1862 Ends The Battle of Fredericksburg Mac is
1862 Ends: The Battle of Fredericksburg
Mac is Gone…For Good �Gen. Ambrose Burnside: takes over Army of the Potomac in Nov. 1862. �Commander of IX Corps �No political ambitions �Initially turned down offer
Burnside Plans His Offensive �Plan of Deception: �Fake movement west �Rapidly cross Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg �Force Lee to attack �Lincoln: “Sounds pretty awful, but ok”… �What’s the worst that could happen? � 120, 000 Federals vs. 72, 000 Confederates
Burnside’s Plan Falls Apart �Pontoon bridge arrive weeks late �Extra time allowed Lee to move entire army �Burnside refused to send piecemeal divisions across �Lee’s men take strong defensive position
Battle of Fredericksburg (December 11 -15, 1862) �Burnside erects 220 cannon in position to block counterattacks �Crosses river, occupies town �Decides on full frontal assault on Confederate positions
Battle of Fredericksburg (continued) �December 13: Union attack south of town �Union attacks briefly break through; not supported by reserves �Almost 9, 000 casualties A “My God, Reynolds…did Burnside think my division could whip Lee’s whole army? ” -Gen. George Meade
Battle of Fredericksburg (continued) �Secondary attack on Marye’s Heights becomes focus �Confederates 2 -3 deep, behind stone wall �Confederate artillery dominated the approach “A chicken could not live on that field when we open on it. ” -Col. E. Porter Alexander, Longstreet’s artillery chief � 7 Union divisions annihilated �Union losses: 8, 000 �CSA losses: 1, 200
The Confederate position on Marye’s Heights.
The Irish Brigade attacking the stone wall at Mary’s Heights. The brigade. Of 7, 700 men engaged in the unit, nearly 4, 000 were casualties by the end of fighting.
“The Angel of Marye’s Heights” Sgt. Richard Kirkland, a 19 year-old from South Carolina, took water to the Union and Confederate wounded on Marye’s Heights without a flag of truce.
The Aftermath of Battle �Total Casualties: �Union: 12, 600 �CSA: 5, 300 �Burnside relieved of command in January. “It is well that war is so terrible, lest we should grow fond of it…” -Robert E. Lee “If there is a worse place than Hell, I am surely in it. ” -Pres. Lincoln
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