Alternative Outcome Analysis: The Battle Of Fredericksburg

1102 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effets of th battle of antietam

Alternative Outcome Analysis: The Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg is remembered as the Confederate Army’s most one-sided victory in its campaign against the Union Forces of the North. It was the first battle to occur shortly after President Abraham Lincoln had delivered his “Emancipation Proclamation” and the President was hard pressed for a victory to bolster public support for it. It would be remembered as the first major campaign for the newly appointed General of the Army of the Potomac. General Ambrose E. Burnside was given command of the Union Army due to an increased frustration President Abraham Lincoln was experiencing with his predecessor. However, General Burnside’s inexperience would cost him dearly on the battlefield. Historical data and battlefield analysis reports show what led to the Unions defeat at Fredericksburg. An alternative outcome was possible had General Burnside …show more content…

The town itself located along the Rappahannock River was a crucial battle for the Union’s push towards the Confederate Army’s capital in Richmond, Virginia. The battle endured over a five-day period ending on December 15, 1862. The events that led to and shaped the battle occurred throughout the year and culminated in November, deep into the harsh winter months. The Union forces defeated the Confederate army at the Battle of Antietam; they pushed General Lee’s forces south, but did not advance despite the continued requests of the President. “The hard fighting and rapid marching of the 1862 campaign had significantly reduced the army’s strength and the defeat at Antietam on 17 September had greatly affected its morale. Despite the opportunity offered the Federal Army, McClellan remained north of the Potomac regaining strength in his slow, methodical manner, all the while fending off President’s Lincoln’s repeated calls for action.” (Runals,

Show More
Related

  • Gettysburg Mission Command

    1685 Words  | 4 Pages

    Both Armies repositioned their artillery to the most advantageous position but it appeared that the Army of Northern Virginia had surrounded the Army of the Potomac but in a less defensible position. When two Armies meet on a battlefield the overall objective is to eliminate the opposition, so one of them would have to make a move. Lee ordered Generals Longstreet and Ewell to attack but due to a lack of decisive action on Longstreet’s part, the day would end in the bloodiest offensive of the battle and Longstreet would suffer great losses by Cemetery Hill .

    Read More

  • The Battle of Gettysburg Analysis

    1961 Words  | 4 Pages

    As students, studying battles such as this, we have the advantage of hindsight, knowing the outcome. Nonetheless, we can still learn valuable lessons from it. To do so, this analysis will explore some of the decisions of the leaders at Gettysburg, and how they were affected by the operational variables. This essay will scrutinize some of the leaders at Gettysburg, and the impact of their actions. The outcome of this analysis will show that what was true in 1863 is still true today.

    Read More

  • The Three Phases Of The Battle Of Antietam

    303 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Battle of Antietam also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg was fought in one day on September 17, 1862 that is considered the bloodiest single day battle in American history. George McClellan led the Union against the Confederates which was led by Robert E. Lee in this battle. There are 3 phases in this battle at they are all in different locations. The first phase in located in Miller's cornfield. This was no longer a cornfield after it started, you couldn't walk across the field without stepping on a body.

    Read More

  • Failure of Mission Command by General McClellan

    2308 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Battle of Antietam could have been a devastating and fatal blow to the Confederate Army if Gen. McClellan acted decisively, took calculated risks, and veered away from his cautious approach to war. There are many instances leading up to the battle and during the battle in which he lacks the necessary offensive initiative to effectively cripple and ultimately win the war. This paper is intended to articulate the failure of Mission Command by GEN McClellan by pointing out how he failed to understand, visualize, describe and direct the battlefield to his benefit.

    Read More

  • The Battle of Fredricksburg

    1164 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ition. Even after the South was all set up and it looked impossible for Burnside to win, he decided to try anyway. All of the mistakes Burnside made could have been avoided, so it was Burnside’s entire fault for this big disaster. I think that General Burnside was out-of-line; he was being very naïve by ordering more troops up the hill when he knew they would die. For these reasons, Fredericksburg was a morale booster for the South and a man-killer for the North.

    Read More

  • Themes Of Redemption The Last Battle Of The Civil War

    982 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the historical narrative Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War, Nicholas Leman gives readers an insight into the gruesome and savage acts that took place in the mid-1870s and eventually led to the end of the Reconstruction era in the southern states. Before the engaging narrative officially begins, Lemann gives a 29-page introduction to the setting and provides background information about the time period. With Republican Ulysses S. Grant as President of the United States of America and Republican Adelbert Ames, as the Governor of Mississippi, the narrative is set in a town owned by William Calhoun in the city of Colfax, Louisiana. As a formal military commander, Ames ensured a

    Read More

  • Burnside's Failure In The Battle Of Antietam

    1434 Words  | 3 Pages

    A Southern refugee once reflected, and referred to the Army of the Potomac as the “greatest army in the planet.” Although this is a clear exaggeration, from a Southern perspective following the Battle of Antietam, this was not too far off. Relative to the Army of Northern Virginia, the Federal army was vastly larger, in better spirits, and strategically in better positions. To direct this army of great potential, President Lincoln appointed the reluctant Major General Ambrose Everett Burnside. Almost immediately after receiving command, Burnside adopted a plan; the objective was Richmond. He was convinced that a victory at Richmond would cripple the Confederate’s ability to carry on; whether this would have been true is debatable. What is not arguable however, is Burnside’s neglect of a small city by the name of Fredericksburg, which lied directly in his path. He inherited every advantage a military leader of the time could hope for; however, every one of these advantages was dissolved with his disregard of mission command. The Army of the Potomac’s loss at the Battle of Fredericksburg was a direct result of General Burnside’s failure at conducting the commander’s activities of understanding, describing, leading, and assessing.

    Read More

  • The Battle of Gettysburg as the Turning Point of the Civil War

    1599 Words  | 4 Pages

    Before the battle, major cities in the North such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, and even Washington, were under threat of attack from General Robert E. Lee?s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia which had crossed the Potomac River and marched into Pennsylvania.

    Read More

  • The battle of antietam

    1536 Words  | 4 Pages

    After the second Battle of Manassas, the Army of the Potomac was demoralized and President Lincoln needed someone that could reorganize it. President Lincoln liked General McClellan personally and admired his strengths as an administrator, organizer, and drillmaster. Lincoln was aware that the soldiers loved General McClellan and had nicknamed him “Little Mac.” Knowing this, President Lincoln ordered General McClellan to “assume command of Washington, its defenses and all forces in the immediate vicinity.”1 This was not a field command but intended for General McClellan to take the returning demoralized Army and the new soldiers coming into Washington and make them a fighting force, nothing more. Lincoln knew as well that although Ge...

    Read More

  • Battle Of Gettysburg Research Paper

    1660 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Civil War is one of the defining wars in the history of this great nation. The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle in American history, and a turning point in the four year war. At the time, Gettysburg was a small, quiet town generally unaffected by the war. General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate States of America and General George Meade of the Union converged in Gettysburg, and a conflict quickly arose. After three long days of battle the Union pulled away with a victory, though not an easy one. This essay will outline the six themes of history; in essence the who, what, when, where, why, and who cares of this infamous battle.

    Read More

  • The Battle of Antietam

    1924 Words  | 4 Pages

    September 16-18, 1862, outside of the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland, between the Potomac River and Antietam Creek, was the location of the bloodiest battle in American history. Confederate Colonel Stephen D. Lee described it as “Artillery Hell” because of the frightful toll on his gunners and horses from Federal counter battery and infantry fire. (AotW, 2014) The battle of Antietam, or the Battle of Sharpsburg, would collect an estimated 23,100 total casualties (Luvaas and Nelson, 1987). The body count far exceeded any of the other three battles waged in the Maryland Campaign (Harpers Ferry, South Mountain, and Shepherdstown). This battle was a contributing factor in the outcome of our country and the rest of the world. The Union Army desperately needed a victory at Antietam; however, a victory for the Confederate rebels may have very well gained them international recognition as a sovereign country in the eyes of the rest of the world. The Federal Army, which belonged to the Union States, consisted of an all-volunteer army and was a larger army than the Confederate States. Even though the Battle of Antietam was inconclusive, President Lincoln went on to read the Emancipation Proclamation to the country, effectively ending slavery, and ensuring that no foreign nation would intervene on the Confederates behave.

    Read More

  • Stonewall Jackson: The Making of a Civil War Hero

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Confederate army’s high command had charged him with the task of defending western Virginia from an invasion by Union troops. With an army of some 15,000 to 18,000 troops, Jackson repeatedly outmaneuvered a superior Union force of more than 60,000 men. Jackson’s army moved so quickly during the campaign that they dubbed themselves “foot cavalry.” President Abraham Lincoln (1809-65) had split the Union army into three parts, and Jackson used his mobility to attack and confuse the divided forces over the course of the campaign. He won several key victories over armies of larger size. By the campaign’s end in June, he had earned the admiration of Union generals and had become the South’s first great war hero. Jackson had prevented the Northerners from taking the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, and had done so in the face of unfavorable odds. “On June 8, 1862, Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson attacked and defeated Shield's division that had been pursuing him up the Valley. In the wake of this defeat, Union General Carl Schurz sent a confidential dispatch to president Abraham Lincoln analyzing Federal problems in the Shenandoah

    Read More

  • Causes Of Lee's Glorification

    1636 Words  | 4 Pages

    By the end of the Civil War started with the siege of Petersburg. The ten month siege causes the fall of Richmond, because Petersburg was where all the supplies came through before going to Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy. Starvation started to affect the army in November 1864, so once Lee left Richmond in March he was frantic to resupply his army. Throughout the last weeks before Appomattox Court House, Lee struggled to get food and supplies. Many factors interfered with this goal, like the “Federals had captured 1,000 more of Lee’s dwin¬dling forces, three of the supply trains, 25 guns, scores of wagons and up to 300,000 (accounts vary) of the Rebels’ precious food rations,” (Baker, 2007). Near the end Lee knew he had to attack or

    Read More

  • Robert E Lee

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lee is very quick; he organized scattered confederate troops into the famed Army of Northern Virginia in just three weeks. Lee’s wisdom urged him to keep the Union as far away as possible from the armament producing center of Richmond and far away from the northern part of the state where farmers were harvesting crops. Lee knows that defeats of such decisive sports will weaken our will to continue the war, and he prevented this at all costs.

    Read More

  • Book Analysis of Stephen W. Sears’ Landscape Turned Red

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sears’ thesis is the Union could have won the war faster. McClellan was an incompetent commander and to take the initiative to attack an defeat the Confederate army. The Army of Northern Virginia, under...

    Read More

More about Alternative Outcome Analysis: The Battle Of Fredericksburg

Open Document