Fredericksburg Battle with Maps: Viriginia, December, 1862 | American Civil War | Lee & Burnside

What was the Battle of Fredericksburg?
Why was the Battle of Fredericksburg important?
Who won the Battle of Fredericksburg?

McClellan stopped Robert E. Lee at Antietam in Sharpsburg, Maryland, but he was unable to deliver a follow through. President Abraham Lincoln replaced George McClellan with Ambrose Burnside.

Burnside moved quickly from Warrenton, Viriginia toward Richmond. He needed to cross the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg. However, his pontoon bridges had not arrived.

Confederate General Longstreet arrives in Fredericksburg while Burnside is waiting for his pontoon bridges in Falmouth, Virginia, across the river. Then Jackson's corps arrives in Fredericksburg.

Burnside's engineers get pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River after an amphibious landing is made into town. Barksdale is pushed back out of town on December 11, 1862.

Burnside moves the Army of the Potomac across the river on December 12. Burnside has three grand divisions. Sumner's grand division moves into Fredericksburg, while Franklin's grand division crosses below Deep Run. General Joseph Hooker's grand division will remain in reserve.

Franklin's grand division is to strike Prospect Hill on the rebel right flank. Stonewall Jackson's corps holds Prospect Hill. AP Hill is the first line of defense. General Meade, who will later be victorious at Gettysburg, is nonetheless slated to make a desperate attack on the Confederate high ground.

Meade's Pennsylvanians push through an opening in AP Hill's line, however, Jubal Early counterattacks, sending Meade back down. Gibbon's division comes into support, but they are also beaten back. This sector was named "Slaughter Pen."

Meanwhile, Sumner's grand division is tasked with taking Marye's Heights, a high point outside of Fredericksburg. However, Thomas Cobb of McLaws' division holds a sunken road called Telegraph Road, and they have a stonewall defense.

Couch's corps attacks Marye's Heights. But Cobb stops French and Hancock's divisions. Cobb is wounded but replaced with McMillan. McMillan then stops Howard's division.

More union divisions are assigned to take Marye's Heights. Sturgis, Griffin, Humphreys, and Getty all make attacks on the high ground, but are all stopped by the rebel defenders at the stonewall.

Burnside retreats across the river. It has been a terrible defeat for the North. President Lincoln now faces a new political and strategic challenge during his tenure as president during the American Civil War.

This documentary was made by Jeffrey Meyer, historian and librarian