Still, Burnside did not make use of his possibilities and therefore assumed the Confederate Army's position. Taking into account the limited visibility, the fog and the conditions in the area, mistakes were inevitable. Therefore, his decision not to take full advantage of his available resources also proved important for the outcome of the battle.
Finally, another major element that contributed to the failure of the Fredericksburg campaign was the confusion of the orders given, especially by Burnside. Most often, they were rather ambiguous and could be easily interpreted. For instance, "Burnside issued his attack orders early on the morning of December 13. They called for an assault against Jackson's corps by Major General William B. Franklin's Left Grand Division to be followed by an advance against Marye's Heights by Major General Edwin V. Sumner's Right Grand Division." (United States, Dept. Of Interior, 2006) Therefore, according to his orders, the attack would be carried out with an insufficient number of soldiers which would be defeated. Therefore, again, it was obvious the lack of experience and coordination between the segments of the Unionist Army. Still, there are those who consider that in fact, the Potomac Army was actually fighting not necessarily to win, but in order not to lose. This would be explainable given the fact that Burnside was somewhat afraid of failing to reach the expectations of President Lincoln.
All in all it can be concluded that the Battle of Fredericksburg was indeed an important event in the development of the Civil...
The incompetence of General Ambrose E. Burnside proved to be determinant for the immediate evolution of the battle, although the Confederate Army could not improve on its acquired advantage and give a decisive blow to the war efforts of the Unionist Army.
Bibliography
Burnside, Ambrose. Fredericksburg Order of Battle. Army of the Potomac. The Official Records of the War of The Rebellion 1862. 12 November. http://www.civilwarhome.com/aopfredericksburg.htm
Burnside, Ambrose. Report of Maj. Gen. E. Ambrose Burnside, U.S. Army, commanding Army of the Potomac, Battle of Fredericksburg. The Official Records of the War of The Rebellion. 1862. 12 November 2006. http://www.civilwarhome.com/burnside.htm
Gallagher, Gary. The Fredericksburg Campaign. Decisions on the Rappahannock. North Carolina: UNC Press, 1995.
Lee, Robert E. Report of General Robert E. Lee, C.S. Army, Commanding Army of Northern Virginia, Battle of Fredericksburg. The Official Records of the War of The Rebellion 1862. 12 November. http://www.civilwarhome.com/leeantietam.htm
O'Reilly, Francis Augustin.The Fredericksburg Campaign: winter war on the Rappahannock. Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 2003.
Palfrey Winthrop, Francis, and Stephen W. Sears. The Antietam and Fredericksburg. Campaigns Of The Civil War. New York: Da Capo Press, 1996.
Stackpole, Edward J. The Fredericksburg Campaign. Mechanicsburg.
Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 1991.
United States. Dept. Of Interior. National Park Service. 2006. Battle of Fredericksburg. Aug. 2006. 12 November 2006. http://www.nps.gov/frsp/fredhist.htm
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