By late 1862, President Abraham Lincoln was looking for victories in the ongoing US Civil War. A change of direction ushered in the appointment of General Ambrose Burnside to take command of the Union’s Army of the Potomac. Burnside’s vision was to very quickly move his army south from northern Virginia to Fredericksburg, Virginia in an attempt to catch Confederates off-guard and take the city. Capturing Fredericksburg would help secure a direct path to the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia while also safeguarding a route for supplies to the nation’s capital in Washington, DC, just 60 miles to the north. The Battle of Fredericksburg would become one of the largest battles of the war in terms of the sheer number of soldiers fighting: estimates place the number around 200,000 men.

Burnside moved quickly toward Fredericksburg and his fast pace succeeded in surprising the Confederates under Robert E. Lee, leaving the city exposed. However, there was a catch: the geography of the city.

The heavy equipment needed to cross the river was not able to arrive quite as quickly as Union troops did. The slow-down of equipment arrival allowed Confederate troops to move into position in areas south of the city and to guard long sections of the Rappahannock. Union pontoons were planned across from the city and slightly downstream, but Confederate fire prevented Union troops from being able to complete the pontoons. Desperate, Burnside ordered artillery to fire on Fredericksburg itself. After hours of bombardment, the Union soldiers again attempted to construct the pontoons, yet were still met with fire. Finally, a contingent of Union soldiers crossed into the city on small boats, and engaged directly with Confederate troops inside the city’s streets.
“Plan of the Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia” (seen below) animates the city plan with detailed information on troop positions:

This map shows the route Union troops needed to take across the river, through the city, and across the canal to meet the Confederate troops positioned on top of the hills south of the city. Also visible is the “Sunken Road,” the downfall of the majority of Union troops lost in the battle. Estimates place Union troop deaths at Fredericksburg as high as 12,000.

Another uncredited hand-drawn map held in the Geography & Map Division shows the extent of the city, including location of the pontoon bridges. The map also includes the location of General Lee’s field headquarters, Jeb Stuart’s cavalry, the Washington Artillery, and positions of forces under the commands of Col. Pelham and Col. Walker.

For more information on Civil War maps held in the Geography & Map Division, consider a previous “Worlds Revealed” blog series by Ed Redmond, Places in Civil War History.