End Of The Campaign

A part of Confederate General Robert E Lee’s retreat back into Virginia following the Battle of Gettysburg, the Battle of Manassas Gap, or the Battle of Wapping Heights was fought July 23^rd 1863 in Warren County, Virginia.

After the Battle of Gettysburg, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia retreated to and crossed the Potomac River at Williamsport, Maryland. With the Union Army of the Potomac in pursuit, Union Major General George G Meade made a flanking move into the Loudoun Valley and the Confederates rear.  Meade ordered the Union III Corps commanded by Major General William H French to cut off the Confederate columns retreat at Front Royal, Virginia by forcing a passage through the Manassas Gap.

At dawn on July 23^rd 1863 French ordered an attack against the troops of Confederate Brigadier General Ambrose R Wright’s Georgians, who were defending the Gap. With Union Brigadier General Francis B Spinola using his larger numbers the commander of the Excelsior Brigade pushed Wright’s men back through the Gap by the late afternoon. Wright was reinforced by Confederate Major General Robert E Rodes’ division.

As darkness fell the Union attack stalled out. During the night the Confederate troops withdrew into the Luray Valley.  The Union army occupied Front Royal, Virginia the next morning, but the Confederate army had moved beyond pursuit. This was the last action in the Gettysburg Campaign.

They Rushed The Bridge

Albion P Howe

Along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad on November 7^th 1863 the Second Battle of Rappahannock Station was fought.

Confederate General Robert E Lee withdrew his forces across the Rappahannock River in late October 1863.  A pontoon bridge was left at the town of Rappahannock Station, the only connection to the north shore.  The crossing was protected by two redoubts and Confederate artillery posted on the south side of the river.

Union commander Major General George G Meade approaching the river divided his force.  Major General William H French was to cross the river downstream at Kelly’s Ford, while Major General John Sedgwick attacked the Confederates at Rappahannock Station.  They were to rejoin and move on Brandy Station.

On November 7^th 1863 about noon French’s force crossed the river at Kelly’s Ford, pushing the Confederates at the crossing back.  Shortly after noon Sedgwick advanced on Rappahannock Station.  Lee moved his troops to meet the threat on the two fronts.  Union Major General Albion P Howe’s division, a part of Sedgwick’s VI Corps drove in Confederate skirmishers about 3 pm and began to pound the Confederate batteries with his own artillery fire.  Posted at the bridge that day was Confederate Brigadier General Harry T Hay’s brigade with four guns of Captain Charles A Green’s Louisiana Guard Artillery, about 2,000 troops.  Sedgwick continued the shelling through the late afternoon, leading Lee believe the move against Rappahannock Station was feint to cover French’s crossing.  Sedgwick waited until almost dark, and then his infantry rushed the Confederate works.  Union Colonel Peter Ellmaker’s advanced on the double quick, surging over the Confederate works and fighting hand to hand with Hay’s men.  On the Union right Colonel Emory Upton’s brigade seized the bridge.

The Confederates gave up quickly.  Hundreds of Confederate soldiers surrendered, while others excepted by swimming the icy cold river.  There were 1,670 Confederate killed, wounded or captured in the short fight.  Union casualties were only 419.

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.