Decisions on the Rappahannock- my 1st TL

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The Battle of Fredericksburg and the The Confederate Retreat-[/FONT]
1862
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]November 25: The first of the Army of the Potomac's pontoon bridges arrive. Burnside sends them about ten miles east and to begin building over the night. Left Grand Division is to cross first, followed by the Right, while Hooker's Center Grand Division demonstrates across from Fredericksburg. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]November 26[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]: A picket reports to Lee that there are Federals building pontoons to the east, in at least corps strength. However, with so much activity on Stafford Heights, Lee sends John Bell Hood's division to investigate and see if it is a feign or a real attack. Hood force marches his troops, trying to block any Union crossing at all. John Reynolds, commander of the Union I Corps, sees Hood approaching and rushes his corps across the one finished pontoon. After a brief skirmish, Hood falls back to New Post. He sends a messenger to Lee saying that the Union has crossed in serious strength and that he(Hood) would try to hold on for as long as possible unless ordered otherwise. Lee decides that Longstreet's corps on it own is not enough to fight at Fredericksburg and he orders it to fall back towards the North Anna River. He orders Hood to retreat. However, with Union guns on Stafford Heights, firing all day as part of Hooker's demonstration, hit the courier. With the entire Left Grand Division across, Burnside orders Franklin to advance his troops and turn Lee's flank. Franklin has the VI Corps advance directly against Hood, with I Corps farther back as a reserve. At 3PM, the forces meet, and Hood immediately begins a fighting withdrawal to avoid being flanked. As the rest of Longstreet's corps begins to leave, Lee realizes that something went wrong with Hood's orders. He orders Longstreet have his corps ready to turn and fight, and to send Pickett's division immediately to Hood's aide. By 4:30, Hood has been pushed back nearly two miles. Pickett rushed his troops to the battle, but puts them in a woods on Hood's right flank, and a few hundred yards back. After a short rest, Pickett realizes that a Union division attempting to turn Hood's right flank has its flank exposed to his troops. He orders bayonets fixed and the men to charge. It would go down in history as Pickett's Charge. His men scatter the Union division, and start to panic the rest of VI Corps. Hood then counterattacks, and the VI Corps teeters on the brink of a rout. Franklin, however, sends I Corps to attack and holds off Pickett's attacks. With the fighting in a pause, the Confederates retreat, leaving behind 3,000 casualties, but having inflicted 4,500 upon the enemy. As night falls, Lee orders the Army of Northern Virginia to concentrate at the North Anna River with all speed. Two regiments, both Virginia regiments raised in the Fredericksburg area, volunteer to remain behind in Fredericksburg to delay the Union army. [/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]November 27[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]: As dawn breaks, Hancock's division of II Corps, is poised to attack the remaining Confederates in Fredericksburg. He moves in only one brigade. The Confederate's, badly outnumbered, fight bitterly and house-to-house for nearly two hours before they run out of ammo and have taken nearly 50% casualties. The men of Hancock's division are furious and loot the town. It takes nearly all day to get his troops reorganized. Due to this, Burnside decides to delay the army's movement south for another day. In the meantime, the Army of Northern Virginia rushes for the the North Anna River. Jackson's corps is still two days away, Longstreet to arrive midday on the 28th. Lee rides ahead to the North Anna to reconnoiter a defensive position. He finds that only one place, Ox Ford and a half mile stretch of river below it, is defensible. He asks Longstreet his opinion, who suggests to dig along the Virginia Central Railroad(which is mostly on slight high ground), running roughly parallel to the river. Lee decides on this idea for the time, but he wants to get Jackson's opinions also. But Jackson would not be able to meet until the next day. [/FONT]

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Well, there it is. Comments, and especially constructive criticism, are very welcome. Hope you enjoy :). Oh, and just to note, this time line will go to the end of the war. Maybe that's obvious, but I thought I'd say it.
 
A North Anna River battle with Lee not sick with dysentary?:confused::):D I love the possibilities this TL has.

The map is also appreciated, although showing that battlefield in relationship to Fredericksburg proper would help for understanding purposes. And one more tiny suggestion - if you broke up each day's events into several smaller paragraphs, it would be much more readable. But overall, this looks great. Keep writing!
 
Fredericksburg area resident here. :D

Love the start. New Post has great strategic possibilities. Major crossroads there with access to the Richmond Stage Road (today's VA-2) south through Bowling Green to Richmond or access west towards Spotsylvania Court House via what's now US-17 and Massaponax Church rd.

BTW, here's the Google Maps link to Fred. : http://maps.google.com/maps?q=frede...7&rlz=1I7TSHB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

Follow VA-2 (Tidewater Trail) south along the river to the US 17 crossroads. Note the line up to the river bend in the image above.
 
A North Anna River battle with Lee not sick with dysentary?:confused::):D I love the possibilities this TL has.

The map is also appreciated, although showing that battlefield in relationship to Fredericksburg proper would help for understanding purposes. And one more tiny suggestion - if you broke up each day's events into several smaller paragraphs, it would be much more readable. But overall, this looks great. Keep writing!

Thanks for the suggestion with the readability and the map:). As this is my first TL the comments are very helpful, and needed.

Fredericksburg area resident here. :D

Love the start. New Post has great strategic possibilities. Major crossroads there with access to the Richmond Stage Road (today's VA-2) south through Bowling Green to Richmond or access west towards Spotsylvania Court House via what's now US-17 and Massaponax Church rd.

BTW, here's the Google Maps link to Fred. : http://maps.google.com/maps?q=fredericksburg&rls=com.microsoft:kissingheart::IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7TSHB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

Follow VA-2 (Tidewater Trail) south along the river to the US 17 crossroads. Note the line up to the river bend in the image above.

That is why I chose New Post for this. I spent a lot of time researching for this TL. I had the idea about a year and half ago, so I have a lot of time into it. But yes, I spent hours looking over the Fredericksburg area (well, maps of it; its hard to get from Montana to Virginia:rolleyes:) looking for a crossroads such as New Post. But thanks for first-hand confirmation. Part Two will, hopefully, be up tomorrow.
 
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The Race for the North Anna River[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]November 28:[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif] Burnside immediately starts the Army of the Potomac on its way south, with the Left Grand Division in the lead. Behind it is the Center, and then Right, Grand Division(although all are on separate roads). The troops make good time, but Lee had a day's head start. By nightfall, most of Longstreet's Corps is camped around Milford Station. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Typical of Jackson, he marches his “Foot Cavalry” at a grueling pace, but makes nearly 25 miles in one day. He rides ahead to meet Lee and Longstreet at Hanover Junction. They decide that Hanover Junction cannot fall, as it is a vital link to the Shenandoah Valley. Longstreet again suggests to dig in on the Virginia Central Railroad, reminiscent of Jackson's position at Second Manassas. Jedediah Hotchkiss, Jackson's cartographer, leaves the meeting to scout the terrain. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]He brings a back a map of the area, with every natural defense shown. As Lee, Jackson, and Longstreet pour over it, it is Jackson who discovers a novel defensive line. Defend Ox Ford, and the high ground below it, and then bring the two flanks back in an inverted V, with the left resting on the Little River, and the right guarded by a thick swamp. Not only would it be difficult to flank, but it would afford strong interior lines, to shift troops around. [/FONT]

Lee realizes that the inverted V would also allow a springboard for attack. In order to come to grips with the Army of Northern Virginia, the Army of the Potomac would split itself into 2-3 pieces, each having to cross the river once or twice to support one another, upon the point of the V. By stripping one wing to the bare minimum of troops, Lee could attack a part of the Union army with overwhelming strength. Lee could only hope that Burnside would fall into the trap.


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]November 29: Both armies continue their marches for the North Anna. By midday, the lead units of Longstreet's Corps fall in and start to dig in on the right wing of the V, stretching down to Hanover Junction. Jackson's men come in near dark, and take up the left wing and the high ground near Ox Ford. Both corps wouldn't be fully concentrated until the next day. Lee has the men dig in through the night, throwing up powerful breastworks and trenches. The Army of the Potomac continues its march south; Burnside is convinced the Confederates are retreating to Richmond, and that the reports of a concentration at Hanover Junction is simply a rear-guard. [/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]November 30: The Army of Northern Virginia finishes its concentration and continues to dig in. It appears that Lee's old nickname, the King of Spades, is still valid. The Army of the Potomac begins to fall in around Ox Ford that afternoon. Unable to see any of the Confederate positions except for the one around Ox Ford, Burnside decides to attack this “rear-guard.” Only I Corps is fully in position for an attack, with the VI finishing its march for the day, and the other Grand Divisions further back. Reynolds, commander of I Corps, complains bitterly about the attack, but Burnside was set in his plan. So the attack goes ahead.[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Leading with this Second Division, Reynolds begins the attack on Ox Ford at 4 PM. Facing his 15,000 men is 7,000 men of Taliaferro's Division, supported by nearly 80 guns. AP Hill's Division is Jackson's reserve and moving to support the defense.[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif] The Second Division is shredded as it wades across the river. Wave after wave are cut down. But each one pushes a little further than the last. By the time First Division moves up, 800 survivors of the Second Division are huddled at the base of the Confederate's heights. Reynolds orders the Iron Brigade to charge next. After over 40% casualties, they reach to the other bank, the other brigades following close behind.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Seeing the destruction being unleashed on the following waves, the men of the Iron Brigade and the other attacks (together they have around 1,600 men) rush up the hill and push into the Confederate trenches. Although on their own they cannot break through, the other waves push past and the Confederate position starts to break. However, AP Hill arrives, once again, at just the right moment. His men charge into the Union salient and push it back, regaining the trenches. As the Union troops stream back across the river, the men of I Corps' Third Division are stopped by the retreating men. Both are unable to move in the confusion. Hill's men fire into the writhing mass, inflicting horrendous casualties. After several bloody minutes, the Union troops all break and they all retreat back across the river. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Out of 15,000 Confederates actually engaged, 2,500 are down. I Corps suffered 8,000 casualties, over 50%. Burnside realizes that attacking Ox Ford again is suicide, so he sends scouts out to locate other ways across to the west. He positions the Center Grand Division to cross the Chesterfield Bridge to the east. In the night the scouts come back and inform him of another ford at Jericho Mill. He orders the Right Grand Division to cross there. The Left Grand Division is divided. I Corps is to dig in to guard Ox Ford, while VI Corps is to follow Hooker's Center Grand Division. The Battle of North Anna was about to begin........[/FONT]

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Don't you hate cliff hangers? The next update will be the Battle of North Anna, which I will post as soon as possible. Once again, please comment. [/FONT]
 
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