Battle of Fredericksburg

Battle of Fredericksburg

The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought from December 11 to 15, 1862, near Fredericksburg, Virginia. It took place in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The Union army, led by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside, fought against the Confederate army, led by Gen. Robert E. Lee. This battle is remembered as one of the one-sided battles of the war. The Union army lost more soldiers than the Confederate army.

Burnside planned to cross the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg in November and move toward the Confederate capital, Richmond. However, Robert E. Lee moved his troops to stop them. When the Union army finally crossed the river, there was fighting in the city on December 11 and 12. The Union troops prepared to attack Confederate defenses south of the city and on a ridge west of the city called Marye's Heights.

On December 13, Union forces under Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin broke through the first line of defenses but were pushed back. Burnside ordered many frontal attacks against the Confederate position on Marye's Heights, led by major generals Edwin V. Sumner and Joseph Hooker. All of these attacks failed and caused many losses. On December 15, Burnside moved his army away, ending another unsuccessful Union effort in the Eastern Theater.

Background

Further information: Peninsula Campaign, Seven Days Battles, Northern Virginia campaign, Maryland campaign, Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, and American Civil War

In November 1862, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln wanted to show that the Union war effort was working well. Confederate armies had moved into Kentucky and Maryland earlier that fall but were pushed back. Lincoln changed the leader of the Army of the Potomac, George B. McClellan, to Ambrose Burnside because McClellan was not acting fast enough.

Burnside planned to move his army quickly and quietly. He wanted to trick Robert E. Lee, the Confederate leader, into thinking he would attack from one place, but instead cross a river to surprise Lee at a town called Fredericksburg. However, things did not go as planned. The special bridges Burnside needed to cross the river did not arrive on time, and his plan began to fail. As Burnside moved slowly, Lee had time to bring more soldiers to Fredericksburg and build strong defenses.

Burnside still had a chance to attack part of Lee’s army before they were all ready, but he waited too long. By the time Burnside was ready, Lee’s army was fully prepared, and Burnside’s plan was no longer a surprise.

Opposing forces

Union

General Burnside led the Union Army of the Potomac. It had about 120,000 soldiers, and about 114,000 would fight in the battle. The army was split into three big groups.

• The Right Grand Division was led by Major General Sumner. It included the II Corps and the IX Corps.
• The Center Grand Division was led by Major General Hooker. It included the III Corps and the V Corps.
• The Left Grand Division was led by Major General Franklin. It included the I Corps and the VI Corps.
• The Reserve, under Major General Sigel, stayed near Fairfax Court House. The XII Corps moved closer but did not fight.

Confederate

Further information: Confederate order of battle

General Robert E. Lee commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. It had nearly 79,000 soldiers, and about 72,500 would be in the battle. The army was split into two corps.

• The First Corps was led by Lieutenant General Longstreet.
• The Second Corps was led by Lieutenant General “Stonewall” Jackson.

The two armies at Fredericksburg were the largest groups of soldiers to ever face each other in the Civil War.

Battle

The Battle of Fredericksburg took place from December 11 to 15, 1862, near Fredericksburg, Virginia, during the American Civil War. The Union Army, led by Major General Ambrose Burnside, fought against the Confederate Army under General Robert E. Lee.

On December 11 and 12, Union engineers built bridges across the Rappahannock River. Confederate soldiers fired at the workers, but Union artillery tried to protect them. Union soldiers crossed the river and took control of Fredericksburg.

On December 13, fighting began. In the south, Union forces under Major General John F. Reynolds attacked but were stopped by Confederate artillery. In the north, Union troops tried to capture Marye's Heights but faced strong defenses. Despite many tries, the Union could not break through the Confederate lines.

The battle ended on December 15 when Union forces left. The fighting was very fierce, and many soldiers on both sides were hurt or lost during the battle. One memorable moment was when a Confederate sergeant named Richard Rowland Kirkland brought water to wounded Union soldiers on the battlefield, earning him the nickname "Angel of Marye's Heights."

Additional maps
Overview of the battle, December 13, 1862 (additional map 1) Overview of the battle, December 13, 1862 (additional map 2)

Aftermath

The Battle of Fredericksburg was a hard fight with many soldiers hurt or lost. The Union army lost many soldiers, and the Confederate army also had many losses. Even though the South celebrated their win, their leader, General Lee, felt that they hadn’t really achieved much because they didn’t gain any new land.

In the North, people were very upset. Leaders and newspapers criticized both the army and President Lincoln. President Lincoln felt very sad about the loss. Meanwhile, other Union armies were also struggling in different places.

Battlefield preservation

Main article: Preservation efforts of the Fredericksburg battlefield

The Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park was created in 1927 and moved to the National Park Service in 1933. It covers more than 8,300 acres and includes parts of four important Civil War battlefields.

In 2003, the Civil War Trust started an effort to save the Slaughter Pen Farm, a key part of the Fredericksburg battlefield. This farm was where much of the fighting happened on December 13, 1862. Union soldiers tried to break through Confederate lines here. This area was the largest unprotected part of the battlefield and lets visitors see the whole Union attack path. With help from the Department of the Interior and others, this important land was saved. More land has been protected since then, including 51 extra acres. In 2012, old items from Union soldiers were found near a new courthouse being built.

In popular culture

The Battle of Fredericksburg was shown in the 2003 film Gods and Generals. The story focused on important moments during the battle.

American writer Louisa May Alcott wrote about her time caring for soldiers who were hurt in the battle in her book Hospital Sketches from 1863. The heavy metal band Iced Earth made a song about the battle called "Clear The Way (December 13th, 1862)". The song is on their 2017 album Incorruptible. In the novel Logan's Run, people can see a re-creation of the battle done by robots.