"We were armed and drilled as infantry, and in campaigns served as infantry unless there were military bridges or other works to construct. In sieges we served as sappers and miners. Two companies of the regiment were equipped as pontooners, each being furnished with a train of boats mounted upon wagons made for the purpose, and these companies were drilled in the art of taking up and laying down these bridges across streams until they became experts at it." - W.W. Blackford, C.S.A.
On Building a Road
"At daylight on Sunday morning my command moved... and arriving with axes, my men struck into the woods, felling trees as we advanced. At night we made a wide road for more than four miles good for the passage of Artillery and heavy trains. We then moved on to Dispatch Station, where I was overtaken by Col. Morgan, Chief of Staff, who informed me that the General was much pleased with the road we had made."
Colonel Wesley Brainerd, 50th New York Volunteer Engineers
"Working in the mine tunnels was anything but good duty. The tunnels were damp, hot, sweaty and often had water standing in them...In the day time the trampling of feet and other noises in the trenches, though not perceptible themselves, drowned such noise as the blow of the pick, in which only we were interested for they might come from an approach of the enemy."
W.W. Blackford, C.S.A.
"As a sufficient pile of clay accumulated around their feet the miners would back out and allow the shovel crew to dig out and bag the clay for removal to the shaft. At first the clay was removed in sandbags. then in hand barrows and finally wheel barrows. The legs of the wheel barrows had been removed or left off to make filling them easier. Every beam, plank, piece of rope, sand bag, wheelbarrow, wrench, bucket, candles; had to be carried in, at night, by hand through the muddy zig zags of the covered ways, a distance of over a mile." - 1st Regiment Engineer Troops
Last updated: February 26, 2015
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Contact Info
Mailing Address:
Petersburg National Battlefield Administration Office
1539 Hickory Hill Road
Petersburg,
VA
23803
Phone:
804 732-3531
x200
If you cannot reach us by phone - please e-mail questions to the address listed.
"We were armed and drilled as infantry, and in campaigns served as infantry unless there were military bridges or other works to construct. In sieges we served as sappers and miners. Two companies of the regiment were equipped as pontooners, each being furnished with a train of boats mounted upon wagons made for the purpose, and these companies were drilled in the art of taking up and laying down these bridges across streams until they became experts at it." - W.W. Blackford, C.S.A.
On Building a Road
"Working in the mine tunnels was anything but good duty. The tunnels were damp, hot, sweaty and often had water standing in them...In the day time the trampling of feet and other noises in the trenches, though not perceptible themselves, drowned such noise as the blow of the pick, in which only we were interested for they might come from an approach of the enemy."
"As a sufficient pile of clay accumulated around their feet the miners would back out and allow the shovel crew to dig out and bag the clay for removal to the shaft. At first the clay was removed in sandbags. then in hand barrows and finally wheel barrows. The legs of the wheel barrows had been removed or left off to make filling them easier. Every beam, plank, piece of rope, sand bag, wheelbarrow, wrench, bucket, candles; had to be carried in, at night, by hand through the muddy zig zags of the covered ways, a distance of over a mile." - 1st Regiment Engineer Troops