Sheridans Wagon Trains in the Valley. Early morning mist and smoke

An early morning scene in the Shenandoah Valley in October 1864 depicts men, women, and children walking  beside Union wagons and soldiers under the command of Union general Philip Sheridan, who was then systematically targeting the local civilian population by burning farms and destroying crops. This sketch was made by Alfred R. Waud, a London-born artist who was covering the war for Harper's Weekly.  An engraving based on this drawing was published in the November 12, 1864, issue of the periodical.