| Virginia, Fredericksburg — E 43 — Lee’s Position |
| | From this hill (now called Lee’s Hill) a little to the east, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee watched the First Battle of Fredericksburg. As armies prepared for combat, Lee commented that “It is well that war is so terrible—we should grow too fond of it.” On 13 Dec. 1862, Union Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside ordered an assault against the Confederate position. The Confederates withstood the attack, which lasted until dark, slaughtered the Federals with artillery and small-arms . . . — Map (db m1654) |
| Virginia, Fredericksburg — Fredericksburg Campaign |
| | December 13, 1862. Watching the battle from the crest of this hill, Confederate commander R. E. Lee remarked: “It is well that war is so terrible – we should grow too fond of it!” In no battle were the Confederates more fortunately located. Starting at a bluff above the river dam, two miles north, Longstreet’s Corps occupied a ridge made impregnable in front by a deep canal and swamps. Then came Marye’s Heights, almost as strong. Next, here at Lee’s Hill, began a curving line . . . — Map (db m4159) |
| Virginia, Fredericksburg — Lee's Headquarters — The Battle of Fredericksburg |
| | The hill in front of you, once called Telegraph Hill but now known as Lee's Hill, served as General Robert E. Lee's headquarters during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Throughout the afternoon of December 13, 1862, Lee and his generals watched uneasily as the Union army repeatedly attacked Southern troops in the Sunken Road. The Federal infantry became easy targets for Confederate artillery atop this hill and Howison Hill (a quarter mile to your left). The Union attacks failed. The grandeur of . . . — Map (db m8858) |
| Virginia, Fredericksburg — Artillery on Lee's Hill |
| | (Left marker):
Here and on hills to the left and right the Confederates developed a powerful concentration of artillery.
Enfilading Fire
During the Federal attacks of December 13, 1862, Confederates cannon poured devasting frontal and crossfire into the advancing battle lines. Long range rifles here on Lee’s Hill participated in the enfilade fire.
The Napoleon
The bronze 12-pounder smoothbores called "Napoleons" were less accurate than rifled cannon, but remained . . . — Map (db m4178) |
| Virginia, Fredericksburg — Lee's Hill, the commander's lookout |
| | General Robert E. Lee used this hill as a command post during the Battle of Fredericksburg. It has borne his name ever since.
Lee’s View from Here
Civilians viewing this scene might have focused their attention on the picturesque steeples which mark the skyline today, just as they did in 1862. Lee’s attention, however, was quickly taken up by the blue lines which made heavy attacks on both of his fronts.
Chatham (Lacy House)
This vantage point offered a fine view of the . . . — Map (db m4162) |
| Virginia, Fredericksburg — Fredericksburg Campaign |
| | December 13, 1862. Watching the battle from the crest of this hill, Confederate commander R. E. Lee remarked: “It is well that war is so terrible – we should grow too fond of it!” In no battle were the Confederates more fortunately located. Starting at a bluff above the river dam, two miles north, Longstreet’s Corps occupied a ridge made impregnable in front by a deep canal and swamps. Then came Marye’s Heights, almost as strong. Next, here at Lee’s Hill, began a curving line . . . — Map (db m4159) |
| Virginia, Fredericksburg — The Pioneers |
| | “My army is as much stronger for these new entrenchments as if I had received reinforcements of 20,000 men.”
- R.E. Lee, Decenber 14, 1862
Preparing Breastworks
In December, 1862, the Confederates had no organized engineer corps. For construction of defenseive works they relied on pioneers, special detachments from each regiment.
At Fredericksburg, the pioneers formed the core of Confederate work parties, but everyone pitched in to entrench the 7-mile . . . — Map (db m4180) |
| Virginia, Fredericksburg — The Second Battle of Fredericksburg — Chancellorsville Campaign May 3, 1863 |
| | General Lee conferred with some of his officers here at the start of the Chancellorsville Campaign. A few days later, Union soldiers overran Lee’s Hill.
Report on the action at Lee’s Hill by Colonel Henry Coalter Cabell commanding artillery battalion, C.S.A.
“…About 11 o'clock that day – Sunday – the enemy attacked and very speedily took and occupied Mayre's Hill. As soon as they appeared on Mayre's Hill, a large force of infantry advanced rapidly from the crest of . . . — Map (db m4182) |
| Virginia, Fredericksburg — Lee's Command Post — The Battle of Fredericksburg |
| | This hill served as General Robert E. Lee's command post during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Before the fighting started, Confederate pioneers cut down trees on the front slope of the hill, giving the Confederate leader a better view of the battlefield than is possible today. To his left, he could see Fredericksburg and Marye's Heights. To his right was the broad plain in front of Prospect Hill and the right end of the Confederate line. Lee spent much of December 13, 1862, here, watching the . . . — Map (db m8861) |
| Virginia, Fredericksburg — Near Disaster — The Battle of Fredericksburg |
| | On this hill on December 13, 1862, Confederate General Robert E. Lee twice nearly met personal disaster. While firing its 39th round of the day, a 30-pounder Parrott Rifle (like the one in front of you) burst, sending chunks of metal across the hilltop - narrowly missing Generals Lee and Longstreet. Later, a Union artillery shell fired from Stafford Heights, more than a mile away, buried itself in the earthworks at Lee's side. The shell failed to explode. Meanwhile, Confederate cannons here . . . — Map (db m8862) |
| Virginia (Spotsylvania County), Fredericksburg — Fredericksburg Campaign |
| | December 13, 1862. Here in the Lansdowne Valley Longstreet’s right flank joined with “Stonewall” Jackson’s left. Confederate infantry was deployed on the valley floor and cannon rimmed the hills behind, forming a deep pocket in the Confederate line. During mid-afternoon, units of “Baldy” Smith’s VI Corps moved up the valley of Deep Run to attack the Confederates in this area. Federal skirmishers advanced to the railroad but were forced back to their original position by Law’s Brigade of Hood’s Division. — Map (db m4116) |
| Virginia, Fredericksburg — Big Gun at Howison Hill — The Battle of Fredericksburg |
| | Two weeks of Union delay before the Battle of Fredericksburg gave the Confederates time to bring up large cannons rarely seen on other battlefields in Virginia. The sturdy gun emplacements above you protected a huge siege gun, capable of firing a 30-pound shell nearly two miles. Ten men operated the cannon; typically, a gun like this would fire a round every five minutes. As they awaited battle, Confederate cannoneers cut down trees and carefully calculated the range to likely areas of Union . . . — Map (db m8863) |
| Virginia, Fredericksburg — Confederate Artillery Defense |
| | About noon December 13, 1862
Army of Northern Virginia
General Robert E. Lee, Commander
Brigadier General W. N. Pendleton
Chief of Artillery
304 guns on the battlefield
Army of the Potomac
Major General A. E. Burnside, Commander
Brigadier General H. J. Hunt, Chief of Artillery
381 guns on the battlefield
Smooth bore cannon had an extreme range of about one mile; rifled cannon up to three miles. Since long range fire was not very effective, . . . — Map (db m4135) |
| Virginia (Spotsylvania County), Fredericksburg — Fredericksburg Campaign |
| | December 13, 1862. Here, on the wood’s edge facing the fields of the Lansdowne Valley, Gen. George Pickett’s 9,000 men, including soldiers from Fredericksburg, held a vital part of Lee’s line. The enemy did not attack Pickett’s Division and the men remained inactive, though elements of the division were later sent to reinforce the defenders of Marye’s Height. A summer’s charge near a little town called Gettysburg lay in the unknown future. — Map (db m4124) |
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