This beautiful image is just stunning. And it combines my two passions in life, the American Civil War (especially the fact that it is a Union soldier in the painting!) and dogs. It is so easy to imagine that the soldier just fought in a battle like Fredericksburg, or Antietam, or Gettysburg -- and grateful that he made it through alive, but also grieving for those of his regiment who were lost, he clutches the beautiful dog that is his regiment's mascot. This is just so overwhelming for me, I'm practically in tears whenever I see it or work on it.