[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.
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