Fredericksburg Battle with Maps: Viriginia, December, 1862 | American Civil War | Lee & Burnside
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- Опубліковано 1 лют 2023
- 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
My ancestor was 1Sgt in 136th Penna and was wounded, shot through both legs, during the advance on prospect hill. I’ve walked those fields. He lay on the field wounded after his unit pulled back and remained there on the battlefield for 3 days, when confederates discovered him and took him prisoner. He was transported by rail to Richmond and put into the hellhole, Libby Prison. His wounds untreated, he was lucky to be paroled as he was no longer able to fight, while hundreds of fellow prisoners died there of neglect, disease and starvation. He made his way north somehow, probably by ship and reached the hospital at the Naval academy in Annapolis. He lay there for months but when sufficiently recovered, was mustered out and sent back to home and family in Johnstown, Penna. 50 years after Fredericksburg, he penned a detailed memoir of his experience, which the Family has preserved.
That's remarkable great you hold 9n to family history
Isn't that the same Johnstown that was washed away in a flood decades after The War Between the States?
It's very very likely that my fifth grade grandfather shot at him
I do encourage you to be sure that the family gets the keepsake into the public domain. The book Partriots Priests and Rebels is an astounding annotated collection of family papers that is a bit mind blowing because so many original sources help you understand how entirely different the world was back then. A good bit of the material involves living in wartime Fredericksburg.
Excellent presentation. The geographical editing of the modern satellite landscape is very well done. Thank you for your work on this video
Thank you!
may I Concur
My address is Berny Dolan.
@@JeffreytheLibrarianThe heights above Fredericksburg is pronounced Marie's Heights, although spelt Marye's Heights. A common mistake!
Fantastic lesson, Jeffrey. I've never been so exhausted after just watching a video. Union actions were the definition of insanity
I imagine many of those soldiers and officers knew it was doomed, but they had to do it anyway.
Jeffery rightly pointed out that Franklin was suppose to attack the right flank of the Confederate line at Hamilton's Crossing. That was intended to be the Union's main attack. The effort at Marye's Heights was intended to be a diversion. Burnsides' plan failed to be implemented, in large part, because the orders weren't delivered to Franklin in a timely fashion and those orders were poorly worded and vague, at best, as to many specifics. Franklin was a very conservative officer and place undue weight on Burnside's instructions to guard the river crossings. If Franklin had concentrated his available force on gaining Hamiltion's Crossing he would have been sitting on Lee's LOC and closer to Richmond than Lee's army.
As Jeffery's video suggests if Franklin had attacked Jackson's center with more than one single division he had an excellent chance of splitting the Confederate line and breaking Lee's LOC.
The battle plan was not insanity but a lack of clarity in the excise of the Union's command and control function resulted in a defeat and thousands of union soldiersbeing needlessly sacrificed.
One correction: General Thomas Cobb did not die on the road behind the stone wall. During an interval in the Union attacks General Cobb climbed Marye's Heights and went to the Stephens House which was serving a an HQ. There he was mortally wounded by a Union artillery shell which over-shot the Confederate line at the foot of Marye's Heights.
The Union was largely repulsive.
It was lee’s ineptitude that lost the day, union strategy was superior
@@daveburns3886 Strange that you should say that about the Battle of Fredericksburg which was an overwhelming Confederate victory.
It’s impressive to know all of this, even given the internet. Let alone actually making an hour long video that’s highly detailed and shows the organization of the units at specific times and as with updates such as moral and ammo. Be proud of yourself for this.
Much appreciated! That means a lot to me.
Always a good day when this channel posts a new civil war video!
Thank you!
This brings back memories of when childish me was reading up on this battle among the others and it hit me that the Civil War was really the exact same military madness as WW1, just without the technology. A formally trained officer class which insisted on using the exact same tactics over and over and over, and not only failing to learn from their own mistakes but repeating the mistakes of their enemies from prior battles. After that, I cannot look at military 'science' and tactics as anything other than something like pro-wrestling where the play is the purpose and the fighting just a disgusting show.
One of the interesting theories about the rationale of Burnside's logic was that he thought the men were simply too cowardly, and just needed one unit that wouldn't falter and fall back. This is why he kept doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Epic. Outstanding brief on the operations at Fredericksburg in December 1862. No book has done it better. Mesmerizing.
Thank you, that means a lot to me.
This is a phenomenal break down, I used to live near Fredericksburg and have toured the battlefield several times. This helps me understand the heroic actions so much better. Thank you.
was so excited when i woke up and saw you uploaded this. i’ll save it for tonight (not because it’s boring) i think i retain the most information subconsciously
Excellent! I hope you enjoy it!
As always, so well researched and presented.
Wonderful visuals
Thank you, Jeff
Thanks!
Well done. Fast paced enough and highlighted graphics synced with the narration so that even I couldn't get lost. Bravo.
Most wonderfully done. And you took the time to clear up the usual name confusion!
thank you!
Well done, thank you for doing this. I can't wait for the next one.
Thanks!
Man imagine sitting in a classroom or office in one of those buildings built on the open fairgrounds and not ever knowing how many people may have died right where youre sitting! Crazy.
Jeffrey that has to be one of the most exhaustingly researched videos on UA-cam. You did an outstanding job researching this battle and putting it in a format that makes it completely understandable. As much as I know about the battle you have still managed to increase my understanding. I hope to see the same effort for the BullRuns and Chancellorsville campaigns. Bravo. Outstanding!
Thank you, sir! That is much appreciated. Yes, we will continue to do more Civil War videos. Bull Run and Chancellorsville are on the list.
Great video. Really appreciate the detail and map references for the different units involved
Thank you!
This is a good video to watch along with Frank O'Reilly's video on Fredericksburg. Glad you composed and researched this whole thing. Thanks.
Thank you!
I love these videos. Thank you!
Much appreciated!
This is what the people want! Thanks for making this its my favorite kind of videos from you. You make these videos better than anyone.
Thank you very much! That means a lot to me.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian It would be cool if you reached out to Vlogging Through History. He breaks down other peoples videos and adds his 2 cents. He loves civil war videos and has a good following. If he reviewed one of your videos it would highlight your channel more and hopefully inspire you to make more incredible battle break downs like this. He takes video recommendations from his fans ill ask him to break one of your videos down.
Great Video love the attention to detail i would ask you do the Battle of Chickamuaga next as it is a large battle and quite unknown
I have my favorite Civil War channels, and yours just happened to pop up. Glad I clicked on it. I enjoy the detailed descriptions of the battle actions you provide. Very well researched and informative. You've earned a new subscriber! Thank you.
Just watched the Shilo battle, Holy Cow!! these are incredible. Making these battles so easy to understand. Well done!!
Thank you!
Last week I was with my daughter at University of Mary Washington. while driving around Fredricksburg, I saw a sign mentioning "Marye's Heights" and I remembered it was a scene of the battle. I made a note to keep my eye out for it.
We toured the campus of UMW and went to eat in town. But I didn't get to look for any memorials. It turns out, the UMW campus IS Marye's Heights! Marye House still stands, in the middle of the campus between Madison Hall and the Sunken Road.
On your modern map of the battle, you show a large white building along the Sunken Road near where it intersects Hanover St. I think that is their sports complex.
Fantastic videos, thank you so much for all the hard work. My family lives on the Manassas Battlefields and have walked them more than any other area. I've been to Fburg so much as well that this really helps me visualize all that I've seen over the years. I would love to see a video like this about the battle of Manassas and sounding areas sometime. Thank you again!
I'm just getting started. I will continue to do Civil War battles, so Manasses is on the list.
@Jeffrey the Librarian I figured it would get touched on at some point and very excited for it. Thank you again for the time and hard work
Jeffery, wonderful video! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more detailed version of the Fredericksburg battle! I visited the battlefield last year and from the sunken road, you really can’t get a good perspective of the fairgrounds! Thanks for the detail!
Thank you, sir!
I've been hoping that you'd do this battle. THANK YOU!
I will keep expanding the scenarios. We are just starting.
great job love these kind of videos thanks for your time to make them very well done.
Thank you!
loving these civil war videos. never thought it would be subject i would be interested in before.
The Civil War is about as dramatic as life can get.
The incompetence of Fredericksburg makes this Union man SICK. I marvel that the average soldiers did not abandon the cause due to poor leadership
Even today, when you stand at the stone wall at Fredericksburg and look down, the Federal assault looks impossible. Of course, 6 months later at Gettysburg, Lee attempts a similar maneuver with Pickett's brigade against the Angle.
Aweosome, provided information I did not know. Will have to revisit parts that I was not aware were more important then the stories tell.
Thanks for watching!
Excellent presentation.
Thank you!
Very well done, sir.
Thank you!
Well reported! Thank you!
Thank you!
Fantastic work! Thanks
Thank you!
Superb !
Thanks!
Hope you get this message. My ancestor Col. Daniel Leasure was the founder of the 100th PA Inf. Reg. " Roundheads". I do know that he fought at this battle. I'm not sure if he was a Regimental or Battalion commander at this battle. I'm pretty sure most of what he commanded was Battalions. Any info you have would be appreciated. Also this was a fantastic breakdown of the battle.
When I was stationed at Quantico, I owned a house and seven acres on Spotswood Furnace Rd west of town - near Salem Church. I went to the Sunken Road frequently. Very humbling. The stories of the crying wounded through the night were heart wrenching. I hope the battlefields have not been consumed by greedy developers since 2005.
Very Very well done!
Thank you!
Thank you
Much appreciated!
Thanks!
Thank you, friend! I greatly appreciate your contribution.
This was awesome. Im from Fredericksburg 😊 thank you for such a detailed video..i learn by watching
Thank you, friend! That's such a nice part of America.
Great Vid.. from Hill Manassas VA.
Much appreciated!
You barely mentioned Pelham, "Here Major John Pelham, commanding Stuart’s Horse Artillery, executed a stunning flank attack on advancing Union troops during the Battle of Fredericksburg on 13 December 1862. Reduced to one cannon, the 24-year-old Pelham halted the Federals for almost two hours by employing the flying artillery tactics that he had perfected. Observing from a nearby hilltop, Lee exclaimed, “It is glorious to see such courage in one so young! Lee’s battle report commended “the gallant Pelham.”
My favorite civil war battle!
Very very very very very very very very very well done
Thank you!
Perhaps either a compass rose or arrow pointing north for different maps would help with orientation? I'm really getting a lot of clarity from your videos, just trying to keep up..
Again, another excellent video! Thank you for your all of your thorough work. I do have 3 questions: what was the elevation of Marye's Heights compared to the Union position and/or the ravine? Second question, you mentioned HW Halleck chiding Burnside about sending battle details over the telegraph, do we know if Lee was aware of Union plans specifically at Fredericksburg because of Burnside's big mouth? And a general question: were farmers compensated for crops lost/damaged by a battle on their farm?
In general, farmers were not compensated. Foraging for food stuff (farm animals, chickens, pigs, cows and produce was widespread and common. Battle damage was just too bad. Pillage and burning was widespread and notorious in several Union campaigns: Shenandoah valley, GA, SC etc
@@johnjohnson3447 the entire goal of Lee's incursions into Maryland and Pennsylvania was pillaging. All armies generally conducted themselves similarly.
This is great! Jeffrey kicks ass!
“IF” the biggest word in the English language. My dad said this to me in the 1960’s.
I really like your civil war videos. Can you do one one Chattanooga.? Thanks
Thanks for the recommendation. I plan on continuing to do more Civil War battles, so I will get to Chattanooga.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian yep. You bring it all in. Tographie, big picture, little picture of the entire battlefield. Tactical moves and responses thrown in too. Excellent. Just excellent. Thank you.
Excellent videos! Would you care to share what software you use to make them? Thank you
Thank you! I use good old-fashioned Microsoft Paint3D.
Why didn't the union stop trying against the stonewall and try somewhere else?
The rebel line was probably impenetrable the whole way down. The Army of the Potomac was really bottlenecked because there were few ways across the millrace except Hanover Street. Also, I think Burnside had it in his head that he was going to concentrate everything on one point. In hindsight, it would have just made sense to cross the Rappahannock River at a different location after the Confederate army had arrived and entrenched itself. Burnside is kind of the opposite of McClellan. McClellan would try once, determine something was hard, and not commit. Burnside would throw everything in, again, and again, and again.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian Talk about the definition of insanity! Unbelievable that Burnside was allowed to continue to command troops after this debacle; he should have been court-martialed, broken, and tossed out of the service--or worse.
Burnside believed that the Confederates would counter-attack if he did not keep up the pressure. Grant made as many terribly foolish decisions too, but one thing Grant would not do that Burnside did do -- Grant would not go backwards.
Grant would disengage a bad position and redeploy though.
My great great great uncle Captain Wesley Mellard Co H 13th Mississippi Infantry Barksdales brigade fought at Fredericksburg
correct me if I'm wrong but the confederates on Marys Heights couldn't touch Stafford Heights guns or if they could lee only had a few guns of the size to be able to accurately shoot that far.
Live in warrenton Virginia, and apparently our town changed hands 72 times during the war.
Also John mosby’s house is still on Main Street.
Warrenton, Virginia is basically on the highway between the two capitols. Somebody was passing through all the time.
Ambrose Burnside overthinking it: they must be expecting us to attack from where our army is so they therefore must not be expecting that. They are definitely expecting the attack elsewhere so we will attack exactly where they are and are not expecting it.
Classic overthinking. Hit them where they are the most powerful, because they wouldn't expect it...
I had to stop watching at 38:07 - I don't really want to know how it plays out. SMH at Union's ---- am at true loss for a word to describe it.
No battle should have even been considered at that location. You knew it was doomed well before the bridges arrived - just by looking at the terrain!
No wonder Lincoln about lost his mind!!!
By the way, I live near Fredericksburg, and Sophia Street is not pronounced "So-FEE-uh" but rather "Suh-FIE-uh" .. I don't know why.
Unique spelling of Virginia
Check it out Viriginia
Excellent presentation! One quibble... it's pronounced Marye's Heights in the way one might say "Marie's" (ma-REEs) rather than "Mary's" (MAYR-ees). Someone has to be that native Fredericksburg accent around here! But well done... very well done.
👍 I live in Chancellor and came to comments for that and Sophia St. We pronounce it As"So-pheye-uh."
Great video!
@@teamjay2837 -- and then there's "fred-RICKS-berg" rather than "fred-er-ICKS-berg". who needs four syllables when three will do!
nobody cares
@@mustbtrouble you did.
Bluecoats = blueberries
falmouth- the town at the mouth of the river fal, cornwall, uk. i know how a lot of american towns get their names- someone or some folks arrived from falmouth mass. or falmouth, cornwall, im doubting falmouth, jamaica, and said we'll name this place falmouth. anybody know who and what falmouth. i come from (the only) bodmin, cornwall, uk.
Greetings, UK! It's probably named after the Falmouth in the UK. Eastern Virginia is old for America. Fredericksburg has towns named after the English royal family, because they are from the colonial period, so I would bet that Falmouth, Virginia was founded by folks from that town in the UK.
@@JeffreytheLibrarian Falmouth was first settled by English colonists in 1660 and was officially incorporated in 1686. Bartholomew Gosnold named the settlement for Falmouth, Cornwall, England, his home port.
Thanks. Burnside was another indecisive bum of a general. Lol
how stupid can anybody - except union generals- be to attack frontal over open ground ennemy behind fortification to receive deadly fire. No idea to circumvent the ennemy and take the advantage away from him. What a useless waste of soldiers. Is this what american officers learnt at sandhurst...
Who would win
General Burnside in command of 130,000 troops
Or
One Stonewall
Too much to follow.
I live near the Rappahanock River, and the history here used to be explored by tourists. Not so much today, because the Woke are removing all Confederate Historical Markers and monuments.
The plan was stupid to begin with. Was too predictable.
Holy shit my house is literally just outside of the video at 3:47
Edit: holy shit my house is in the video at 13:48 haha
Edit: omg the other house I lived in is just outside of view at 25:58 lmao
Seems crazy to go against the stonewall, waste of men and foolish 🙄