This 1861 print comes from the first months of the Civil War, when the Union was trying to hold together. A single soldier stands in front of a camp, gripping the American flag while rifles, tents, and a cannon sit nearby. The flag is shown as something to be protected and defended at a time when the country’s future was unclear. Issued as the cover for a patriotic song dedicated to Abraham Lincoln, representing how popular art was used to build support for the Union and reinforce the flag as a symbol of loyalty and national resolve.