these slaves and the actions of the nearby Union troops?
In what ways would a runaway or captured slave have harmed the Confederate war effort and strengthened the Union war effort?

Citation Information

Waud, Alfred R., "Negroes Leaving the Plough," 26 March 1864. Courtesy of Library of Congress