Battle of Fredricksburg  "Action At The Stone Wall"  December 13, 1862

"A chicken could not live on that field when we open on it." So reported Confederate Col. E. Porter Alexander to Gen. James Longstreet describing the position of his Confederate First Corps' artillery on Marye's Heights overlooking the town of Fredricksburg, VA., Six hundred yards of open field stretched between his position and the town, which was overflowing with Yankee soldiers. Gen. Robert E. Lee would like nothing better than for the Union Army of the Potomac to attack his Army of Northern Virginia in the position he had been strengthening for weeks.

The left side of Lee's line was anchored on Marye's Heights and on a 1,200-foot-long stone wall at the base of the heights. The retaining wall was built alongside the main road to Richmond, which had been cut away and sunken by years of use. Shoulder high, the stone wall was an ideal position to defend. Div. Comdr. Gen. Lafayette McLaws had stationed his Georgia Brigade, commanded by Gen. Thomas R.R. Cobb, in the sunken road. The Confederate soldiers were packed two ranks deep behind the wall and had a clear field of fire to their front.

Around noon on December 13, 1862, a brigade of blue-coated men filed out of Fredricksburg, formed their battle lines, and charged toward the stone wall. They were cut to pieces by Confederate artillery and fell back before the Georgians behind the wall fired a single volley. Two more brigades charged in quick succession with the same result. McLaws ordered Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw's South Carolina Brigade to join Cobb's men behind the stone wall, making that line four ranks deep. Stepping back from the wall to reload and back up to the wall to fire, the Rebel defenders were able to lay down a rapid and continuous storm of lead. Throughout the afternoon, Union Gen. Ambrose Burnside sent wave after wave of his infantry to the slaughter. Darkness finally brought an end to the butchery, but not before seven Union divisions had dashed themselves against the wall in 14 charges. No Union soldier ever reached the stone wall; few got within 50 yards.

Fascinating Fact: Burnside lost 7,000 men attacking the stone wall and Marye's Heights; the Confederate defenders lost only 1,200 men.


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