Happy New Year! (Part 1)

This illustration of New Years Day by Thomas Nast compares and contrasts the state of affairs in the North and the South during the Civil War year of 1864.

The left of the pictures presents scenes of happiness and joy in the North. Union Soldiers are on furlough, celebrating the new year with their family. A small inset image shows former slaves celebrating their recent emancipation. Children are seen happy and playing. A picture of a union soldier shows him to be well fed, clothed and equipped.

In contrast, the images on the right show the sad state of affairs in the South at this time. A woman and several children are shown weeping and grieving over a fresh grave . . . presumably that of the woman’s husband, and the father of the children. A rebel soldier is seen in a tattered uniform, unable to protect himself from the bitter cold.

The upper inset image implies a spiritual component to the Civil War, with scenes of heavenly and demonic beings pitted against one another.

Image and description courtesy of Son of the South – http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1864/january/new-years-day.htm