Philip William Duer’s Paintings of the Battle of Nashville

In They Came Only to Die, I was given permission to use four paintings created by Philip William Duer, a retired Nashville lawyer and president of the Battle of Nashville Trust from 2011-2012. He pursued art on the side, including painting and modeling. He was also a Vietnam combat veteran who served in the 25th Infantry Division (Tropic Lightning) in 1969 and received a Purple Heart.

Duer’s paintings vary in quality. Certainly they are not up there with the best of Keith Rocco, Dale Gallon, Mort Kunstler, John Paul Strain, and Don Troiani. Yet, Duer has a few things in his favor. His use of color is good and while not as lush as Troiani or Gallon, his work at its best is still evocative. There is an attention to detail, in particular geographic detail, not seen in many. His greatest weakness is his depiction of people, lacking the realism of the best. Yet, there is something here that reminds me of the art of early America, something of the rough untrained hand that succeeds because of its love for the subject. It also helps that he was among the very few to depict the battle of Nashville.

They Came Only to Die could only feature one color image to be used for the cover. I considered the Kurz & Allison depiction as I am a fan of their style, but they are meant to convey the battle’s highlights in a single image rather than offer an accurate portrayal. In this case the print showed the USCT, James Wilson’s cavalry, and the Cumberland River all in one image, with everyone wearing spotless uniforms. I love how it looks and what it tells us about popular art, but it is not accurate.

Nashville benefits from a superb 1906 painting by Howard Pyle, showing the dramatic rush of the 5th and 9th Minnesota. The painting hangs with six other Civil War paintings in the Governor’s suite at the Minnesota State Capitol. Pyle was a Minnesota artist and considered among the best in his field. Nashville might be his masterwork. It is certainly my favorite Civil War battle painting of all time. Yet, I wanted Duer’s work in the book, but I knew it would not be in color. So here I present them as they were intended to be seen, with a bit of commentary on each.

Philip Duer’s Redoubt No. 1 depicts the Confederates at Redoubt No. 1, “Awaiting the inevitable” in Duer’s words. This one has better faces than most and the uniforms are spot on. Like the following USCT painting, one can feel the cold.

Philip Duer’s depiction of Fort Negley shows it during the winter storm that engulfed the armies and prevented George Thomas from attacking for a few days. Here a lone USCT sentry tries to survive the cold. This is likely his best painting, as it relies on his strengths as an artist.

Philip Duer also depicted the 13th USCT charging at Peach Orchard Hill. Quoted are a Federal and Confederate witness of the attack, both of whom were impressed by their courage. The Rebel is James T. Holtzlaw, a veteran of western battles since Shiloh, who led a brigade at Nashville. The13th USCT lost 220 out of 576 men, more than any other regiment. The painting though does not offer the best faces.

Philip Duer’s Breakthrough at Shy’s Hill shows the Florida Brigade just before it collapsed on December 16 at what was then named Compton’s Hill. What is interesting is the Rebels we see in the foreground are holding and look defiant. Behind them, their comrades are collapsing under pressure. Not too many paintings do this, and for that alone I like this one.

Note: smaller images can be viewed by clicking on them.