6 6 The American Civil Warwhich the word 'sideburns' derived).
Personally brave and widely popular, he lacked
the intellectual ability of a great commander.
His government expected him to organize
a campaign against Richmond before the end
of the year. Burnside knew that Lee's army
was divided, with Jackson's Second Corps in
the Shenandoah valley and Longstreet's First
Corps near Culpeper (the Confederates had
replaced wings with corps after Antietam).
He proposed marching his 130,000 soldiers
from northern Virginia to Fredericksburg,
seizing that important city and striking
south along the Richmond, Fredericksburg
and Potomac Railroad. Lincoln and Major-
General Henry W. Halleck, who had earned a
high reputation in the Western Theater and
been named General-in-Chief after the Seven
Days, approved Burnside's plan and
recommended that he move quickly.
Federal shelling of Fredericksburg on 11 December
damaged a number of buildings and left many
streets littered with rubble. In this regard, the old
colonial city at the falls of the Rappahannock river
anticipated the fate of many other southern communities.
Confederates deplored the shelling of civilian
neighborhoods in Fredericksburg, to which Federals
responded that Lee's army should not have fought from
the cover of private residences. (Author's collection)
Burnside reached the eastern bank of the
Rappahannock river opposite Fredericksburg
on 19 November 1862, but he could not
cross into the city because necessary
pontoon bridges had not arrived. Several
days passed, affording Lee time to hurry
Longstreet's soldiers to high ground west
and south of Fredericksburg. Jackson's
corps followed in early December, extending
Lee's position along the Rappahannock
below Fredericksburg.
Jackson's presence foreclosed the option
of a Union crossing downstream, so Burnside
settled on several points near the city. On
11 December, engineers oversaw
construction of pontoons at two points
opposite the city and one about a mile
(1.6km) downstream. Confederates resisted
the two upper crossings, firing on the bridge
builders from the shelter of houses and other
structures. Union artillery bombarded the
city, driving civilians into the countryside
and destroying a number of buildings. A
Confederate artillerist described the
memorable scene:The city, except its steeples, was still veiled in
the mist which had settled in the valleys. Above
it and in it incessantly showed the round white