Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1889-04-23

oil
and pictur-
esque scenery to much that is found in
Switzerland. About halfway up the
Glen the visitor will reach the Swiss
Cottage, perched two hundred feet up
the cliff, and while resting there he
will visit with great pleasure and in
terest especially if he is veteran)
the studio of Captain Hope, soldier
artist, formerly of the Second Yer
mont Regiment, who has established
himself here. The walls of the place
are covered with fine pictures of the
Glen from many points of view; but
as the visitor will already have invested
half dollar for the privilege of firing
himself out in seeing the originals, he
will be more interested by the Cap
tain's war-sketches. most of which are
yet to be worked up in oils.
His account Of himself is enter
tanning: "My regiment went to the
front in 1861" he said, "and was put
into the Army of the Potomac. | had
q talent for sketching, which I soon
turned to account in the army. Some
profiles of the enemy's works at York
town that I made found their way to
General Mcclellan, and after that l
was often sent out on and beyond the
picket line to sketch the country in
front, particularly if there we're field
works in view. / was much occupied
in this way down to the time that our
army invested Petersburg and Rich
mond, in the summer of 1864, when
my health broke down and had to
resign. It would have been better for
me to have taken the staff position
that was frequently urged upon me;
but had the desire to remain with
the company I had recruited, and
tried to do this extra work also. My
labors were severe, and the time came
when could stand them no longer"
A small oil picture, "The Bloody
Lane at Antietam, which the Captain
had on his easel, almost finished, had
for me Gas it would have for any sol
dier) species Of horrible fascination.
It represents an actual scene on that
historic field; cut or hollow where a
brigade of Confederates (Georgians, I
believe) were caught in front and
flank fire of both large and small arms,
and hundreds were left dead on the
ground. The picture represents the
gentle rise of the slope in the back
ground, with half a dozen corpses
stretched upon it; one soldier is struck
by the fatal bullet as he climbs fence,
and hangs there dead. In the fore
ground, close to the spectator, is the
lane, actually piled with gray-clad
bodies. They lie in all shapes and po-
sitions, just as they fell, officers and
men; and the fidelity of the picture
even preserves the CHASTITY wounds up
on heads and faces, and the blood
spots upon the uniforms that are very
common.
"You made this from memory I
inquired.
Eyes, and from an actual sketch.
On the morning of September Is, 1862,
before body had been moved, / went
to this place and made the sketch from
which this is taken. Some of the faces
are portraits, and would probably be
recognized by those who knew them;
such is the case with the Brigadier
General who lies upon his back there
among his dead soldiers.
1t was the horrible, sickening side of
war! I turned from it to look with
more satisfaction upon the Captains
largest and most elaborate work, a.
painting ten feet by five and half,
representing "The Camp of the Army
of the Potomac at Cumberland Land
ing, on the Pamunkey."
/ have never examined the picture of
war scene with such genuine satisfac-
ton as felt in looking upon this one;
for the reason that this was executed
not only by an artist but by soldier,
and is therefore faithful to the life in
every detail The work which painters
without military experience make of
war subjects is very unsatisfac-
tory when it Is not absurd.
They give us great deal
of smoke, In which few soldiers are
represented as large armies, occupying
corner of the remote distance, while
the colossal figure of the Major Gem
eral on horseback, surrounded by his
staff. pretty nearly fills up the whole
picture and obscures everything else.
Far different is it with Captain
Hopes great effort His account of
how he came to paint it ought to be
given before the picture is described.
aOn the 18th of May, 1862 he said,
4the Army Of the Potomac was con-
centrated at Cumberland Landing, on
the Pamunkey River Twas on picket
that morning. but Gen. w. F. Smith
(.Baldy9 sent out and had me relieved.
When / reported to him, he said
Captain. the army is ell upon one
field to-day, and can be seen ct one
view from the high ground back there.
That Is something that never happened