Gratuitous Historickal Posting (TM)

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg, fought in 1862, in which Union General Ambrose Burnside launched a virtually suicidal frontal assault from the streets of the town against Lee's army, heavily entrenched on the hills immediately behind it. Here is an overall map of the battle front:

Here is an account of the battle, the decisive day of which (today) was the culmination of several days worth of manuevering along and across the river. By the time it was all over, the Federals had lost more than 12,000 men, the majority of them attempting to storm Marye's Height.

The Missus and I were in Fredericksburg a few weeks ago and hiked up Telegraph Hill to the spot where Lee had his headquarters during the battle. There are too many trees now to get any real sense of what Lee could have seen from this position. However, it was at this spot that, as he watched the Federal troops blown to pieces, Lee is supposed to have turned to General Longstreet and said, "It is well that war is so terrible. We should grow too fond of it."

UPDATE: By the way, I know the painting above depicts the Federal bridging of the Rappahanock on December 11, but it is found in one of my childhood Civil War books and has a certain sentimental value to me.

UPDATE DEUX: Here's a picture of the fighting on December 13 as seen from the Confederate perspective - artillery on the heights and fortified infantry position at the base of the hill:

Image courtesy of Kenmore House.