From 1 July to 3 July of 1863, arguably the most pivotal and violent battle of the American Civil War raged in the countryside of south-central Pennsylvania. The Army of Northern Virginia had crossed the Potomac river and found its way north of Washington D.C. where it eventually clashed with the Union Army of the Potomac at a confluence of roads around the town of Gettysburg. This painting represents a small detailed action during that clash, which quite possibly decided the fate of our nation. This painting by the extremely talented historical painter, Rick Reeves, depicts the mortal struggle between the 17th Maine Regiment and the 11th Georgia Regiment on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, in what would simply become known as "The Wheatfield". The clash in The Wheatfield came about due to General Sickles deciding to move his III Corps to what he believed to be a slightly higher piece of ground directly to his front, which in turn created a dangerous salient in the Union line which otherwise had taken up a very strong position on Cemetery Ridge and the surrounding hills. The 17th Maine was initially one of the only Union regiments in The Wheatfield and took up a position behind a low stone wall at its southern edge. During the Confederate attack on the afternoon of 2 July, the 17th Maine quickly became heavily engaged with both the 9th and 11th Georgia regiments, nearly being outflanked, and fighting off the two larger regiments for over an hour, including in hand to hand combat, before running low on ammunition and deciding to withdraw during a lull in the fighting. The small regiment from Maine was not done however, they only withdrew as far as a Union battery stationed in The Wheatfield, where they were resupplied with ammunition and returned to the fight. By the end of the day's fighting over that 19 acres of wheat, it had changed hands six times, 133 of the 350 men of the 17th Maine were casualties, and the 11th Georgia had suffered a casualty rate of 65%. Included with the painting is documentation from the original order/commissioning/purchase of the painting and correspondence between the artist and buyer. Also includes seven original prints of the same painting, six of which appear to still be sealed in envelopes from the artist, as well as a small plaque describing the subject matter of the painting. Including the frame, it measures approximately 50 1/2 x 70 1/2 inches and the artist's signature along with a "1994" copyright is marked in the lower right.

Excellent, the painting itself shows only the slightest wear overall with vibrant color and detail. The frame is also excellent showing an attractive intentionally antiqued gold finish overall with only the slightest handling/storage evidence. A fantastic piece that would truly be a centerpiece of a Civil War collection!