"Order No. 11" by George Caleb Bingham is a powerful political painting created in 1868 as a direct response to General Thomas Ewing's General Order No. 11, issued during the American Civil War on August 25, 1863. Bingham, a Unionist but an outspoken critic of the order, used this painting to express his outrage at what he saw as the federal government's tyranny and the suffering it caused innocent civilians. General Order No. 11 was issued in Missouri during the guerrilla warfare that plagued the region. It required the forced evacuation of all rural residents from four counties in western Missouri—Jackson, Cass, Bates, and part of Vernon County—regardless of their loyalty. The aim was to deprive Rebel guerrillas (bushwhackers) of support.
