Buying a Substitute in the North during the War (from Confederate War Etchings) 1861 - 1863

"Buying a Substitute in the North during the War" is an etching by Adalbert John Volck, created between 1861 and 1863. This artwork, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicts a scene from the American Civil War, where a man in a top hat is seen paying another man to take his place in the war. The etching, with its fine lines and sharp detail, captures the grim reality of the war and the practice of "substitute buying," which allowed wealthy men to avoid military service by paying another person to fight in their place. This work offers a glimpse into the social and economic dynamics of the Civil War era.