By Steven E.
Sodergren
The final year of the Civil War witnessed a profound
transformation in the practice of modern warfare, a shift that produced
unprecedented consequences for the soldiers fighting on the front lines. In The
Army of the Potomac in the Overland and Petersburg Campaigns, Steven E.
Sodergren examines the transition to trench warfare, the lengthy campaigns of
attrition that resulted, and how these seemingly grim new realities affected
the mindset and morale of Union soldiers.
The 1864 Overland Campaign created tremendous physical and
emotional suffering for the men of the Army of the Potomac as they faced a
remarkable increase in the level and frequency of combat. By the end of this
critical series of battles, surviving Union soldiers began to express
considerable doubt in their cause and their leaders, as evidenced by widespread
demoralization and the rising number of men deserting and disobeying orders.
Yet, while the Petersburg campaign that followed further exposed the Army of
the Potomac to the horrors of trench warfare, it proved both physically and
psychologically regenerative. Comprehending that the extensive fortification
network surrounding them benefitted their survival, soldiers quickly adjusted
to life in the trenches despite the harsh conditions. The army’s static
position allowed the Union logistical structure to supply the front lines with
much-needed resources like food and mail—even a few luxuries. The elevated
morale that resulted, combined with the reelection of Abraham Lincoln in
November 1864 and the increasing number of deserters from the Confederate
lines, only confirmed the growing belief among the soldiers in the trenches
that Union victory was inevitable. Taken together, these aspects of the
Petersburg experience mitigated the negative effects of trench warfare and
allowed men to adapt more easily to their new world of combat.
Sodergren explores the many factors that enabled the Army of
the Potomac to endure the brutal physical conditions of trench warfare and
emerge with a renewed sense of purpose as fighting resumed on the open
battlefield in 1865. Drawing from soldiers’ letters and diaries, official
military correspondence, and court-martial records, he paints a vivid picture
of the daily lives of Union soldiers as they witnessed the beginnings of a
profound shift in the way the world imagined and waged large-scale warfare.
About the Author
Steven E. Sodergren
is associate professor of history at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.
ISBN 978-0807165560, LSU Press, © 2017, Hardcover, 400 pages,
Photographs, Maps, Tables, End Notes, Bibliography & Index. $47.95. To
purchase a copy of this book click HERE.
