When the American Civil War ended in 1865 and the armies of the Confederacy were disbanded., the battered, emotionally and physically wounded soldiers were left to find their way home as best as they could. More times than not, they had little or no money, and faced a daunting journey to be reunited with their loved ones in the place they wondered if they would ever see again. My painting is how I imagined what a soldier might see as he reaches the last mile of his trek and the excitement and anticipation builds as he wonders what he will find when he finally reaches his destination.