Confederate Defenses in December 1862

Confederate Defenses in December 1862. Fredericksburg: Timeless.. In December 1862, General Robert E. Lee deployed his Confederate army along a series of hills around the town of Fredericksburg. In front of you is Fall Hill, which anchored the Confederate line at the Rappahannock River. Brigadier General Cadmus M. Wilcox and his brigade of Alabama troops took position around a brick mansion at the top of the hill and spread out across the high ground., On December 11th, Union artillery bombarded the Town of Fredericksburg in support of Federal infantry forcing its way across the river. Many of the town’s residents fled west, along this roadway. On December 13th, the Federals launched several attacks in town and south of town. There was no attack in this area, although Union artillery across the river still delivered an intense fire., (captions) , Union topographical engineers developed this map to accompany the Chief of Artillery’s report on the December battle of Fredericksburg. It shows the heavy concentration of cannons on the opposite side of the river that could fire into this area., On December 13, 1862, Wilcox and his Alabamians held this end of the Confederate line as the Federals attacked the heights near town. This map is oriented to the direction you are facing and also shows the modern road network to help relate the battle action to the ground. Panel design by Jackson Foster, The I.D. Entity.