Ambrose Burnside was the general commanding the Union Army at the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862.
The following presentation examines the aftermath of the terrible disaster at Fredericksburg, Virginia in December, 1862. we will hear from general Ambrose Burnside himself, in his own words, soon after his crushing defeat.
It's December 11, 1862. union general burnside has brought the army of the Potomac to Falmouth, Virginia on the Rappahannock river.
Falmouth is across the Rappahannock river from Fredericksburg. At Burnside's command is the giant union army of the Potomac. What Burnside had intended to be a rapid movement across the river was bogged down by a delay in pontoon bridges. meanwhile, Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia has had plenty of time to prepare for the crossing.
Burnside does cross the Rappahannock and secure the town. However, the subsequent attempt to secure the heights beyond town as well as the high ground below town are a complete disaster. multiple blue waves are repulsed, resulting in a horrifically one-sided defeat for the union army.
unable to dislodge the rebel defenders, the bloodied army of the Potomac is forced to recross the Rappahannock river to the Falmouth side.
at 4am, on December 16, 1862, burnside sends a telegraph to major general Halleck in Washington. It reads:
I have thought it necessary to withdraw the army to this side of the river, and the movement has progressed satisfactorily thus far. [or burnside 65]
General Halleck responds from Washington that day. his tone is short and pointed. the message reads:
The president desires that you report the reasons of your withdrawal as soon as possible.
that evening on December 16, burnside transmits a response to Halleck. burnside states:
the army was withdrawn to this side of the river because I felt the positions in front could not be carried, and it was a military necessity either to attack or retire. a repulse would have been disastrous to us. I hope this explanation will be satisfactory to the president. the army was withdrawn at night, without the knowledge of the enemy, and without loss either of property or men. [or burnside 66]
burnside knew he had been beaten badly. he remains at Falmouth as December progresses, the army of the Potomac subject to winter's cold weather, rain, and mud.
burnside's report to Washington, composed the next day on December 17, contains a mixture of admiration for his men as well as a deep guilt and regret for his own decisions. here is general Ambrose Burnside, candid and in his own words, the day after his retreat across the Rappahannock.
A few days later, in what one union officer called the valley forge of the war, a letter from Washington was returned to burnside's headquarters.
this letter, dated December 22, came from the executive mansion in Washington, where it had been composed by Abraham Lincoln.
one month later President Lincoln accepted burnside's resignation, and command of the army of the Potomac fell to Joseph Hooker.
A short film by Jeffrey Meyer, historian and librarian
22 апр 2023
