It shows the topography of the battlefield area and other important features, like the Rappahannock River, the canal that bisected the battlefield in front of Marye’s Heights, and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad. It is based on other maps that were created during the war. This map, dated 1867, was created after the Civil War. Map of the Battlefield at Fredericksburg. Because of the delays, the Union Army arrived across the river from Fredericksburg in time to see the Confederate troops digging in. Meanwhile, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia took up a position just west of town, fortifying the high ground from Marye’s Heights near downtown Fredericksburg south to Prospect Hill. This left the Union Army with no means to rapidly cross the Rappahannock River and take Fredericksburg. Unfortunately for the Union Army, the wagon trains carrying pontoon bridge sections were delayed. Union General Ambrose Burnside created a plan to occupy Fredericksburg, which was only lightly defended by Confederate troops, but this plan depended on speed. In the fall of 1862, both armies began concentrating around Fredericksburg, a town halfway between Washington, DC and Richmond, VA. In honor of the anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg, which was fought December 13, 1862, the Cartographic Branch is highlighting some of its many maps related to Fredericksburg during the Civil War.
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