Fredricksburg+Union+Soldiers

__**Fredericksburg Union Soldiers**__ Fredericksburg Home Page

At the Battle of Fredericksburg the Union army entered the battle with about 114,000 soldiers in strength and they left the battlefield with an astonishing 12,653 casualties. They had 1,284 soldiers that were killed in action, 9,600 soldiers wounded and 1,769 soldiers were either captured by the Confederate army or went Missing in action during this bloody battle. These great casualties were the product of poor leadership of the Union Army by General Ambrose E. Burnside who led his troops into almost a suicide mission into enemy lines that were heavilly dug in. They Soliders crossed big pontoon boats over a wide river that was seperating the two armies and were immediatly devastated by Confederate Artillary, Sharpshooters, and the general army. The only hope for the Union to gain any ground was when Meade's Division of soldiers breifly penetrated General Stonewall Jackson's lines only to be drivin back by a heavy counterattack. Soon after the battle began and after many failed attempts to overtake the Confederate lines ontop of the hills which resulted in heavy casualties, Burnside drove his troops back over the bridges and retreated.