Historian Reaction - The Battle of Fredericksburg (American Battlefield Trust)
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- čas přidán 27. 02. 2021
- See the original video here - • Fredericksburg: Animat...
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just discovered your channel a couple days ago and have been binging all your reaction videos (and being PA-born, some of your local history videos haha). Keep up the great work, easily my favorite recent sub
Appreciate your kind words and the sub!
you should also look at his other channel History Guy Gaming, he plays games on that channel but at the same time gives a lot of information on the generals too.
@@VloggingThroughHistory it's the least i could do, i wish more of my history profs in college were like you!
@@philosophicalnarwhal7559 What part of Pennsylvania are you from?
@@VloggingThroughHistory Born and spent most of my life in Bucks and Montgomery counties, went to college in Clarion county further out west for 5 years
My dad and me are planning on seeing some of the civil war battlefields again when he retires in a few years
I am from the Netherlands ( Europe) . I find it exelent how you ex plane the battles of the civil war . Maybe you could make a comparison between the battle of Waterloo and a civil war battle and tell what is changed in tactics 45 years earlier between them.
If I recall correctly, all of the same infantry tactics in basically the first half to 3/4 of the war were carbon copy Napoleonic. The changes really started to happen especially during the sieges of the last Virginia campaigns around Richmond where you actually saw the beginnings of ww1 trench fighting. The lines of fighting, however, were still used throughout the whole war. As the rifle tech caught up, the lines of fighting were completely obsolete of course by the time ww1 happened, but the obscene casualty rates of the civil war helped that transition to the next phase of fighting. If you want a big difference specifically between Waterloo and the civil war, infantry squares, for example, were basically never used (probably count instances on single hand) since cavalry were used more as scouts, supply collection/disruption, and claiming advantageous ground for the infantry battles. Hope some of this helps.
Theres a saying that I've heard that I tend to agree with "Boys study battle, Men study logistics". Yes the battles are nice in terms of being able to more easily quantify results, but whats often forgotten is the logistical actions made to even allow a battle like Fredericksberg to occur. Alexander the Great is remembered for his swift and decisive defeat of the Persian Empire, but I honestly consider the greater feat being how on earth did he manage to supply and finance a conquest from the Bosporus Strait all the way to India in the Hellenistic Era.
If I remember correctly Alexander really was only able to hold his army together was his sheer confidence and leadership ability. Once his army approached India his army mutinied and forced him to abandon his ambitions of reaching China and the Far East.
I also seem to recall his empire falling apart due to his failure to administrate the regions correctly which led to each region becoming its own "empire" or territory.
@@spookyboi8446 His army(the greek troops primarily) mutinied (bc he tried to send the wounded and elderly warriors into retirement; also they were concerned he was becoming too influenced by the foreigners he conquered and let into his inner circle) but it didnt cause him to lose his ambitions in the east. He quelled the mutiny and kept his ranks together, however he then fell sick and died basically immediately after that mutiny was settled.
@@onebuffalo5402 Yes according to sources the army was upset for (a number of reasons) including his appointment of Persian rulers in occupied regions and sending troops home. Alexander also made numerous mistakes after his army forced him to turn around like marching through a desert losing thousands of men. The mutiny was also more like a list of demands not an armed revolt.
He also was exhibiting autocratic behaviors and paranoia like the killing of Cleitus the Black. Many people no longer trusted him which is one of the reasons all of his kin were killed off after his death.
Dont forget Hannibal Barca, that guy is a master of logistics, he became a monster inside Rome for 15 yrs with little to no help from carthage
@@eurasiaacaci.-110 I see where you're coming from, but his strategy completely relied on Romes zealous military culture, allying with rival italian groups, and living off the land. He was almost ruined when Fabius became a consul and chose to avoid direct battle and focus on harassing Hannibal's supply line.
I have loved your videos for a while now and I’m upset with myself that I didn’t discover these American Battlefield Trust videos with your commentary until today. I can’t get over how well done they are.
As someone who loves history and has loved it since I was a little kid… these videos are pure gold for me.
Glad to hear it! The ABT are fantastic and I'm proud to be a supporter of them and to count Garry and Kris among my friends.
Union soldiers chants “Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg” July 3 1863 Gettysburg PA 😊
There is one story that really stands out with the fighting around Prospect Hill and the Slaughter Pen Farm... It's the fact that Meade knew he needed reinforcements and sent a courier back to find whatever troops possible. The courier found General David Bell Birney and told him of Meade's plight, but Birney told the courier that he did not take orders from General Meade and refused to reinforce him, simply because he was indignant at being given an order from someone of equal rank in a different Corps. The courier returned to Meade, and told him what General Birney had said and Meade himself went after General Birney and tore him a new one with his famous rage. But if Birney was nothing else, he was a man who stuck to his choices and still didn't send in his Division. Allowing Jackson to plug the hole in his line.
I sometimes wonder what would if General Gouverneur K Warren, when he sent out his couriers to find units to send to Little Round Top got that same treatment of: "Who made you the boss of me?" And men like Strong Vincent, Stephen Weed, and Patrick O'Rourke didn't just take the initiative and make those decisions without waiting for their Division Commanders or Corps Commanders, how different Gettysburg would have been.
Growing up and living in Richmond VA. The Civil War is everywhere. You literally cannot throw a rock without hitting a historical marker about a smaller battlefield on the road side, and yea going to Washington D.C, its an hour and 15 to Fredericksburg up 95, and then another hour and 15 up to DC. There's also some good historical markers in historic Fredericksburg downtown including some buildings with shells still embedded in the walls, its pretty interesting. Going into Richmond downtown itself you can still see the pylons of the burned down rail bridge from the Civil War sticking up in the James River. The Civil War and ruins of STILL surround the Richmond and I-95 corridor.
I found a source with information in casualties in Barksdale's brigade at Fredriksburg:
13th regiment: 7 killed, 59 wounded, 14 captured
17th regiment: 9 killed, 40 wounded and 35 captured
18th regiment: 18 wounded
21st regiment: 11 wounded
So a total of 16 killed, 128 wounded, 49 captured, for a total of 193 casualties. Confederate regiments would have nominally about 1500 to 1800 soldiers, so a casualty rate of 11-12%. I believe for a major battle in the Civil War, that's quite good.
Indeed it is good. Thanks for taking the time to share!
So glad I found this channel. Awesome work!
I'm glad you did too, Robert. Welcome to the community!
Sorry to hear about your flooded basement! Great commentary as always.
Got the pump replaced, now just gotta clean and dry everything.
Awesome video sure hope your basement situation is better
I live right near Fredericksburg. Unfortunately not much to see at the battlefield other than a stone wall. The town is built up all around it, but it’s still definitely worth seeing and taking a walk through downtown!
I just moved here to Fredericksburg, loving these videos thanks for the knowledge!
I loved it when i visited it a few weeks ago. Still has that small town charm. Also loved Sharpsburg (I was doing a solo civil war battlefield trip), it blew me away that there isnt even a friggin gas station in that town. Hell only one "hotel" and its like an inn from 1790 or something. And so beautiful. Im from Georgia and was amazed at how rolling the terrain is in Maryland. Truly a gorgeous state
16:29 Chris, you're one dedicated guy. Hopefully no more floods since this
My sister actually had her wedding at an inn/B&B that was used as a field hospital during the battle. It was kind of creepy, but beautiful. There were some cannons still on the grounds.
If you get the chance, I would recommend watching the "from all sides" documentary on the battle of Fredericksburg. It does a good job of explaining the battle in my opinion.
As I sort of stated in the announcement you made, I had family on my mom's side who was in one of the units that was operational at Fredricksburg, along with other battles in that area, along with other notable battles. Alas, he was one of the casualties of the Peninsular Campaign of 1862, and died of wounds he sustained at Hanover Court House. He was part of the 44th New York Infantry Regiment, and the story of how they brought his body home is an interesting one.
Oh man that suxs that your basement got flooded. We're still dealing with water issues here in Dallas/Ft. Worth Texas. Most of it has been remedied, insurance claims and people are rebuilding after all the cracked pipes . BUT now we're dealing with huge size potholes after the snow melted and major rain storms roll through. the size of the potholes to put in perspective is from the width/length of your tire to half of entire car width. Plus can see the rebar in the concrete of the highways and main roads.
The land acquired that was mentioned at the start of the video was the slaughter pen farm
man i love this channel
I go to college in Fredericksburg, the battlefield is so cool! I would definitely recommend checking it out if you are ever in the area!
Are you at UMW? I’m an Alum!
@@89jersy Yeah!
@@evansalp3789 so glad you’re enjoying it! Loved my time there.
I so wish we had something like this in the UK. Great job mate.
Start it
There was a British programme, what was it? Where a historian walked around a battlefield with a CGI battle-map that was in continuous real-time motion, him maintaining commentry throughout, it was super.
Thinking about how awful it must have been in all of these battles is made abundantly clear when you remember: young teens lied about their age to enlist in the army. I couldn't imagine walking past thousands of dead and wounded uphill at 35, let alone 15-16.
They're making some great headway in Franklin. Earning quite a few places back
I can’t wait to see the actual video. If you were in command of the AOP what is your move? How are you attaching Lee? Is is true there was another Ford downriver Burnside could’ve used?
I'd send General Meade to Washington to beat the pontoon bridges out of General Halleck.
Or I'd try to flank Lee again by going to Culpeper/Port Royal with two Grand Divisions faster than Jackson or Longstreet would be able to relocate their troops... Or not attacking until spring, which was not an option for Burnside.
Seriously, it sucks to be in Burnside's shoes. It's freakin' December, the bridges are late, the enemy took the heights, and you're not qualified to operate your massive army properly. How to explain all that to Lincoln who wants you to push nearly at all costs?
I'd be really interested in a video of the I'll fated charge at cold harbor. Wasn't it like 7000 men fell, in like 15 mins?
Somewhat new to the channel I love hearing you talk about your love of the Civil War which is something I have great passion for. Growing up in Alabama definitely was taught a more pro-confederate side but through research talking to other people including other historians realizing the lost cause is a complete and utter joke. I think my favorite story when it comes to the Civil War is Andrews Raiders also known as the Great Locomotive Chase that was one of my favorite movies growing up and sparked my interest in the Civil War I've been to the museum I've been to the places Jacob parrot who was one of the Raiders was the first recipient for the Medal of Honor for his participation in that raid
Well done getting the pronunciation of Meagher correct!
19:12 This meat grinder looks a LOT like WW1. I have a lot of difficulty putting myself in the mindset of commanders who throw away the lives of their troops as if they didn't even try to think of any other way of solving a problem when a particular solution is clearly not working.
a lot of time that was the only option other than retreating/cancelling the attack due to terrain.
In 1860s no one knew for sure how to break through fortified infantry. Artillery - meh, not working that good, infantry charges - you see the result... It was either flanking or nothing.
in other words if Burnside waited 3 days to start marching everything would have been ok, but wasn't there any bridges he could cross?
Damn you look like Dennis Quaid playing Sam Houston in The Alamo 😂
Just discovered the channel, learning so much about the civil war, awesome stuff!
(My selfish request is for you to do an Alexander the Great kings and generals reaction vid)
Sounds like a crazy battle
Lol I just noticed that Lee setup in a dog leg ambush. Doubt that it work as intended on that large of a scale.
Make more plz i really like the videos
sorry to hear of your basement. I enjoy your work I am interested to see you think about doing a video on the choices the Confederates made after the fight at Chanc. as far as there two new core commanders. I have thoughts but very much enjoy seeing yours if you have the time to do one sometime I appreciate it very much and can comment my thoughts then. Keep up the great work sir.
I am not an expert but one of these battles we are discussing is considered the largest artillery fight in north american history I believe, would that have been Gettysburg I learned that about?
Good vid!
There is a cruch here in Frederickburg that still has a cannonball in it
From my understanding, Thomas Jackson hated the name "Stonewall" that he was given.
I'm not sure he hated it. He just insisted the name belonged to the brigade and not him personally.
@@VloggingThroughHistory That makes more sense given his leadership style.
I wonder if jackson could have gotten in behind burnside and maybe even attacked washington i mean it probably wouldnt have worked with how many fortifications there were around the city
Seems to be a common burnside move. The man lost how many men to the bridge at Antietam, when he could have crossed waist deep water at almost any point on that creek.... with enough men you can take any field, but do you want to find out how many it takes?
I wonder when it comes to largest battles what they would rank when you put them in order of the amount actually engaged. I would think Gettysburg would actually rank higher as basically everyone fought. At Fredericksburg Burnside pulled a McClellan and had an entire grand division sitting on their bayonets.
I'd say his army was as disorganized as McClellan's at Antietam. The attacks were very poorly coordinated and executed. That's why Meade's success wasn't supported.
And I don't think Burnside should've bring the reserves into the battle. He saw both of his attacks failed with terrible losses - how could another Grand Division solve that? No-no, time to retreat and think of Plan B. The only problem of Burnside is that he should've thought of it before the battle, not after it.
I received my History degree in 2019 and most of my professors were terrible. This is good stuff.
My favorite Civil War battle.
why was the Union unable to fire artillery at the wall on the first day?
I've always wandered what would have happened at Fredericksburg had Meade gotten reinforcements when he broke through at the swamp part of me thinks the tide would have turned and another part of me thinks nothing would have come of it other than more deaths
Really late on the reply and I apologize.
But if Meade had been supported it very likely would have been a Union victory. As the position that Meade infiltrated was well in Jackson's line. Thus it essentially cut off Lee's Center and Northern positions. With the Rappahannock cutting the confederates off from going further north, it would have been a mop up operation to encircle and destroy the vast majority of Lee's army with any real resistance coming from the elements of Jackson's corps that wasn't cut-off by the infiltration. (If it comes to it, the option of a seige is available should the confederates refuse to surrender. But from what I can infer, Lee would have known he'd been beaten and surrendered.) Thus the road to Richmond would be open with absolutely minimal if any resistance. Concluding the war probably early-mid 1863.
That's my guess as to what would happen anyway. Essentially Meade not being supported lost the battle for the Union. Leading to Chancellorsville and beyond.
Is it really courage when refusing to march up to the killing field would be mutiny and punishable by death?
I can't think of a single incidence of that happening during the war. Even deserters were rarely executed. If men were shot for breaking in battle, half the armies would be executed.
@@VloggingThroughHistory
I’m not talking about breaking in battle, I’m talking about refusing to advance to combat to begin with.
What would have happened if soldiers in one of the Regiments below Marye’s Heights, seeing the carnage ahead of them, refused to advance?
Burnside was wait to cautious. as we saw no proper support for any advance
Ya know... watching these troops move the way they did throughout the war, I'm thinking a modern Caesar would have ran circles around both sides. What do you think?
Opposed landings are very rare in history.
Because they are very bad ideas for the attackers unless there really is no other alternative.
11:06 I believe Napoleon did something similar for the invasion of Russia. and of course as armies became larger the army group would become a staple a of world war 1 and 2 force organization
At the opening of the campaign, why did not Burnside at least demonstrate against Culpepper? this would have held Longstreet in place while the bulk of the army moved on Fredericksburg.
Because he wanted to cross the river asap BEFORE Longstreet would be able to come anyway. So if Halleck didn't screw up the bridges, Burnside wouldn't need that maneuver.
I have an ancestor who joined the 24th Georgia on December 17th 1862 I Believe
Could the Union have move to their "right" and attacked around the Confereate "Left?"
So the corps went all-in where they should just have done a standoff (Marye's Heights), and did standoffs where they should have gone all-in (everyone in the main attack except Meade). How did such abysmally bad coordination happen? Did Burnside not see the big picture, or was he just unable to manage his subordinates?
His subordinates were borderline mutinous, and after Fredericksburg they were openly mutinous. His plan was a good one. He was failed miserably by both his higher command and his subordinates.
@@VloggingThroughHistory yeah, that's what I seem to remember too about Burnside and his difficulties. Good to see that you're still reading and replying on a more than two year old video!
Extra Credits covers the Haitian Revolution well. Please react to it, if possible.
The laying on the slope for a whole day after the failure. ... If you moved. Zip zip zip.... Thud thud thud! Minnie balls into dead flesh and the living around you!!!!
There had to have been bridges across the river (pre-war for general use by the people of the town) before the Union troops arrived. Did the Confederates burn those existing bridges?
Burnside feared that Lee could counter attack his army and trap them with their backs to the river. I credit Burnside for keeping the initiative and forcing Lee to defend Marye's Heights despite the ill fated results.
Burnside actually had the upper hand on Lee. Had the War Department not let him down might have been a totally different outcome. Then again Northern generals seemed to have some sort of phobia of putting all their troops in. Granted had Burnside put all of his troops in the slaughter might have been worse
Agreed. If Burnside's orders were more clear and concise to Franklin the Federals should have attacked with 60,000 troops instead of 6,000. Jackson would have been crushed at Prospect Hill. It's easy for us to play arm chair general 160 years later.
@holyshibata5764 That's why Army of the Potomac looked so awkward in 1862. Bad recon (the Peninsula and Antietam), badly timed or weird orders (Pope!), constant screwups (Hooker's attack and Burnside's Bridge at Amtietam!), lack of support from unit to unit... Looks like neither Burnside (and McClellan before him) nor most of his officers could get things going.
I would like to request a video called "VETERANS BATTLE FOR THE BALLOT: THE BATTLE OF ATHENS, 1946 Ben Stoker by the channel Paul Arnold Original Video" I would like to know what you think afterward. Thanks
Why didn't Lee shell retreating Union troops at Fredericksburg?
He didn't want to damage the town.
@@VloggingThroughHistory
I believe that might have been a factor but the ANV had attacked Fredericksburg, he had caused damage to the town. Maybe he felt no more damage? I don't know but the Union army was bunched together in Fredericksburg.
The book I’m reading now is talking about McCleallan and how he very much disliked the Lincoln administration and how much the administration was/seemed against him. The men seemed to like McCleallan and cheered him when he passed and gave speeches, but you can see why some Generals disliked him and how nonaggressive he was.
McClellan was a very difficult person. He was smart and capable but abrasive as hell. I can remember very few people he didn't talk trash about.
@@kristaskrastina2863 great points
Couldn’t just move your army and supplies via the Potomac and James Rivers?
Yes if you were, like in 1862, marching up the peninsula.
can you react to chickamauga?
I definitely will.
@@VloggingThroughHistory thanks
At 21 min's,what a waste of men,wave after wave into on coming gun fire.WW1 comes to mind.
It is one of the battles where Zap Brannigan drew inspiration.
Why were the Union attacking like some bad AI. If you have so much more men don't send them little by little on the same spot. Send some to flank the enemy. Yeah, I know everybody is a general after the battle... but still, if your first three attacks do nothing, try something diferent.
The MoH was introduced in the revolutionary war
The first Medal of Honor was awarded on March 25, 1863. The first military action for which a MoH was awarded was Feb 13, 1861. www.cmohs.org/medal/timeline
@@VloggingThroughHistory I misunderstood something in history class a long time ago
@@johnmurphy7250 you might be thinking of the Purple Heart.
@@VloggingThroughHistory I think I was
Sorry for the mixup on my part was thinking about the purple heart and got them mixed up I will do 20 pushups for my mistake
I know this is a late comment, but I get so angry watching anything on the Battle of Fredericksburg. The sheer folly and supidity throughout the entire campaign and battle just infuriate me. What a waste of good men, and a wonderful oppurtunity to shorten the War.