In this document we see Santa Clause visiting a camp of soldiers from the Union in

January of 1863. One can notice that the Santa Clause pictured differs greatly from
the one that has come into popular culture, donning a bright red suit, in that he is
wearing a star-spangled coat and pair of striped pants, making him a perfect
synthesis of Christmas and Union iconography (because the Confederates had a
different flag). Similarly, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, with its religious phrases
and self-assuring language, blended the Unions convictions with religious
symbolism, thus creating a connection between the two that would become
engrained in the peoples minds. Yet, these displays of nationalism were not done
out of purely patriotic reasons. The Civil War, unlike wars before it, was very bloody
due to the creation of the mini bullet, which had the capacity to dismember
soldiers. This, coupled with the use of Napoleonic strategy, consisting of troops
lining up against one another and firing, produced a greater number of casualties on
both sides. As such, the graphic quality of the war posed a serious threat to the
morale of troops, especially the North, which sustained more casualties on account
of their poor strategic planning. Given this, the visit from a Santa Clause clothed in
Union-supportive garb and a hymn with lyrics of divine intervention favoring the
North, were likely done as an attempt to raise the troops spirits, giving them the
morale to continue fighting for the Union.