The Battle of Fredericksburg

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862. It analyzes the battle itself and the adverse conditions that the army faced. The paper then discusses the ineffective tactical implementation on the Union side that resulted in a costly defeat for General Burnsides and a halt to his "fast" advance to the Confederate capital at Richmond.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Doctrine and Training
Condition and Morale
Leadership
Conclusions

From the Paper:

"In short, despite a technical tactical victory for the Union, the victory was pyrrhic at best. We can attribute this final result to the general greater experi-ence of the Confederate forces, the rough terrain and weather conditions faced by an advancing Union army, and a more judicious tactical doctrine employed by Lee. On this last point, it is important to note that while Burnsides continued to press his doctrine of rapid deployment and decisive action even after it was no longer applicable, Lee chose the wiser doctrine of attacking from a position of strength to counter the Union advance and make their technical victory an ex-ceptionally costly one."

Sample of Sources Used:

• American Civil War and the Battle of 1st Fredericksburg. 9 Mar. 2008 <http://www.brotherswar.com/Fredericksburg.htm>.
• Battle of Fredericksburg. HistoryCentral.com. 9 Mar. 2008 <http://www.historycentral.com/CivilWar/frederick.html>.
• Battle of Fredericksburg. PBS: American Experience. 2000. 9 Mar. 2008 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lincolns/atwar/map_fburg.html>.
• Green, A. Wilson. Battle of Fredericksburg. National Park Service. U.S. De-partment of the Interior. 9 Mar. 2008 <http://www.nps.gov/frsp/fredhist.htm>.
• Long, E.B. The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac, 1861-1865. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1971.

More papers on The Battle of Fredericksburg:

• Term Paper # 95918 : "The Battle of Fredericksburg"
• Essay # 53395 : "Warfare in the American Civil War"
• Essay # 15839 : "The Amazing Life of General Robert E. Lee"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: