Fredricksburg
and the Battles for Marye's Heights
and the Sunken Road
Union Gen. Ambrose Burnside's objective in the battle of Fredericksburg ( Dec. 11-15, 1862) was to cross the Rappahannock River and attack Richmond, thus enticing Lee to follow. The river was low, cattle were walking across, but Burnside waited for pontoons. This delay gave Lee the time to catch up and entrench his army on the (Marye's) heights behind the town. Much of the battle took place near a sunken road where the Confederates held off 14 attacks from the Federals. The wounded lay where they fell and cried out for water. Finally, Sgt. Richard Kirkland Co. E, 2nd South Carolina was able to give them water. A monument has been erected on the field where the plucky sergeant's kindness was evidenced. Burnside retreated and crossed his troops back across the river. In January of 1863, Burnside ordered his men to ignore the weather and initiate a new assault against Lee's Confederates, but he quickly became bogged down in the winter mud. This "Mud March" led to Burnside's replacement by Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker. Out of the 172,504 soldiers engaged in the battle, there were 13,353 U.S. and 4,576 C.S. casualties.
Union Gen. Ambrose Burnside's objective in the battle of Fredericksburg ( Dec. 11-15, 1862) was to cross the Rappahannock River and attack Richmond, thus enticing Lee to follow. The river was low, cattle were walking across, but Burnside waited for pontoons. This delay gave Lee the time to catch up and entrench his army on the (Marye's) heights behind the town. Much of the battle took place near a sunken road where the Confederates held off 14 attacks from the Federals. The wounded lay where they fell and cried out for water. Finally,
Sgt. Richard Kirkland
Co. E, 2nd South Carolina was able to give them water. A monument has been erected on the field where the plucky sergeant's kindness was evidenced. Burnside retreated and crossed his troops back across the river. In January of 1863, Burnside ordered his men to ignore the weather and initiate a new assault against Lee's Confederates, but he quickly became bogged down in the winter mud. This "Mud March" led to Burnside's replacement by Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker. Out of the 172,504 soldiers engaged in the battle, there were 13,353 U.S. and 4,576 C.S. casualties.
