Soldiers’ Winter Quarters in Central Virginia T
Fredericksburg (December 11-13, 1862), Chancellorsville (May 1-3, 1863), the Mine Run Campaign (November 26-December 2, 1863), and the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House (May 5-21, 1864) all coincided with static periods, either before or after, or both, for the belligerent armies.
Some periods in winter quarters were brief, while others went on for months. Many considerations factored into the amount of inactivity. Perhaps the most important was the condition of the roads. Typically, during the winter months in central Virginia, the temperature fluctuations resulted in significant freezing and thawing. Adding rain and snow into the mix created a grand recipe for seas of
“I Am Extremely Comfortably Fixed”:
By Tim Talbott
he timing of the Civil War battles and campaigns fought in central Virginia helped ensure that the soldiers spent a significant amount of downtime living in winter quarters. The battles of mud that made it virtually impossible to move soldiers and vital supplies effectively and efficiently. Most commanders fully understood the challenges of attempting large military maneuvers during winter and tried to avoid making such gambles. Another important consideration was the health of the men. Sickness in the ranks was a significant problem during the best of weather. But during winter, extended exposure to the elements could greatly exacerbate an already challenging health crisis. In addition, there were also times when political pressure demanded military action regardless of the time of year, and thus limited time in winter quarters.
Whether on active campaign or in winter quarters, picket duty was a necessary part of army life. During winter quarters, when military matters relaxed a bit, it was still important to maintain a vigilant watch for any potential enemy attack or offensive. Few soldiers enjoyed picket duty, but winter’s cold and wet weather especially tried their nerves, physical constitutions, and morale. Lt. Edmund Patterson, 9th Alabama, explained in January 1863, “I go on picket and remain twenty four hours. We stand on our side of the [Rappahannock] river and look at the Yanks. They stand on their side and look at us. Sometimes we exchange [news]papers... and sometimes the boys trade them tobacco for coffee.”
Occasionally, soldiers got lucky and moved into the abandoned huts of a regiment that had received orders to move elsewhere. Such was the case for John Walters of the Norfolk Light Artillery Blues, positioned at Bank’s Ford. In January 1863, he wrote, “We found here some well put up breastworks... and then went to work making ourselves comfortable, a not very difficult job from the fact that... we found a number of log huts with good fire places, and... within twenty yards of our cabins, there is a run of excellent water, large enough to supply both men and horses.”
Finding abandoned huts was the exception to the rule, so the comfort
