Life in Camp, Part 1: Building Castles; Hard Tack; Upset His Coffee; Water Call; A Shell is Coming; Riding on a Rail; Surgeons Call; An Unwelcome Visit; Late for Roll Call; Stuck in the Mud; The Guard House; Tossing in a Blanket 1864

Winslow Homer's "Life in Camp, Part 1: Building Castles" is a series of drawings documenting life for Union soldiers during the American Civil War. This particular drawing, created in 1864, depicts a soldier seated, lost in thought as he smokes his pipe in front of a tent. The work, part of a larger series, offers a poignant glimpse into the daily routines and quiet moments of war. The intimate scale of the drawings and the use of delicate pencil and watercolor washes contribute to the sense of immediacy and realism of the scenes.