[Winter Quarters of Quartermaster's Department, 6th Army Corps, Near Hazel River, Virginia] 1863 - 1864

This photograph, *Winter Quarters of Quartermaster's Department, 6th Army Corps, Near Hazel River, Virginia* was taken by Timothy O'Sullivan during the American Civil War. It freezes in time a pivotal moment in American history, capturing the bleak reality of war and the toll it took on the soldiers and the landscape. O'Sullivan's photograph isn't just a depiction of a winter encampment. It's a document of the machinery of war, a logistical hub that sustained the Union Army. The image invites us to consider those who were often unseen: the quartermasters, teamsters, and laborers who kept the army moving. The photo invites us to reflect on class, race, and labor during the Civil War. Who did this work? What were their stories? The photograph leaves us with the heavy feeling of the seemingly endless winter and the deep ruts in the muddy ground, evoking the emotional and physical hardships endured during the Civil War.