The Cumberland Gap, 1863 - American Civil War Excavated Minie Ball Relic Display

My first adventure into the realm of the American Civil War, and a subject that I intend to visit more often moving forward. I've depicted The Cumberland Gap in this first piece, since I recently acquired a box of Minie balls & buttons that were excavated from that area. I wrestled with the composition. Part of me wanted to depict Union soldiers, but the story of how a hundred Confederates, who refused to surrender to Ohio's Major General Burnside, slipped through Union lines and escaped, really caught my attention. I've painted them, here, overlooking the rugged country of the Gap at dawn, after a long night's march.  History:  The September 7–9, 1863 fall of the Cumberland Gap was a victory for Union forces under the command of Ambrose Burnside during his campaign for Knoxville. The bloodless engagement cost the Confederates 2,300 men and control of the Cumberland Gap. Major General Ambrose Burnside, commander of the Department and Army of the Ohio, began to advance again