In November, 1862, Lincoln replaced George McClellan with Ambrose Burnside as commander of the Army of the Potomac. Burnside developed a plan to take Lee by surprise by crossing the Rappahannock River and swiftly advancing on Richmond. Easy, peasy. Unfortunately, the bureaucracy raised its ugly head and things moved the opposite of swiftly. The pontoon bridges necessary for crossing the river were late in arriving, giving Lee time to shift his army to the high ground at Fredericksburg. Lee placed a Mississippi brigade in the city to delay the crossing. The Rebel sharpshooters gave the pontoon bridge engineers hell. Artillery barrages to root them out were ineffective because the marksmen took refuge in cellars. Finally, the artillery commander came to Burnside and proposed an infantry amphibious assault to carve out a bridgehead. Viewing it as suicidal, Burnside was reluctant until he saw the enthusiasm of the assault troops. (Ironically, Burnside would later order numerous suicidal frontal assaults against Lee’s impregnable position on the hills outside the city.) The assault worked and the Yankees cleared the city street by street and the bridge was finished. Be careful what you wish for because by crossing the river, the incompetent Burnside proceeded to get the worst ass-whipping of the war and was demoted. Next general, please. The sketch shows not only the bridge building, but also the amphibious assault.
Crossing the Rappahannock – Library of Congress
0 Comments