[Entrenchments on Left of Bermuda Hundred Lines, Near Richmond, Virginia] 1864

This evocative photograph by Andrew Joseph Russell, taken in 1864, depicts the stark reality of the American Civil War. The image shows a line of hastily constructed fortifications, likely built by Union soldiers during the Siege of Petersburg. The stark, barren landscape, the rough-hewn logs, and the distant line of trees all speak to the harsh conditions endured by those who fought in this conflict. This photograph, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, serves as a powerful reminder of the human cost of war.