'Great is the shovel and spade': The adaptation of Union soldiers to combat conditions, 1864--1865

The American Civil War represented a complex transformation of warfare, particularly in its final year in the East when a war of maneuver across Virginia gave way to a static siege of the city of Petersburg. The effect that this transformation had on the soldiers who endured and survived these campaigns has never been assessed by historians. The Overland campaign of 1864 created a profound trauma for the men of the Army of the Potomac as they faced a rising level of violence. By the end of this campaign, soldiers were expressing considerable doubt in their cause and their leaders, as evidenced by widespread demoralization and a rising number of men and units disobeying orders. The Petersburg siege, although exposing Union men to the horrors and rigors of trench warfare for nine months, proved regenerative in both a physical and psychological manner. Unlike during the preceding weeks of the Overland campaign and its massed assaults, soldiers understood that the extensive fortification network was a benefit to their survival. They took pride in their work on the Federal lines, a sign that they felt a reawakened sense of independence and control over their lives on the battlefield. Over the long term, the full resources of the Union logistical structure were brought to the aid of the Army of the Potomac, and its men received a continuous supply of food and mail. As the siege continued, Northern soldiers witnessed the death of the Confederacy, both in the reports of Union success from other regions of the country and the rising number of Confederate deserters who came into their lines. Taken together, these aspects of the siege experience served to mitigate the negative effects of trench warfare and allowed for a relatively smooth transition into what was, for many soldiers, a foreign military environment. This allowed for morale to stay at high levels for much of the Petersburg siege and enabled the Army of the Potomac to begin the spring campaign of April 1865 in a positive state. Victory for the Union came swiftly soon after due to the ability of Northern soldiers to cope with the Petersburg experience, and their adaptation reveals a great deal about how soldiers of any conflict react to combat and its evolution.