Framed Assault on Fort Sanders by Kurz and Allison

Assault on Fort Sanders by Kurz and Allison depicts the failed Confederate attack on Fort Sanders during the Knoxville Campaign of the American Civil War on November 29, 1863. The print shows waves of Confederate soldiers in gray charging against steep earthen walls defended by Union troops in blue, who fire volleys and artillery from behind their fortifications. The Confederates, hindered by frozen ground, obstacles of telegraph wire, and the deep ditch around the fort, were unable to scale the walls and suffered heavy casualties. Kurz and Allison, known for their vivid and often dramatized Civil War battle scenes, present the clash with bright colors, dramatic smoke, and chaotic movement, emphasizing the intensity of the struggle and the Union’s successful defense.