Christmas Eve, 1863

Nast frames the illustration as a wreath split into two mirrored vignettes. On the left, a woman kneels at a window in candlelight, hands clasped in prayer, while a child sleeps behind her in a warm bedroom. On the right, a Union soldier sits alone on a log beside an open campfire, rifle across his lap, winter trees and a distant encampment behind him. The two circles meet at a decorative arch centered above, lettered CHRISTMAS EVE. At the bottom, a draped American flag and what appear to be earthworks or grave markers unite the scenes. The composition argues that the Civil War's cost is domestic as well as military — the wife's vigil and the soldier's isolation are equal acts of sacrifice, separated only by miles and longing.