A BLOODY DECEMBER

  

  The battle of Fredericksburg is called one of the worst defeats for the Union, and Lee's most lopsided victory. Although it was a tactical victory for Lee, he was not able to gain any strategic advantage. Other than to compel Burnside to retreat to his winter camp in Falmouth. In fruitless frontal attacks against Maryes Heights and Prospect Hill the Union lost 13,000 casualties as opposed to the Confederates 5,000.

  While on a walking tour yesterday, with a nice young female park ranger, who had only been on the job for a month, I could not help myself at the end of the tour when she asked if there were any questions from our group. I raised my hand and said that I didn't have a question, but would she mind if I made a comment.As tactfully as I could, I said that people in the east tend to forget that there was a war in the west. I talked about the battle of Stones River that occurred just over two weeks after Fredericksburg. The Union Army lost 13,000 men, the same amount of casualties as at Fredericksburg. The Confederates lost 10,000 men, twice what Lee lost at Fredericksburg. Think about that for a moment I said. The Union had an army of 118,000 men and the Confederates had 78,000 men at Fredericksburg. Compare that with a Union army of 45,000, and a Confederate Army of 38,000, at Stones River. Both armies lost a third of their strength. The battle of Stones River was the 7th worst battle of the war but for some reason it is virtually ignored by historians, but everyone knows about Fredericksburg.

  She thanked me for my comments and told me that this was a point of view that she had never considered. I have always been aware of an eastern bias when it comes to historians interpretation of the Civil War. The day before in Richmond I visited the American Civil War Museum and there was virtually nothing relating to the Civil War in the west. From the battles of Antietam until Gettysburg, things were not going well for the Union Army in the east. Upon learning of the defeat at Fredericksburg Lincoln stated " If there is a hell, I am in it". Stones River was Lincoln's only bright spot during those dark months. It was a hard earned Union victory. I am in awe of the sacrifice and bravery of the troops at Fredericksburg. Especially that of the Union troops. I mean no disrespect to them but I simply like to have a balanced view of history.