02033 - View of Dutch Gap Canal; Army Corps of Engineers Officer, April 1865 (LC-DIG-cwpb-02034)
The Army Corps of Engineers became responsible for building projects such as this canal. They also built the roads, bridges and fortifications necessary for the armies to wage war. At the beginning of the war the Union Army had a decided advantage in Engineers. Of the 65 cadets that initially resigned from West Point, only 7 were engineers. This meant that the North was able to more quickly build and create what they needed to move south.
The Confederates, realizing this shortcoming began to train their own engineers. The fortifications that were built to defend Southern cities proved a valuable asset. By the end of the war, the South had more Engineers than the North. Still with all of their skill and talent, it was not enough to overcome the number of soldiers that the North was able to provide in the field.
