Battle of Fredericksburg

1. Battle of Fredericksburg
Even though the Battle of Antietam was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, according to Lee
Krahenbuhl, General McClellan had more soldiers remaining than General Robert E. Lee had in his entire
Confederate Army. It was a tactical mistake made by General McClellan to allow the Army of Northern
Virginia to retreat without any interference. This was fitting with how the Union Army under McClellan
had performed in previous action. President Lincoln had been previously outspoken regarding his
General’s lack of aggression in Battle. He decided to replace McClellan with General Ambrose E.
Burnside as the new commander of the Army of the Potomac according to Lee Krahenbuhl. It was the
newly appointed Burnside that decided to attack General Lee’s Army at Fredericksburg, VA. The
Confederates, about 73,000 in number, established their battle lines along strongly fortified hills named
Marye’s Heights just outside of Fredericksburg. On December 13, 1862, General Burnside’s troops tried
to attack the fortified hills in a brave but hopeless attack. The Union suffered nearly 13,000 casualties
including those killed, missing, wounded or captured -and then quickly retreated. In embarrassment and
disgrace, General Burnside was immediately relieved of his command at his own request. General
Burnside is remembered most for his overgrown “mutton-chop” facial hair that would soon be the basis
of what are commonly referred to today as “side-burns”.