Artist:
N.C. Wyeth
(American, 1882 - 1945)
The Battle of Westport
Alternate Title(s):Cavalry Charge; The Mine Creek Charge
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date: 1920
Dimensions:
72 × 144 in. (182.9 × 365.8 cm)
Missouri State Capitol
Accession number: SUPP2000.1142
Research Number: NCW: 1142
InscribedLower right: N C WYETH / 1920
References
"Sunday Morning Rotogravure Picture Section," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jan. 9, 1921, illustration (section unpaginated); "New Mural Paintings by N. C. Wyeth for the Missouri State Capitol," Ladies Home Journal, vol. XXXVIII, no. 3 (March 1921), illustration in color p. 20; "Decorations in the Missouri State Capitol, Jefferson City," American Magazine of Art, vol. XII, no. 7 (July 1921), p. 243, illustration b/w p. 244; Joseph F. Dinneen, "Wyeth, Noted Illustrator, Back in Needham Home," Boston Sunday Globe Magazine, March 25, 1923, illus. ps. 12-13, as "Cavalry Charge"; Emily Grant Hutchins, "Art in Missouri's Capitol," The International Studio, vol. LXXVII, no. 312 (May 1923), illustration in b/w p. 99; William Wood and Ralph H. Gabriel, The Pageant of America (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1925-29), vol. 7, illustration in b/w p. 167 as "The Mine Creek Charge"; John Pickard, "Report of the Capitol Decoration Commission," submitted Dec. 1, 1928 (published in "The Missouri State Capitol: A Collection of Historic Information about Its Architectural Design," (Missouri State Senate:1989), p. 127; D. Alexander Brown, 'The Battle of Westport...," Civil War Times Illustrated, vol. V, no. 4 (July 1966), cover illustration in color and ps. 4-5; Betsy James Wyeth, ed., The Wyeths, The Letters of N. C. Wyeth, 1901-1945 (Boston: Gambit, 1971), ps. 660, 665-666; Douglas Allen and Douglas Allen, Jr., N. C. Wyeth, The Collected Paintings, Illustrations and Murals (New York: Crown Publishers, 1972), p. 159, illustration in color p. 158; Kate F. Jennings. N. C. Wyeth (New York, NY: Brompton Books Corp., Crescent Books, 1992), illustration in color p. 75; Christine B. Podmaniczky, N. C. Wyeth, A Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings (London: Scala, 2008), M.10, p. 599, 600
Curatorial Remarks"The Battle of Westport has been called the Gettysburg of the West. Starting at Fredericktown, General Sterling Price led his forces on a raid to the north and west to obtain recruits and supplies; Westport was nearly reached on Oct. 22nd, but on Oct. 23 Union forces began a general advance along Blue Creek and were met by Confederate cavalry.
This pictured cavalry charge and the countercharge represents the desperate attempt of the Confederates to rush the Union batteries in position along the ridge to the right. They were met by the Union cavalry in one of the most spectacular cavalry engagements of the war. It happened at noon near the end of seven-hour battle in the bright sun of a clear autumn day. The masses of horsemen crashed at full speed. "The sound of the impact," says a witness, "was heard above the roar of the guns." The action depicted represents the critical and deciding engagement, not only of the Battle of Westport, but for the control of Missouri. Never again in the Civil War was Federal control of Missouri in danger.
In this painting the officer with raised sword in the center of the Union line is Colonel John F. Phillips, later for many years the judge of the United States Circuit Court in Kansas City. The officer seen just below his raised arm is Thomas T. Crittenden, who afterwards became Governor of Missouri." --- from Report of The Capitol Decoration Committee, submitted Dec. 1, 1928
The contract Wyeth signed is dated March 30, 1920; his fee was $7,000 for both paintings. The artist's correspondence indicates that the sketches for the commission were completed and approved by Aug. 1, 1920. The Battle of Westport was begun after Oct. 20; on Dec. 3 it was shipped along with the other mural to Jefferson City, and installed without the artist's oversight. Wyeth visited early in January to touch-up the work prior to the dedication.
The Brandywine River Museum holds a lantern slide of the painting, probably made from an exposure taken prior to its shipment to Missouri (NCWS.95.1825.3). NCW 1140 and 1141 are preliminary paintings for this commission.
This pictured cavalry charge and the countercharge represents the desperate attempt of the Confederates to rush the Union batteries in position along the ridge to the right. They were met by the Union cavalry in one of the most spectacular cavalry engagements of the war. It happened at noon near the end of seven-hour battle in the bright sun of a clear autumn day. The masses of horsemen crashed at full speed. "The sound of the impact," says a witness, "was heard above the roar of the guns." The action depicted represents the critical and deciding engagement, not only of the Battle of Westport, but for the control of Missouri. Never again in the Civil War was Federal control of Missouri in danger.
In this painting the officer with raised sword in the center of the Union line is Colonel John F. Phillips, later for many years the judge of the United States Circuit Court in Kansas City. The officer seen just below his raised arm is Thomas T. Crittenden, who afterwards became Governor of Missouri." --- from Report of The Capitol Decoration Committee, submitted Dec. 1, 1928
The contract Wyeth signed is dated March 30, 1920; his fee was $7,000 for both paintings. The artist's correspondence indicates that the sketches for the commission were completed and approved by Aug. 1, 1920. The Battle of Westport was begun after Oct. 20; on Dec. 3 it was shipped along with the other mural to Jefferson City, and installed without the artist's oversight. Wyeth visited early in January to touch-up the work prior to the dedication.
The Brandywine River Museum holds a lantern slide of the painting, probably made from an exposure taken prior to its shipment to Missouri (NCWS.95.1825.3). NCW 1140 and 1141 are preliminary paintings for this commission.
Image Source for printed Catalogue Raisonne:Photography directly from art work
Photo Credit:Lloyd Grotjan