^Lot 191F THE SWINGING GATE #234/500

THE SWINGING GATE #234/500
APPROX. 10" BY 7" BY 8"
APPROX. 6.24 LBS
AUTHENTIC SCULPTURE BY FRANCIS BARNUM
SOLID PEWTER. WOOD BASE, HIGH QUALITY AMERICAN CRAFTSMANSHIP

The sculpture “The Swinging Gate” by Francis Barnum is a Civil War-themed collectible sculpture that portrays soldiers moving through or fighting around a swinging farm or battlefield gate during combat. Like many of Barnum’s works, the piece focuses on action, movement, and the dramatic realism of Civil War combat.

The title refers to the wooden gates commonly found around farms, roads, and fence lines throughout Civil War battlefields. During battles, soldiers frequently fought through fields divided by fences and gates, especially in rural areas such as:

Gettysburg,
Antietam,
Fredericksburg,
and numerous Virginia farm campaigns.

Barnum’s sculpture captures the confusion and intensity of soldiers advancing through contested ground while using terrain features like fences, gates, and stone walls for cover.

HISTORY:
The history behind “The Swinging Gate” is tied to the everyday landscapes where Civil War battles were fought. Unlike modern wars fought in cities or trenches, most Civil War combat took place across farms, fields, orchards, and country roads throughout states like Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

Because of this, soldiers constantly encountered:

wooden fences,
farm gates,
stone walls,
barns,
and narrow lanes during battle.

A “swinging gate” was a common wooden farm gate that opened on hinges to allow wagons, livestock, and people to pass through fenced property. During the Civil War, these gates often became unexpected focal points in combat. Troops advancing across farmland had to break through or move around these barriers while under enemy fire.

At battles such as:

Battle of Gettysburg,
Battle of Antietam,
Battle of Fredericksburg,
and Battle of Spotsylvania Court House,

fences and gates slowed troop movements, broke battle formations, and exposed soldiers to deadly fire. Men climbing over fences or crowding through gates became easy targets for muskets and artillery.

Some of the bloodiest fighting of the war occurred around rural obstacles:

the stone wall at Marye’s Heights in Fredericksburg,
the fences along Emmitsburg Road at Gettysburg,
and the farm lanes and cornfields at Antietam.

These ordinary farm structures became deadly military obstacles once battle began.

The phrase “swinging gate” also carries symbolic meaning. It represents the transition from peace to war — soldiers moving through the gate from civilian farmland into violent combat. Francis Barnum’s sculpture captures this tension and movement, showing troops advancing through contested terrain during the chaos of battle.

Rather than portraying one exact historical moment, the sculpture reflects the broader Civil War soldier experience:

advancing across open farmland,
encountering obstacles under fire,
and fighting through the rural landscapes that defined many Civil War battlefields.

This focus on realism and battlefield atmosphere became one of Francis Barnum’s trademarks. His sculptures often emphasized not just famous leaders, but the experiences of ordinary soldiers moving through the dangerous terrain of Civil War combat.

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