The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock

About this book

In November 1862 just four days after his promotion to commander of the Army of the Potomac Ambrose Burnside moved his army to Fredericksburg Virginia en route to Richmond. Confederate commander Robert E. Lee responded by placing the Army of Northern Virginia directly across the Rappahannock River on Maryes Heights and Prospect Hill. The ensuing engagement climaxing on December 13 stretched for miles involved hundreds of thousands of men produced staggering unequal casualties (13 000 Federal soldiers compared to 4 500 Confederates) ruined the career of Burnside embarrassed Abraham Lincoln and distinguished Lee as one of the greatest military strategists of his era. The Fredericksburg Campaign by Francis OReilly is the definitive military study of this controversial operation. OReilly describes the gruesome struggles tactical movements in vivid detail integrating eyewitness accounts from the highest-ranking officials to the lowest private soldier to produce a seamless narrative. Woven within the broader military and political events are gripping stories from civilians trapped between the opposing armies. Drawing upon his close familiarity with the battlefield the author discusses the unprecedented nature of Fredericksburgs warfare. It saw the first purposeful bombardment of an American city the first urban street fighting in North America and the first bridgehead landing under fire in U.S. military history. OReilly analyzes the strategy of the commanders the difficulty in logistics and delay in pontoon bridging and the political pressure from Lincoln for a victory which overrode practical considerations.