Decisions at Fredericksburg: The Fourteen Critical Decisions That Defined the Battle

In the fall of 1862, Gen. Ambrose Burnside assumed command of the Army of the Potomac and developed an aggressive plan to attack the Confederate capital of Richmond. However, he had to march through Fredericksburg, where Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was well entrenched. Burnside and his troops engaged Lees army within the city and launched a futile frontal assault against a heavily fortified ridge west of Fredericksburg. This resulted in a decisive victory for the Confederacy, as the Union army suffered more than double the number of casualties. Decisions at Fredericksburg explores the critical decisions made by Confederate and Union commanders during the battle and how these decisions shaped its outcome.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 30 May 2022
Publisher: University of Tennessee Press

In the fall of 1862, after a leadership shake-up initiated by Lincoln, Gen. Ambrose Burnside assumed command of the Army of the Potomac and developed an aggressive plan to attack the Confederate capital of Richmond. However, in order to reach Richmond, Burnside had to march through Fredericksburg, where Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was well entrenched. After crossing the Rappahannock River under enemy fire, Burnside and his troops engaged Lee's army within the city, then launched a futile frontal assault against a heavily fortified ridge west of Fredericksburg. The end result was a decisive victory for the Confederacy, as the Union army suffered more than double the number of casualties as its foes. Burnside would resign a month later but would resurface as war in the Western Theater grew heated.

Decisions at Fredericksburg explores the critical decisions made by Confederate and Union commanders during the battle and how these decisions shaped its outcome. Rather than offering a history of the battle, Chris Mackowski hones in on a sequence of critical decisions made by commanders on both sides of the contest to provide a blueprint of the Battle of Fredericksburg at its tactical core. Identifying and exploring the critical decisions in this way allows students of the battle to progress from knowledge of what happened to a mature grasp of why events happened.

Complete with maps and a driving tour, Decisions at Fredericksburg is an indispensable primer, and readers looking for a concise introduction to the battle can tour this sacred ground—or read about it at their leisure—with key insights into the campaign and a deeper understanding of the Civil War itself.

Decisions at Fredericksburg is the eleventh in a series of books that will explore the American Civil War.

The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought on December 13, 1862, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, during the American Civil War. It was a major battle in the Eastern Theater of the war, and it resulted in a decisive victory for the Confederacy.

The battle was fought between the Union Army of the Potomac, led by Gen. George B. McClellan, and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, led by Gen. Robert E. Lee. McClellan's army was composed of approximately 120,000 men, while Lee's army numbered around 70,000.

The battle began when Lee's army crossed the Rappahannock River and advanced toward Fredericksburg. McClellan's army was initially slow to respond, and Lee's troops were able to take advantage of the terrain and gain a foothold in the town.

On the first day of the battle, Lee's troops attacked McClellan's army from three different directions. The Union troops were able to hold off these attacks, but they suffered heavy casualties.

On the second day of the battle, McClellan's army launched a counterattack against Lee's troops. This attack was successful, and McClellan's troops were able to push Lee's army back to the outskirts of Fredericksburg.

However, on the third day of the battle, Lee's army launched a fierce counterattack against McClellan's army. This attack was successful, and Lee's troops were able to recapture the town of Fredericksburg.

The battle of Fredericksburg was a significant turning point in the American Civil War. It marked the first time that the Union Army was defeated in a major battle, and it dealt a significant blow to the Union's hopes of winning the war.

The battle was also notable for the number of casualties that were sustained. The Union army suffered around 12,000 casualties, while the Confederate army suffered around 13,000 casualties.

The battle of Fredericksburg was also notable for the role that it played in the development of the Union Army. McClellan's failure to respond quickly to Lee's advance led to his removal as commander of the Union Army, and he was replaced by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.

Grant was a more aggressive commander than McClellan, and he was able to use the lessons learned from the battle of Fredericksburg to develop a more effective strategy for winning the war.

In conclusion, the Battle of Fredericksburg was a significant event in the American Civil War. It resulted in a decisive victory for the Confederacy, and it had a significant impact on the development of the Union Army. The battle was notable for its high number of casualties and for the role that it played in the development of the Union's strategy for winning the war.

Weight: 399g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781621907008