The Civil War represents the moment in time when the United States, and the world, answered the question of whether or not the experiment of democracy worked. The United States was forged in flames; before the war the United States were, after the war the United States was.  The war was a seminal moment in world history.

But lost in the story of generals, military strategy, and Presidential speeches, is the story of the common soldier.  This project plays a small role in remedying that issue.  A single piece of graffiti written on the attic wall of Blenheim House in Fairfax, VA is the inspiration for this project.  Lightly scrawled and somewhat hidden by a larger signature over the top, Amos Phillips put his name down for history to discover.  This is his story.