Confederate Victory - Maj. General Ambrose E. Burnside versus General Robert E. Lee.
Forces Engaged: 172,504 total - US 100,007 and CS 72,497.
Estimated Casualties: 17,929 total US 13,353 and CS 4,576.
Burnside looses his command.
During the period of enforced inaction that followed, General Burnside
went to Washington and expressed his doubts as to the policy of crossing the
river, in view of the failure of the attempt to divide Lee's. forces. But he was
urged to push a winter campaign against Richmond, and, returning to the front,
gave orders to place the bridges. This was gallantly effected in the face of a
sharp resistance, Fredericksburg was cleared of the enemy, and on 13 Dec, the
whole national army had crossed and was in position south of the
Rappahannock.
The situation in brief was this: South and in the rear of Fredericksburg
is a range of hills irregularly parallel to the course of the river; the space
between is a plateau well adapted for the movement of troops. The national army
in the three grand divisions specified, Sumner holding the right, Hooker the
centre, and Franklin the left, occupied this. The Confederates occupied the
naturally strong position along the crest of the hills, and were well
entrenched, with batteries in position. Longstreet commanded the right wing, and
Jackson the left. The weak point of the Confederate line was at its right, owing
to a depression of the hills, and here it was at first intended to make a
determined assault; but, for some reason, orders were sent to Franklin, at the
last moment, merely to make a demonstration, while Sumner attempted to carry
Marye's hill, which, naturally a strong position, was rendered nearly
impregnable by a sunken road, bordered by a stone wall, along its base. The best
battalions in the army were sent against this position; but the fire of
artillery and infantry was so severe that nothing was gained, although the
struggle was" kept up till nightfall, General Hooker's division being the
last to attack, only to be repelled as its predecessors had been. Burnside would
have renewed the attack on the next day, but Sumner dissuaded him at the last
moment, and that night the whole army re-crossed the river, having lost, in
killed, wounded, and missing, more than 12,000 men. Some of these, however,
afterward returned to their regiments.
The Confederate loss was 5,309. Insubordination was soon developed among
the corps and division commanders, and Burnside issued an order, subject to the
president's approval, summarily dismissing several of them from the service, and
relieving others from duty. The order, which sweepingly included Hooker,
Franklin, Newton, and Brooks, was not approved, and Maj.-General Hooker
superseded General Burnside.