American Civil War: General Ambrose Burnside is relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac after the disastrous Fredericksburg campaign. He is replaced by Joseph Hooker.

Ambrose Everett Burnside (May 23, 1824 – September 13, 1881) was a highly complex and multifaceted American figure, renowned as an army officer, senior Union general during the tumultuous American Civil War, and a three-time Governor of Rhode Island. Beyond his military and political contributions, Burnside also distinguished himself as a successful inventor and an astute industrialist, embodying a diverse range of talents.

Early Career and Rise to Prominence

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1847, Ambrose Burnside began his career as an artillery officer, serving on the Western frontier. His inventive spirit was evident early on, leading to the development of the Burnside Carbine, a breech-loading rifle that saw significant use during the Civil War. His military acumen came to the fore in the war's initial stages, where he achieved some of the earliest and most notable Union victories in the Eastern Theater. Particularly, his successful North Carolina Expedition in early 1862, which secured strategic coastal areas like Roanoke Island and New Bern, earned him considerable acclaim and rapid promotion. These early successes positioned him as a promising commander.

Challenges of High Command and Disastrous Defeats

Despite his initial triumphs, Burnside found himself repeatedly elevated to positions of command that he himself felt exceeded his strategic capabilities. He was reluctant to take command of the Army of the Potomac, expressing his doubts about leading such a large and pivotal force directly to President Abraham Lincoln. However, due to political pressures and the perceived lack of suitable alternatives, he was ultimately propelled into this crucial role. It is for his command of the Army of the Potomac that he is primarily remembered, unfortunately for two of the Union's most catastrophic defeats: the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862 and the Battle of the Crater during the Siege of Petersburg in July 1864.

At Fredericksburg, his command led to a devastating frontal assault against strongly entrenched Confederate positions, resulting in immense Union casualties. The Battle of the Crater, while fought later and under different circumstances, also became synonymous with confusion, high losses, and a significant tactical failure. Although a subsequent military inquiry cleared Burnside of direct blame for the debacle at the Crater, the cumulative effect of these major setbacks irrevocably damaged his credibility and public trust as an army commander. He never again held command of a major field army, though he continued to serve in other departmental roles.

A Modest Character and Enduring Legacy

Burnside was widely regarded as a modest, unassuming, and affable individual who was genuinely mindful of his own limitations, a trait that made his reluctant ascent to high command all the more poignant. His career was often marked by misfortune, not only on the battlefield but also in his business ventures, where he controversially lost the rights to his highly successful cavalry firearm, the Burnside Carbine, due to a patent dispute with a former business partner. This legal battle underscored a recurring pattern of bad luck in his life.

Perhaps his most enduring, and certainly most visible, legacy is his distinctive facial hair. His peculiar and voluminous growth of whiskers, connecting sideburns to a mustache but leaving the chin clean-shaven, became so iconic that it gave rise to the popular term ‘sideburns’. The word itself is a direct linguistic inversion derived from the two parts of his surname, a testament to his unique personal style.

The Battle of Fredericksburg: A Devastating Union Defeat

Strategic Context and Burnside's Plan

The Battle of Fredericksburg, fought from December 11 to 15, 1862, in and around the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia, marked a pivotal and deeply tragic engagement in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. This combat pitted the Union Army of the Potomac, then under the command of Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside, against the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, led by the formidable Gen. Robert E. Lee. The Union's strategic objective was to swiftly cross the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg in mid-November and then execute a rapid advance on the Confederate capital of Richmond, hoping to bypass Lee's army and achieve a decisive blow before the Confederates could consolidate their defenses. Burnside's plan, often referred to as his "Anacostia Plan," hinged on speed and surprise.

However, the execution of this ambitious plan was critically hampered by significant bureaucratic delays. The necessary pontoon bridges, crucial for crossing the Rappahannock, were not delivered to Burnside in a timely manner. This unforeseen setback, stemming from inefficiencies within the Union War Department, granted Lee invaluable time to move his army into strong defensive positions on the heights overlooking Fredericksburg, effectively blocking the planned Union crossings. The element of surprise was completely lost.

The Battle Unfolds: Urban Combat and Futile Assaults

When the Union army finally managed to receive and construct its pontoon bridges under direct Confederate artillery fire on December 11, the crossings initiated fierce urban combat as Union troops fought to dislodge Confederate sharpshooters from the city itself. This early engagement marked some of the war's first instances of large-scale street fighting. With the city secured, Union forces then prepared to assault the Confederate defensive lines, which were formidable and well-positioned both south of the city and, most critically, on the strongly fortified ridge just to the west, famously known as Marye's Heights.

On December 13, the main Union assaults commenced. Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin's Left Grand Division attempted to pierce the first defensive line of Confederate Lt. Gen. Stonewall Jackson's corps to the south. Despite an initial, partial penetration, Franklin's advance lacked sufficient reinforcement and was ultimately repulsed, failing to achieve a decisive breakthrough. Concurrently, and with far more catastrophic results, Burnside ordered the Right and Center Grand Divisions, commanded by major generals Edwin V. Sumner and Joseph Hooker, respectively, to launch repeated and desperate frontal assaults against Lt. Gen. James Longstreet's impregnable position on Marye's Heights. These assaults, directed against a stone wall that provided natural cover for Confederate infantry and a killing field for their concentrated artillery and rifle fire, were relentlessly repulsed with appallingly heavy losses for the Union. Wave after wave of Union soldiers, including valorous units like the Irish Brigade, were mowed down in what became one of the most one-sided and bloody engagements of the war.

Outcome and Aftermath

The Battle of Fredericksburg is widely remembered as an overwhelming Confederate victory and a crushing Union defeat. Union casualties, exceeding 13,000, were more than double the approximately 5,000 casualties suffered by the Confederates. A stunned visitor to the battlefield famously described the horrific scene as nothing short of a "butchery" in a direct report to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. On December 15, facing insurmountable losses and a strategically untenable position, Burnside reluctantly withdrew his shattered army back across the Rappahannock River, marking the ignominious end of yet another failed Union campaign in the Eastern Theater and significantly dampening Northern morale. The subsequent "Mud March" in January 1863, another failed attempt by Burnside to outflank Lee, ultimately led to his relief from command of the Army of the Potomac.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ambrose Burnside

Who was Ambrose Everett Burnside?
Ambrose Everett Burnside was a prominent American figure during the 19th century, known for his diverse career as a Union general during the American Civil War, a three-time Governor of Rhode Island, and a successful inventor and industrialist. He is notably remembered for his distinctive facial hair, which gave rise to the term "sideburns."
What were Burnside's major military accomplishments?
Burnside achieved significant early victories in the Civil War, particularly leading the successful North Carolina Expedition in 1862, which captured key Confederate coastal positions like Roanoke Island and New Bern. However, his later command of the Army of the Potomac was marred by two catastrophic defeats at the Battle of Fredericksburg and the Battle of the Crater.
What role did he play in the Battle of Fredericksburg?
As commander of the Army of the Potomac, Burnside devised and executed the Union's plan for the Battle of Fredericksburg. His strategy, aimed at a rapid advance on Richmond, was thwarted by delays in receiving pontoon bridges, allowing Confederates to establish strong defenses. His subsequent order for repeated frontal assaults on Marye's Heights led to immense Union casualties and a decisive defeat.
What is the origin of the word "sideburns"?
The word "sideburns" is directly derived from Major General Ambrose Burnside's surname. His unique and elaborate facial hair style, characterized by whiskers grown down the cheeks and connecting to a mustache but with a clean-shaven chin, became so distinctive that it was named after him.
Was Burnside cleared of blame for his military failures?
While a military inquiry did clear Burnside of direct blame for the specific tactical failure at the Battle of the Crater, the cumulative effect of his major defeats, particularly Fredericksburg, severely undermined his credibility as a field commander. He never regained high command of a major army after these events, though he continued to serve in other capacities.