BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER:THE BATTLE OF

FREDERICKSBURG

December 11-15, 1862

Situation Report: Dec. 1862

Union given credit for victory at Antietam even though it was really a tie

McClellan fired for the second and final time

People up north growing anxious over how long the war is

Photographs of Antietam battlefield begin to change people’s views of war

The Copperhead Movement

A political group of people nicknamed “Copperheads” began to protest the war and write pamphlets and books speaking out against Lincoln and the army

Wanted the war to end quickly no matter what the result because Union victory seemed out of the question

Supported a truce between north and south or total Confederate victory

Were attacked for not being patriotic

Union Command

General Ambrose Burnside

-Unlucky throughout his life-Did not want command-Knew himself that he was a poor general

Confederate Command

General Robert E. Lee

-Brilliant commander-Loved by his men-Orders were unquestionable

Burnside’s Plan

Because of rising tension in Washington, Lincoln pressured Burnside into attacking and capturing the high ground of Marye’s Heights beyond Fredericksburg. Rather than attack Confederate positions from the side, Burnside chose to attack them dead-on.

His strategy is approved by Lincoln and is more complicated than it seems.

Doubts in the Ranks

Two of Burnside’s top division commanders, Generals Winfield Scott Hancock and Oliver Howard heavily disagreed with his plan of attack, but they could not persuade him.

“No General, we’ll meet them head on, and it will be a bloody mess.”- Gen. Hancock, on December 12.

General Darius Couch, “This is not warfare, it is murder.”

No Chance for Success

After laying the pontoons (under fire) the Union Army would then have to cross the river (under fire). Then they had to march through the town (under fire), before crossing a small field (under fire), wading across a canal (under fire), and then make a charge against a stone wall (under fire).

A Terrifying Charge

The Union would send sixteen waves of men to attack the Confederate entrenchments at Marye’s Heights.

General Hancock watched hopelessly as he ordered top brigade commanders Samuel Zook, St. Clair Mulholland, John Caldwell, Adelbert Ames, and others into battle.

Each wave was cut down, with casualties mounting up, they kept on attacking.

Brother Against Brother

For the first time in the Civil War, the Irish Brigade of the Union met that of the Confederates.

The Union’s, under the command of General Thomas Meagher and Colonel St. Clair Augustine Mulholland attacked the stonewall and were nearly destroyed by their own countrymen fighting on the other side, under the command of Colonel Thomas Cobb.

In their attack, which lasted about a half an hour, they lost 545 out of 1,300 men. They would make it closer to the wall than any other brigade at Fredericksburg. The next day, only 400 were available to fight.

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

20th Maine 2nd in command Professor of rhetoric First taste of battle Was held is reserve at Antietam

Lawrence

The Plight of the 20th Maine

The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry would lead one of the final charges. They would be trapped on the field the night of December 14. Many men would die after freezing to death in the cold weather. Those still alive were forced to hide behind dead bodies piled up as a barricade, and fight laying down.

Joshua L. Chamberlain leads his men in battle.

Quote on the Battle

"I can truthfully say that in that moment, I gave my life up. I do not expect ever again to face death more certainly than I thought I did then...I said to myself, ‘This is duty. I'll trust in God and do it. If I fall, I cannot die better.’ ...The nervous strain was simply awful. It can be appreciated only by those who have experienced it. The atmosphere seemed surcharged with the most startling and frightful things. Death, wounds, and appalling destruction everywhere.“- Lt. Frederick Hitchcock.

December 14

When the sun rose over the battlefield on December 14, it was revealed that 8,000 Union men were either dead, wounded, or still trapped on the battlefield, because they laid down during the end of their assault, rather than get shot as they retreated.

The 20th Maine under Adelbert Ames and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain remained on the field briefly, exchanging fire, before retreating.

The mysterious northern lights

The “Angel of Marye’s Heights”

Unable to stand the screams of doomed Union soldiers, Richard Kirkland of a South Carolina regiment, approached his commanding officer, General Joseph Kershaw, and asked if he could deliver water to the enemy. He was denied at first, but eventually he was allowed.

At the risk of losing his own life, he climbed over the wall with filled canteens and gave water to Union soldiers. Both armies watched in silence as he made several trips back and forth. Not a single shot was fired.

Cont.

Later that day, Burnside knew his army was too devastated to continue his attack, and he asked for a truce from Lee, who allowed him to remove his dead and wounded from the field.

By the next day, December 15, the battle was over, and both armies began to retreat.

A month later, Burnside would be relieved of his command and replaced by General Joseph Hooker.

Casualties

Union: ~13,000 Confederate: ~5,000

Most lopsided ratio of the war so far