Library of Congress Fredericksburg Fredericksburg Animated Map Stafford and Spotsylvania, VA | Dec 11 - 15, 1862 With nearly 200,000 combatantsthe greatest number of any Civil War engagementFredericksburg was one of the largest and deadliest battles of the Civil War. Although it took a heavy toll on the town, the artillery failed to drive off Barksdales men. Sears, pp. Our FREE Virtual Teacher Institute is the can't miss online educator event of the summer. Heavy artillery fire from Longstreet's men prevents Union troops from advancing, and thousands are killed. Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park Guns opened fire at 10 a.m., first engaging Major John Pelhams lone Confederate gun hovering on the Union left flank. (His corps had been spread out along the Rappahannock almost to Port Royal, some twenty miles away, in case the Union troops crossed the river downstream from Fredericksburg.) All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Here are some facts to help shed a little light on the battle for newcomers and test the knowledge of veterans. Lee had not anticipated Burnside's shift to Fredericksburg and now neither of his wings was in position to defend the old city. To find out more, please see our Privacy Policy. Full view. General John Sedgwick, The Story of a Union Corps Commander. If the Union force moved to reinforce Hooker, then Early was to leave a covering force and rejoin Lee with the remainder of his troops. 1 photographic print : albumen. 2 3 4 5 Fredericksburg City Cemetery The Fredericksburg City Cemetery was established in 1844. (10705 Courthouse Rd, Fredericksburg, VA 22407) and the gathering starts at 7:30pm. https://www.nps.gov/frsp. Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. Union and Confederate soldiers endured an unnerving hour of shellfire. While engineers struggled to build a bridge, Sedgwick turned his attention to the center and Maryes Heights. Virginia Humanities acknowledges the Monacan Nation, the original people of the land and waters of our home in Charlottesville, Virginia. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata. 120 Chatham Ln 22405, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Gibbon was severely wounded in the wrist by a bursting shell, making him the highest ranking U.S. officer injured in the Battle of Fredericksburg. That night, Sedgwick fell back to the Rappahannock, and the next morning, May 4, in a series of uncoordinated assaults, Earlys men first reclaimed Maryes Heights and then Fredericksburg itself. Union troops moved across the bridges and occupied Fredericksburg on December 12, looting the smoldering city and readying for the main attack, which was scheduled for December 13. Turning toward his late night visitor, McClellan spoke without revealing his bitter disappointment. Map shows the region surrounding Fredericksburg, Va., including Marie's Heights outside of the city and Falmouth across the Rappahannock River. It was here that Burnside planned to deliver the first blow against Lees position on December 13. Fredericksburg was the scene of two major battles. Eventually, Union infantry soldiers were sent across the river in boats to clear out the Confederate sharpshooters. Union and Confederate armies clashed on the field south of Fredericksburg on December 13, creating one of the most sobering milestones in Civil War history. The previous afternoon, Colonel Robert Chilton of Lees staff had mistakenly ordered Early to abandon his line. Confederate sharpshooters, posted along the riverfront by Brigadier General William Barksdale, blazed away at Burnsides bridge-builders, and drove them from their work. Plan of attack on Marie's Heights, Fredericksburg Va. By Maj. Genl. 1013 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg, VA 22401-5501. The beauty and pageantry of both armies had been torn and bloodied in the fields around Prospect Hill and the Slaughter Pen. That left only two alternatives: He had to strike one or the other end of Lees defenses, where the lines jutted forward forming two salients. 5 Great Battlefields, 6 Crucial Restoration Projects, Stafford and Spotsylvania, VA | December 11, 1862. Notifications. On December 13, 1862, General Ambrose E. Burnside launched a series of brave but futile attacks against General Robert E. Lee's position on the heights behind town. Manuscripts. 1st 1862. Now a regiment of Louisianans and two regiments of William Barksdales Mississippianscrouched behind a stone wall in a sunken road at the center of the linewere especially vulnerable. You can navigate days by using left and right arrows. The Union commander had no choice but to search for a new way to outwit Lee and satisfy the public's desire for victory. Lee, who suspected that Sedgwick was serving merely as a diversion, had divided his army, sending a small force10,000 infantry and 56 cannonunder Jubal Early to protect his right flank against Sedgwick. This image shows the situation several days before the battle of Fredericksburg, on December 13th, Map shows Gen. R. E. Lee's strong position on the heights overlooking Fredericksburg, Va. The battle's outcomea crushing Union defeatimmeasurably strengthened the Confederate cause. We were tight on time, and we let the waitress know this when we sat down. Burnside assumed command of the Army of the Potomac in November 1862 after George McClellan failed to pursue Lee into Virginia following the Battle of Antietam in Maryland on September 17. Major General George Gordon Meade would launch the main attack with an understrength division of Pennsylvania Reserves, and Brigadier General John Gibbons division would support him. Using the darkness and a thick fog as cover, Union engineers began to construct temporary floating bridges made from pontoons across the river near downtown Fredericksburg. RG 77, Civil Works Map File, G131-2 (NAID 109182789). Genre Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as Scolding his men for ducking under the fire of Confederate sharpshooters at Spotsylvania Court House, he spoke some of his last words with a chuckle: They couldnt hit an elephant at that distance., Encyclopedia Virginia946 Grady Ave. Ste. Barksdale retreated to Lee's Hill, where he attempted to make another stand but was again forced to retreat southward. Early on the morning of December 11, Union engineers rushed forward to lay the pontoon bridges down, only to be met with harassing fire from the town, courtesy of Mississippians under the command of Brigadier General William Barksdale. At three twenty-five, Wilcoxs menAlabamans and Georgians mostlymet Brooks at a tollgate at a clearing in the woods that contained a brick church and a wooden schoolhouse. Early retake Marye's Heights and Fredericksburg. In his free time, George enjoyed shooting a round of golf at the Fredericksburg County Club. This page was last edited on 24 May 2023, at 19:17. Fredericksburg! [13], Sedgwick had lost 1,100 men during the engagement. (Colonel Thomas Griffin was captured.) Union troops slowly withdrew back across the Rappahannock River , dismantling their pontoon bridges behind them, determined to try again in the spring. The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock. Meet on the Fredericksburg Battlefield at Tour Stop 6, Prospect Hill, the southern end of Lee Drive; includes a 1 mile walk over uneven terrain, moderate hills, and thick . 26869. Nevertheless, the country demanded action. Relief shown by hachures. Franklins instructions from Burnside were vague, however, and he failed to put enough force into Meades attack to support or exploit Meades extraordinary advance. No place more vividly reflects the War's tragic cost in all its forms. The numbered stops within each battlefield are suggested driving tours. hbspt.forms.create({ The blue clad veterans covered the miles at a brisk pace and on November 17 the lead units arrived opposite Fredericksburg on Stafford Heights. The VI and II Corps seized control of several crossings on April 29, laying down pontoon bridges in the early morning hours, and the divisions of William T. H. Brooks and James S. Wadsworth crossed the river. The real battle occurred some three miles to the south in an area known as Prospect Hill and the Slaughter Pen. As Gibbons first line approached, Rebels ripped it apart with deadly musketry which stopped the Yankees cold. (Lee was outnumbered almost two to one, a situation exacerbated by the fact that two Confederate divisions, under James Longstreet, were located to the southeast, besieging Norfolk.) Fredericksburg, On May 5, Sedgwick retreated back across the Rappahannock River, followed shortly by Hooker. Changing the day will navigate the page to that given day in history. With these words, the charismatic, overcautious leader of the Union's most famous fighting force exited the military stage, yielding to a new man with a different vision of war. Other related blogs from The Unwritten Record: Jedediah Hotchkiss: Mapmaker of the Confederacy. Fortunately for Lee, mismanagement in Washington delayed the arrival of the pontoon bridges Burnsides forces needed to cross the Rappahannock. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Fredericksburg, VA 22401 Contact Us; Helpful Links. [14], .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}381745N 772806W / 38.29575N 77.46844W / 38.29575; -77.46844. The Union Army of the Potomac under the command of Ambrose E. Burnside reaches the banks of the Rappahannock River opposite Fredericksburg. Gibbon offered support by attacking across an open field with two brigades one behind the other. Park Home Plan Your Visit Places To Go Fredericksburg Battlefield Fredericksburg Battlefield Intense fighting around Fredericksburg, across the Rappahannock River, resulted in a lopsided defeat for the US Army of the Potomac. Overview of the Chancellorsville Campaign. Mapping the Civil War: Antietam and South Mountain. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. The cemetery adjoins the Confederate Cemetery on Washington Avenue Visitors are welcome; the cemetery closes at dusk. John Sedgwick, USA, with the Plan of the battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia : shewing [sic] Union and Rebel positions 13th Decr Plan of the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Retrieved from the Library of Congress,
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