The Fredericksburg Campaign: Decision on the Rappahannock

Military Campaigns of the Civil War

by Gary W. Gallagher (Editor)

It is well this is so terrible! We should grow too fond of it," said General Robert E. Lee as he watched his troops repulse the Union attack at Fredericksburg on 13 December 1863.

This collection of seven original essays by leading Civil War historians reinterprets the bloody Fredericksburg campaign and places it within a broader social and political context. By analyzing the battle's antecedents as well as its aftermath, the contributors challenge some long-held assumptions about the engagement and clarify our picture of the war as a whole.

The book begins with revisionist assessments of the leadership of Ambrose Burnside and Robert E. Lee and a portrait of the conduct and attitudes of one group of northern troops who participated in the failed assaults at Marye's Heights. Subsequent essays examine how both armies reacted to the battle and how the northern and southern homefronts responded to news of the carnage at Frederickburg. A final chapter explores the impact of the battle on the residents of the Fredericksburg area and assesses changing Union attitudes about the treatment of Confederate civilians.

The contributors are William Marvel, Alan T. Nolan, Carol Reardon, Gary W. Gallagher, A. Wilson Greene, George C. Rable, and William A. Blair.

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This collection of seven original essays by leading Civil War historians reinterprets the bloody Fredericksburg campaign and places it within a broader social and political context. By analyzing the battle's antecedents as well as its aftermath, the contributors challenge long-held assumptions about the engagement and clarify our picture of the war as a whole. The contributors are William Marvel, Alan T. Nolan, Carol Reardon, Gary W. Gallagher, A. Wilson Greene, George C. Rable, and William A. Blair.
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Genres: Civil War, American Civil War, History, Civil War Eastern Theater, American History, Civil War History, Military History

243 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Gary W. Gallagher, the John L. Nau III Professor of History at the University of Virginia, is the author or editor of many books in the field of Civil War history, including The Confederate War; Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know about the Civil War; and The Union War.

Reviews

[Josh Liller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of the many Gallagher-edited Civil War campaign essay compilations. I thought this was one of the better entries in the series.

My favorite essays were William Marvel's analysis of Union high command during the battle, including communication problems between Burnside and Franklin. Much like his performance at Antietam, Burnside has received more blame over the years than he deserves.

Will Greene looks at Burnside's time as AotP commander after the battle, including his aborted New Years offensive, the Mud March, and the "Revolt of the Generals."

Alan Nolan and Gary Gallagher look at Confederate leadership and the Confederate reaction to the battle, respectively. Fredericksburg was such a debacle for the Union that the focus is usually there and Confederate side tends to get overlooked.

The other essays deal with the carnage during the battle, Humphrey's division, and the Union's impact on civilians. The last one is noteworthy because town took quite a beating from the Union bombardment, the streetfighting, and the Union occupation. These three essays were of less interest to me.

For those looking for full-length studies of the Fredericksburg campaign, look at George Rable's Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg! and Francis Augustin O'Reilly's The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of essays, except for Carol Reardon's essay on Andrew Humphrey's division. It doesn't seem to offer a new perspective on the campaign or explain why this division's assault was unique.