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Message
One of the great debacles in American military history occurred 162 years ago today...
Posted on 12/13/24 at 6:39 am
Posted on 12/13/24 at 6:39 am
December 13, 1862.
After taking the town of Fredericksburg by amphibious assault across the Rappahannock River on December 11, the Union Army of the Potomac spent the entirety of December 12 marching its divisions over the river, through the town, and into the fields beyond. Entrenched on high ground overlooking the scene was Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Lee had 78,000 troops at his disposable to confront Major General Ambrose Burnside's 122,000.
Burnside's plan for the upcoming battle was to launch diversionary attacks against the Confederate positions on Marye's Heights under the command of James Longstreet while the main assault would be made against the troops of Stonewall Jackson on the Confederate right. However, miscommunication of orders would result in only 6,000 of the 40,000 Federal troops going forward to carry out the assault on Jackson's lines. This division, under the command of Brigadier General George G. Meade would find a gap in Jackson's line and exploit it. Had the entire assault force gone forward there was a good chance that this attack might have succeeded in actually turning Jackson out of his position - just as Burnside envisioned it. Reinforcements were never sent to aide Meade in any adequate numbers, however, and a Confederate counterattack succeeded in dislodging Meade's brigades from the Confederate positions with heavy casualties on both sides.
Meanwhile, the diversionary attack on Marye's Heights was slowly morphing into the Union's main effort as Federal commanders sent division after division into the maelstrom. Confederate soldiers, taking shelter behind a shoulder high stonewall just below the crest of Marye's Heights, did significant damage to every attacking wave, mowing them down in their thousands. As the sun began to set and the nature of the disaster began to become clear, a tearful Burnside announced that he would personally lead a final assault against the Confederate positions atop Marye's Heights with his beloved Ninth Corps (his old command before being promoted to command the whole army), before being talked out of it by his subordinates.
As the smoke cleared, the disaster came into focus. Some 13,000 Union soldiers had fallen killed or wounded this day. By comparison, the Confederate army suffered just 5,500 total casualties in the action. A somber but satisfied Robert E. Lee, overlooking the carnage from his headquarters high above the field, is reported to have said: "It is well that war is so terrible, for we should grow too fond of it."
After taking the town of Fredericksburg by amphibious assault across the Rappahannock River on December 11, the Union Army of the Potomac spent the entirety of December 12 marching its divisions over the river, through the town, and into the fields beyond. Entrenched on high ground overlooking the scene was Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Lee had 78,000 troops at his disposable to confront Major General Ambrose Burnside's 122,000.
Burnside's plan for the upcoming battle was to launch diversionary attacks against the Confederate positions on Marye's Heights under the command of James Longstreet while the main assault would be made against the troops of Stonewall Jackson on the Confederate right. However, miscommunication of orders would result in only 6,000 of the 40,000 Federal troops going forward to carry out the assault on Jackson's lines. This division, under the command of Brigadier General George G. Meade would find a gap in Jackson's line and exploit it. Had the entire assault force gone forward there was a good chance that this attack might have succeeded in actually turning Jackson out of his position - just as Burnside envisioned it. Reinforcements were never sent to aide Meade in any adequate numbers, however, and a Confederate counterattack succeeded in dislodging Meade's brigades from the Confederate positions with heavy casualties on both sides.
Meanwhile, the diversionary attack on Marye's Heights was slowly morphing into the Union's main effort as Federal commanders sent division after division into the maelstrom. Confederate soldiers, taking shelter behind a shoulder high stonewall just below the crest of Marye's Heights, did significant damage to every attacking wave, mowing them down in their thousands. As the sun began to set and the nature of the disaster began to become clear, a tearful Burnside announced that he would personally lead a final assault against the Confederate positions atop Marye's Heights with his beloved Ninth Corps (his old command before being promoted to command the whole army), before being talked out of it by his subordinates.
As the smoke cleared, the disaster came into focus. Some 13,000 Union soldiers had fallen killed or wounded this day. By comparison, the Confederate army suffered just 5,500 total casualties in the action. A somber but satisfied Robert E. Lee, overlooking the carnage from his headquarters high above the field, is reported to have said: "It is well that war is so terrible, for we should grow too fond of it."
7
Posted on 12/13/24 at 6:49 am to RollTide1987
Standing on Maryes Heights I don’t have any idea how you can have any sympathy for Burnside as a commander.
No untrained human being would think what he did was anything but a desperate attempt to save his job from a cowardly and incompetent man too stupid and weak to admit his initial plan had failed and that he needed to make a new attempt somewhere else.
But even the biggest southerner had to feel sympathy and respect for the Union troops who had to parade across the river under full view of the confederate troops, march through Fredericksburg and then wait their turn to get chewed to pieces unit by unit.
After reading Chamberlains account of his unit being shredded by confederate fire, spending the night behind a parapet of dead bodies and having to escape without accomplishing anything the miracle to me is that no one ended Burnsides career via fragging.
No untrained human being would think what he did was anything but a desperate attempt to save his job from a cowardly and incompetent man too stupid and weak to admit his initial plan had failed and that he needed to make a new attempt somewhere else.
But even the biggest southerner had to feel sympathy and respect for the Union troops who had to parade across the river under full view of the confederate troops, march through Fredericksburg and then wait their turn to get chewed to pieces unit by unit.
After reading Chamberlains account of his unit being shredded by confederate fire, spending the night behind a parapet of dead bodies and having to escape without accomplishing anything the miracle to me is that no one ended Burnsides career via fragging.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 7:28 am to tide06
I agree 100%. Foolish.
My great great… was behind that stonewall in Lingstreet’s Corps.
Standing on Marye’s Heights on a cold winter afternoon is a significant event in my adult life. I don’t really have the words to describe it. You can feel it all around you there.
One thing that I took away from there was the little known fact that in the National Cemetery on the Heights, lie 12790 “unknowns”. Let that number sink in for a minute. They are each marked by a small simple stone. Forgotten to time and history.
My great great… was behind that stonewall in Lingstreet’s Corps.
Standing on Marye’s Heights on a cold winter afternoon is a significant event in my adult life. I don’t really have the words to describe it. You can feel it all around you there.
One thing that I took away from there was the little known fact that in the National Cemetery on the Heights, lie 12790 “unknowns”. Let that number sink in for a minute. They are each marked by a small simple stone. Forgotten to time and history.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 7:42 am to RollTide1987
The confederate artillery firing in enfilade on the Union troops wrecked shite that day.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 7:46 am to DocHolliday1964
quote:
Standing on Marye’s Heights on a cold winter afternoon is a significant event in my adult life. I don’t really have the words to describe it. You can feel it all around you there.
I wish those houses at the base of the hill weren’t there, had the field been preserved earlier I really think it would be up there visually with Gettysburg.
Anyone who has a passion for US history and the civil war in particular should look into and consider throwing a few dollars to the American battlefield trust.
American Battlefield Trust
I’ve been a supporter for years and they’ve been integral in preserving these places from development over the last two decades. With the pressure to find affordable housing across NOVA if we don’t preserve these places now when they hit the market there will be no chance to do it later.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 8:25 am to tide06
I had the same thought about the houses. Takes away from the perspective and scale of the battle. I cannot imagine having to cross that open ground with cannon fire raking down from above and from across the front. Not to mention the wall of rifles firing nonstop storm of miniballs.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 8:34 am to RollTide1987
The main issue was political pressure on Burnside to do something before the years end. One thing the union generals dealt with to a bigger degree than the confederates was the political bs in Washington.
One of the reasons Grant was more successful in the eastern theater was because he consolidated his command and had more control than previous generals.
One unique fact about Fredericksburg was the northern lights shown above the Battlefield the day after the battle. Must’ve been quite a sight for everyone there.
One of the reasons Grant was more successful in the eastern theater was because he consolidated his command and had more control than previous generals.
One unique fact about Fredericksburg was the northern lights shown above the Battlefield the day after the battle. Must’ve been quite a sight for everyone there.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 8:42 am to RollTide1987
The civil war wasn’t fought over slavery
Posted on 12/13/24 at 8:48 am to theunknownknight
quote:
The civil war wasn’t fought over slavery
True. The Civil War wasn’t civil.
It was an invasion of sovereign land by a foreign nation and violation of the principle of determining the govt you chose.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 9:12 am to tide06
quote:
Standing on Maryes Heights I don’t have any idea how you can have any sympathy for Burnside as a commander.
I hadn't actually seen it until you wrote this and I looked it up on Google maps. I understand hindsight being 20/20 and all that, but it's one of those things that just blows your mind. The average 12 year old who plays Civ would figure out how dumb it was. I can at least see why Lee thought Pickett's charge was a good idea, even if he vastly underestimated the defense.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 9:23 am to Bama Bird
quote:
I can at least see why Lee thought Pickett's charge was a good idea, even if he vastly underestimated the defense.
I don’t see how anyone could logically come to that conclusion.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 9:41 am to theunknownknight
Nice derailment
Posted on 12/13/24 at 9:48 am to RollTide1987
When I retire, I am going to take a month and just travel around Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland just visiting battlefields. The only one I've visited in Virginia was Manassas, and that was over thirty years ago.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 9:53 am to TheFonz
The most frustrating thing about Manassas is that the National Park Service owns essentially all of the land where both battles took place but can’t restore the battlefield to its 1860s appearance due to conservation laws.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 10:56 am to TheFonz
You should add VMI and Washington and Lee to the battlefield itinerary.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 11:00 am to RollTide1987
quote:
One of the great victories in Confederate military history occurred 162 years ago today...
FIFY
Posted on 12/13/24 at 11:07 am to RollTide1987
That's why I said "kinda". Like I know what he wanted... this is basically blitzkrieg without anything that made blitzkrieg actually work. Bad scouting and underestimating the Union force made the decision bad, not the strategy which can't be said about Fredericksburg. That's just bad tactics altogether 
Posted on 12/13/24 at 11:26 am to tide06
It’s all about perspective. I’ve been to both Gettysburg and Fredericksburg twice. Most recently in October. When you stand on the heights, The first thing that comes to mind is that no rational or reasonable person would ever think that you could sustain a viable assault against it. When you are on the opposite side, however, it does not look like a difficult position to take, especially if you incorporate a flanking maneuver.
Gettysburg is quite similar. When you stand on Seminary Ridge and look across to toward Cemetery Ridge and the round tops, It appears that they can be taken with the proper frontal assault and flanking maneuver. When standing on LRT or Cemetery Ridge , They appear to be The perfect defensive positions that cannot be penetrated. Add In a little hubris and political pressure and you understand why Burnside attacked the heights and Lee LTR and CR.
Gettysburg is quite similar. When you stand on Seminary Ridge and look across to toward Cemetery Ridge and the round tops, It appears that they can be taken with the proper frontal assault and flanking maneuver. When standing on LRT or Cemetery Ridge , They appear to be The perfect defensive positions that cannot be penetrated. Add In a little hubris and political pressure and you understand why Burnside attacked the heights and Lee LTR and CR.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 12:45 pm to Bama Bird
quote:
Like I know what he wanted
I'm glad you do because I'm still trying to figure it out.
Here is why none of what happened on July 3 makes any sense to me whatsoever:
1) We still don't know what the aiming point of the assault was. There have been speculation and popular theories out there for decades, such as the "Copse of Trees" and Ziegler's Grove. Some people have even proposed that they were trying to cut into Cemetery Hill from the south. Bottom line, however, we don't know what the hell was going on.
2) We still don't know what the plan was once the line was broken. Lee had all of these men in the front lines but no one in reserve to exploit a successful attack against the Union center. It's one thing to break the line, it's quite another to hold the line and expand the breakthrough. There was no one behind the four divisions of Pickett, Pettigrew, Trimble and Anderson to follow up with any type of success.
Bottom line, the plan was doomed from the start considering the troops of Pettigrew and Trimble had been bloodied two days before on the first day of fighting. Brigades such as the one commanded by Marshall and Lowrance had been absolutely decimated assaulting Seminary Ridge. They lacked the strength and the endurance to make this attack.
At least at Fredericksburg there was a coherent plan and goal that was executed poorly due to lapses in communication and incompetence. I can see what Burnside was trying to do there. The battle just got away from him because he lacked the skill to control an army of that size.
Posted on 12/13/24 at 1:21 pm to RollTide1987
The Union problem at Fredericksburg was the dependence on timely arrival of the pontoons. Despite the late arrival, Burnside decided to stick to his plan despite getting reports of cattle crossing the river from Hancock. Had they sent a regiment across to establish a perimeter, more regiments could have come across and Lee would have been flanked.
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