Battle of Fredericksburg

The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was a fight between the Union Army of the Potomac led by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under Gen. Robert E. Lee. The battle is remembered as one of the most one-sided battles of the war. The Union army suffered more than twice as many losses as the Confederate army.

Burnside had planned to cross the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg in mid-November and move quickly toward the Confederate capital of Richmond. However, Robert E. Lee moved his troops to block the crossings. When the Union army finally built their bridges and crossed the river, there was fighting within the city on December 11–12. Union troops got ready to attack Confederate defenses south of the city and on a strong 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 held by Lt. Gen. Stonewall Jackson to the south but were pushed back. Burnside then 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 pulled 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 successful. Confederate armies had moved into Kentucky and Maryland earlier that fall but were turned back. Lincoln replaced the leader of the Army of the Potomac, George B. McClellan, with Ambrose Burnside because McClellan was not acting quickly enough.

Burnside planned to move his army quickly and secretly. 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, problems occurred. 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, which had about 120,000 soldiers. About 114,000 of them would fight in the upcoming battle. The army was split into three big groups, each with infantry, cavalry, and artillery.

• The Right Grand Division was led by Major General Sumner. It included the II Corps and the IX Corps, along with a cavalry division.
• The Center Grand Division was led by Major General Hooker. It included the III Corps and the V Corps, plus a cavalry brigade.
• The Left Grand Division was led by Major General Franklin. It included the I Corps and the VI Corps, also with a cavalry brigade.
• The Reserve, under Major General Sigel, stayed near Fairfax Court House. Another group, the XII Corps, moved closer but did not take part in the battle.

Confederate

Further information: Confederate order of battle

General Robert E. Lee commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, with nearly 79,000 soldiers. About 72,500 of them would be in the battle. The army was organized into two corps.

• The First Corps was led by Lieutenant General Longstreet. It included several divisions of infantry.
• The Second Corps was led by Lieutenant General “Stonewall” Jackson. It also included several divisions of infantry.
• There was reserve artillery and a cavalry division under Major General Stuart.

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, faced the Confederate Army under General Robert E. Lee.

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

On December 13, fighting began in earnest. 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 and suffered heavy losses. Despite many attempts, the Union could not break through the Confederate lines.

The battle ended on December 15 when Union forces withdrew. 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 had about 12,653 soldiers affected, while the Confederate army had around 5,377. 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. One leader said the president was too weak, and another called the battle a “butchery.” 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 a big effort to save the Slaughter Pen Farm, a key part of the Fredericksburg battlefield. This 208-acre farm was where lots of fighting happened on December 13, 1862. Union soldiers tried to break through the Confederate lines here. Though many were hurt, they managed to get through for a short time. 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, which is based on a book of the same name. The story focused on important moments during the battle, especially the tough fights on Marye's Heights.

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 also made a song about the battle called "Clear The Way (December 13th, 1862)", which is on their 2017 album Incorruptible. In the novel Logan's Run, people can see a re-creation of the battle done by robots.