Osprey Fortress 38 : American Civil War Fortifications (2) : Land and Field Fortifications

The American Civil War saw a massive development in the use of field fortifications, the result of the practical application of antebellum West-Point teaching, and the deadly impact of rifled infantry weapons and artillery. Both the Federal and Confederate armies began to develop far more sophisticated systems of field fortification, and the larger field works and fortifications surrounding Washington, DC and Richmond, VA were redesigned and rebuilt several times. This book explores the role of land and field fortifications in the eastern and overland campaigns of the Civil War between 1861 and 1865. Particular attention is devoted to the nine-month siege of Petersburg, where daily life within the redoubts, lunettes, redans, bomb-proofs, trenches and rifle pits is vividly described. Text by Ron Field with illustrations by Peter Dennis.

Contents

• Introduction
• Chronology
• The Antebellum Experience 1830-61
• The Key Elements of Field Fortification
• The War in the East 1861-64
• The Richmond Defences 1861-65
• The Overland Campaign 1862-64
• War in the East 1864-65
• The Fortifications of Petersburg 1864-65
• The Fate of the Fortifications
• Visiting the Sites Today
• Index