A Proud Secessionist

Confederate Colonel Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb was killed during the Battle of Fredericksburg December 13^th 1862.

Thomas Reade Roots Cobb was born in Jefferson County, Georgia April 10^th 1823, the son of John A and Sarah [Rootes] Cobb.  He graduated from Franklin College in 1841 and was admitted to the bar in 1842.  Cobb reported for the Supreme Court of Georgia from 1849 through 1857.  He was a fervent secessionist and served as a delegate to the Georgia Secession Convention.  He was also one of the founders of the University Of Georgia School Of Law.

When the Civil War started Cobb served in the Confederate Congress, where he was the chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs, and helped with the drafting of the Confederate constitution.  In 1861 he organized Cobb’s Legion.  Cobb was commissioned the Legion’s Colonel August 28^th 1861.  They saw heavy action in the Battles of Seven Days, Second Manassas, and Antietam, which prompted Cobb’s promotion to Brigadier General in November 1862.  He still hadn't received a confirmation of the promotion when he was mortally wounded.

Cobb was carried inside the Stephens house near the Sunken Road on Marye’s Heights during the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13^th 1862 after an artillery shell exploded near his position.  A piece of the shrapnel damaged the femoral artery in Cobb’s thigh and he bleed to death.  He is buried in the Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens, Georgia.

Another web site with more information about  Thomas R. R. Cobb (1823-1862)  worth taking a look at.

Second Time's The Charm

The Second Battle of Fredericksburg a part of the Battle of Chancellorsville was fought May 3rd 1863.


Confederate Major General Jubal Anderson Early’s division was left to hold Fredericksburg, when General Robert E Lee marched the rest of the Army of Northern Virginia to Chancellorsville. Union Major General John Sedgwick’s VI Corps moved into the area on May 3rd 1863. Sedgwick moved slowly, as the memory of fighting on this ground in Dec 1862 was fresh. Early’s men were defending Marye’s Height along a reserve artillery and one division from Barkdale’s Brigade, strong out in a thin line north and south of the Heights.

Sedgwick moved through Fredericksburg below the Heights, engaging in artillery fire through out most of the morning. Around noon Sedgwick sent ten Union regiments against the Confederate defenses on the Heights. The lead unit in this assault was the 5th Wisconsin, their Colonel told his men, “When the signal forward is given you will advance at double-quick. You will not fire a gun, and you will not stop until you get the order to halt. You will never get that order.” The 5th charged forward with the other regiments following. The Union troops stalled for a time when they hit a concentrated fire from the Confederates behind a four foot high stonewall. Some of the Union soldiers on the right found a way around the stone wall flanking the Confederate left, placing them under an enfilading fire. Charging with bayonets fixed the Union troops captured several Confederate guns, and forced them to withdraw to the west and southeast of Fredericksburg. Sedgwick captured Marye’s Heights.

A Lopsided Battle

Union Major General Ambrose E Burnside missed his chance to attack at Fredericksburg before the Confederates massed there, and so the battle wasn’t fought until December 13th 1862.

Hoping to side step the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, Union Major General Ambrose Burnside made plans to move on Richmond, Virginia by crossing the Rappahannock River, and moving on the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad. The Army of the Potomac reached Falmouth, Virginia across from Fredericksburg on November 17th 1862, getting ahead of the Confederates. But the pontoon bridges, to cross the river did not get there do to an administration mix up. Burnside wouldn't let any of his troops cross the river out of fear that rains would cause the river to rise and cut his forces off from each other. As the Union army sat on the Falmouth side of the river, Confederate Lieutenant General James Longstreet’s Corps arrived in Fredericksburg and began digging into the heights. The pontoons arrived on November 25th 1862, but Burnside still didn't move. By the end on November Confederate Lieutenant Thomas Stonewall Jackson’s Corps got into Fredericksburg and took up a position south of Longstreet. Union engineer final started the pontoon bridges on December 11th 1862, and Union troops began crossing the river under fire.

Finally at 8:30 on the morning of December 13th 1862 an assault led by Union Major General George Gorden Mead’s division with support of Brigadier Generals Abner Doubleday, and John Gibbon began. At first the Union was slowed by heavy fog, but around 10 am they exploited a gap in Jackson’s line, but were stopped by artillery fire, then about 1:30 a massive Confederate counterattack forced the three Union divisions to pull back. To the north Union Major General William H French began an assault on Marye’s Heights at 11 am. Having to cross an open plain and two small bridges to get to the Heights, and without artillery support because of the fog, French’s men were repulsed with a large number of casualties. Burnside tried to take the Height’s using Brigadier Generals Winfield Scott Hancock and Oliver Otis Howard’s troops, with the same results. Longstreet’s position was reinforced by Major General George Pickett’s division, and held against sixteen Union charges.

A terribly lopsided battle, the Battle of Fredericksburg saw huge Union losses of about 13,530 men killed, wounded or missing. The Confederates lost about 4,576 men, only about 200 of those suffered on Marye’s Heights. As the Battle came to an end, many of the Union soldiers spend a night on the field pinned down by Confederates in freezing weather. On December 14th 1862 Confederate General Robert E Lee granted a truce so the wounded could be removed from the field. Burnside took the Army of the Potomac back across the river on December 15th 1862, to Stafford Heights. Burnside would be replaced by Major General Joseph Hooker January 26th 1863.

Legendary 20th Maine

The 20th Maine and Joshua L Chamberlain were mustered into service on August 20th 1862 under Colonel Adelbert Ames. They were assigned to the 5th Corps in the Army of the Potomac, part of Colonel Strong Vincent‘s Brigade in the First Division. Although they were at Antietam, their first action was on Marye’s Heights during the Battle of Fredericksburg. When the 20th reached Gettysburg, Chamberlain was in command, and it was here on July 2nd 1863 that they became part of legend.


The 20th Maine left Appomattox Virginia after the surrender of General Robert E Lee on May 2nd 1865, and marched to Washington DC. The men were mustered out of service July 16th 1865. The initial enrollment of the 20th Maine was 1,621 men, 150 died in combat, 146 died of disease, and 381 were wounded.

The Other Chamberlain Brother

Thomas Davee Chamberlain the youngest brother of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain died on August 12th 1896.

Thomas Davee Chamberlain was the youngest of five siblings born to Joshua and Sarah Brastow Chamberlain on April 29th 1841. He was born in Brewer Maine, and grew up on the family farm there. Thomas was the only son in the family not to attend college, and was working in Bangor as a grocery clerk by the time he was a teenager.

Thomas joined the Union army July 16th 1862. He was placed in Company “G”, in the newly formed 20th Maine with his brother Joshua Chamberlain. The 20th saw fighting at Marye’s Heights during the Battle of Fredericksburg. They missed the fight at Chancellorsville due an out break of small pox. Thomas Chamberlain made it through the Battle of Gettysburg unhurt. During the siege of Petersburg, when Thomas’ brother Joshua was wounded and not expected to live, Thomas brought the surgeon of the 20th Maine, DR Abner O Shaw to his brother. Dr Shaw along with the Dr Morris W Townsend of the 44th New York worked through the night to save Colonel Joshua Chamberlain’s life. Thomas Chamberlain and the 20th Maine continued through the war seeing much of the major action. They were finally mustered out of service in Washington DC on July 16th 1865. By the time of mustering out Thomas had reached the rack of Lieutenant Colonel.

Fallowing the war, Thomas Chamberlain found himself unable to hold down a job. He suffered from lung and heart disease, and was believed to have been an alcoholic. Thomas died in Bangor Maine August 12th 1896 at the age of 55. He buried in Castine Maine.

Another good source for information
TOM CHAMBERLAIN:"MY BRAVE YOUNG BROTHER"