Split Rail fences

[m14msgt]

So I have often wondered if there was a specific purpose behind zig-zagging the split rail fencing that is so common on Civil War battlefields. I have been to Gettysburg and went to Antietam/Sharpsburg yesterday, and saw these in quite a few places on the battlefield.

 

[cheesydn]

Split-Rail Fence: The Civil War and Its Uses:
So what was the purpose of this type of fence? Flexibility and terrain were the purposes this type of fence was often chosen for use by property owners. First, the worm fence did not require vertical posts to be used, nor the necessity of posts holes to be dug and backfilled for those vertical posts. Second, the worm fence could be moved very easily, changing sizes of fields or grazing areas, property lines, changes in uses on the property, all while not necessitating new fence post holes to be dug and previous posts to remain and rot in previous positions.

 

[Mississippian1861]

The Worm or "Virginia" rail fence was by far the most common type of fence in 1860. It served the same function as any agricultural fence today does. In the chart i've attached (from a old article by Cal Kinzer in the "Hardcracker Handbook") it shows how prevalent this type of fence was.

 

[Pollaco]

Made gathering firewood real handy too.

 

[Kearny The Magnificent]

Dan Welch wrote a 3 part "Fence Friday" series for Emerging Civil War's blog:

https://emergingcivilwar.com/?category_name=&s="Fence+Friday".

If you want to understand how NPS utilizes fences, this report on Manassas is a great example: https://npshistory.com/publications/mana/clr-fences-fields-forests.pdf

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

Barbed wire wasn't invented until the 1870s. The post hole digger wasn't invented until after the turn of the century. Rocks are heavy.

Thus I can seen why this would be the preferred type of fencing.

But these fences are also usually no more than waist-high and don't look very sturdy - but maybe appearances are deceiving? I suppose they could keep sheep and pigs contained; I'm not so sure about cattle. They certainly wouldn't keep people out

 

[m14msgt]

good info all...thank you kindly!

 

[Patrick H]

Fence rails were easily stacked without fasteners. Their own weight held them in place. They were easy to build and easy to unstack (sometimes for firewood, as has been noted.) Zig zag fences are a terribly inefficient use of wood rails, however. Later post and rail fences consumed much less wood, but were more difficult to build and maintain.

 

[Mississippian1861]

CS Brig. Gen. A. M. Manigault spends about a page of his memoir extolling the virtue of the cedar wood rail fences he encountered in Middle Tennessee during the war, and how superior they were to the (pine?) rail fences he used in the South Carolina low-country.

 

[LoyaltyOfDogs]

Barbed wire wasn't invented until the 1870s. The post hole digger wasn't invented until after the turn of the century. Rocks are heavy.

Thus I can seen why this would be the preferred type of fencing.

But these fences are also usually no more than waist-high and don't look very sturdy - but maybe appearances are deceiving? I suppose they could keep sheep and pigs contained; I'm not so sure about cattle. They certainly wouldn't keep people out

What tool was used to dig post holes before the invention of the post hole digger? An auger of some kind? A shovel would seem to make too wide a hole.

 

[Patrick H]

What tool was used to dig post holes before the invention of the post hole digger? An auger of some kind? A shovel would seem to make too wide a hole.

Yes, I am sure there were large, T-handled augers for digging post holes. They were certainly used in various sizes for wood boring.

 

[LincolnHarlan]

So I have often wondered if there was a specific purpose behind zig-zagging the split rail fencing that is so common on Civil War battlefields. I have been to Gettysburg and went to Antietam/Sharpsburg yesterday, and saw these in quite a few places on the battlefield.

Yes …
No Need for Posts or Nails
Zig-zag (or "Virginia worm") fencing did not require vertical posts to be set in the ground, which was labor-intensive, especially in rocky or wooded terrain. The rails simply rested on each other in a stable interlocking pattern.

Quick and Easy Construction
The fence could be built quickly by just two people using locally available timber. This was especially valuable in frontier or wartime settings where resources, time, and labor were limited.

Stability Without Tools The zig-zag shape gave the fence lateral stability without needing fasteners like nails, which were expensive and not always available. The weight and angles of the rails held the structure together.
Easily Dismantled and Moved. The design made it easy to dismantle and move. Farmers and even soldiers during the Civil War could quickly take down a section to move livestock, reposition it, or use the wood for fire or fortification
Abundance of Wood
The pattern was wood-hungry, but in early America—especially in the South and along the Appalachian frontier—wood was abundant and cheap. Efficiency of material wasn't a priority.

Visual and Tactical Significance on Battlefields
By the Civil War, many of these fences already dotted the landscape. On battlefields like Gettysburg or Antietam, they became unintentional obstacles for advancing troops and markers for lines of engagement. Soldiers even used them for cover!