Conrad Wise Chapman (February 14, 1842 – December 10, 1910) was an American painter who served in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

from 1861 to 1865.

Early life

Conrad Wise Chapman was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Europe where his father,

John Gadsby Chapman John Gadsby Chapman (December 3, 1808 – November 28, 1889) was an American artist famous for ''Baptism of Pocahontas'', which was commissioned by the United States Congress and hangs in the United States Capitol rotunda. Life and career Jo ...

, was working as an artist.

Career

In 1861, Chapman returned to America and enlisted in Company D, Third Kentucky Infantry, Confederate. He was wounded in Shiloh along with seeing action in Mississippi and Louisiana, before a transfer to the

46th Virginia Infantry The 46th Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly in Virginia and the Carolinas. 46th Infantry Regiment (also called 1st or ...

at the request of his father to

Henry Alexander Wise Henry Alexander Wise (December 3, 1806 – September 12, 1876) was an American attorney, diplomat, politician and slave owner from Virginia. As the 33rd Governor of Virginia, Wise served as a significant figure on the path to the American Civil W ...

. Over the next 10 months, he also served with the

59th Virginia Infantry The 59th Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia's western counties for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia, and in the Carolinas ...

, known as the Wise Legion or Wise Brigade, with both the 46th and 59th at Chaffin's Farm on the James River in Henrico County.Later in the war, it would be the site of the

Battle of Chaffin's Farm The Battle of Chaffin's Farm and New Market Heights, also known as Laurel Hill and combats at Forts Harrison, Johnson, and Gilmer, was fought in Virginia on September 29–30, 1864, as part of the siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War. ...

. In September 1863, the Wise Brigade was ordered south to take part in the defence of Charleston, South Carolina. Chapman was commissioned to create thirty one paintings of the city's defenses by Brig. Gen. Thomas Jordan, chief of staff to commanding Gen.

P. G. T. Beauregard Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard (May 28, 1818 - February 20, 1893) was a Confederate general officer of Louisiana Creole descent who started the American Civil War by leading the attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Today, he is commonly ...

. This was part of a campaign by Beauregard to increase support for his ideas about the defense of the harbor in the Confederate government. Chapman served in the city from early September 1863 to March 1864. He intended to paint the entire series in Charleston, but having received word of his mother's illness, Chapman was granted furlough in April 1864 and left for Rome, Italy to visit his family. It is there that he painted 25 works—with five also done by his father—from sketches he made in Charleston. Chapman created art while he was on active duty during the war. While there were several artists on the Union side who captured the war in painting, who were also active, this was not the case on the Confederate side. His works may be the only set of battle subjects painted by a Confederate artist during the war. After the end of the American Civil War, unable to reconcile to the Confederacy's loss, Chapman traveled to Mexico where he painted a series of views of the Valley of Mexico. He also spent time in France and England. In 1898, his entire collection of paintings went on view at the Union League Club in New York, where they attracted attention, but no buyers. He then moved his family to Richmond where the following year he sold 31 paintings to then Confederate Memorial Literary Society, which later became the Museum of the Confederacy and is now the American Civil War Museum.

Gallery

Conrad Wise Chapman The 59th Virginian Infantry Amon Carter Museum.jpg, ''The 59th Virginian Infantry'', Amon Carter Museum Conrad Wise Chapman - Battery Laurens Street Charleston, Feb. 7, 1864.jpg, ''Battery Laurens Street

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

, Feb. 7, 1864'', American Civil War Museum Conrad Wise Chapman - Battery Marshall, Sullivan's Island, Dec. 4, 1863.jpg, ''Battery Marshall, Sullivan's Island, Dec. 4, 1863'', American Civil War Museum Conrad Wise Chapman - Fort Sumter Gun Gallery, Dec. 8, 1863.jpg, ''

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battl ...

Gun Gallery, Dec. 8, 1863'', American Civil War Museum Conrad Wise Chapman - The Flag of Sumter, Oct. 20, 1863.jpg, ''The Flag of Sumter, Oct. 20, 1863'', American Civil War Museum Conrad Wise Chapman - Submarine Torpedo Boat H.L. Hunley, Dec. 6, 1863.jpg, '' Submarine Torpedo Boat H.L. Hunley, Dec. 6, 1863'', American Civil War Museum Conrad Wise Chapman - Torpedo Boat David at Charleston Dock, Oct. 25, 1863.jpg, '' Torpedo Boat David at Charleston Dock, Oct. 25, 1863'', American Civil War Museum Conrad Wise Chapman - Quaker Battery.jpg, ''

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

Battery'', 1864, American Civil War Museum Conrad Wise Chapman - White Point Battery Charleston, Dec. 24, 1863.jpg, ''White Point Battery Charleston, Dec. 24, 1863'', American Civil War Museum Conrad Wise Chapman View of Bishops Palace near Monterrey.jpg, ''View of Bishop's Palace near Monterrey'', Private collection

References

Footnotes

External links