On the 3rd of January, 1863, “Harper’s Weekly” appeared with a cartoon
representing Columbia indignantly demanding of President Lincoln and
Secretary of War Stanton that they restore to her those of her sons
killed in battle. Below the picture is the reading matter:
COLUMBIA: “Where are my 15,000 sons--murdered at Fredericksburg?”
LINCOLN: “This reminds me of a little joke--”
COLUMBIA: “Go tell your joke at Springfield!!”
The battle of Fredericksburg was fought on December 13th, 1862, between
General Burnside, commanding the Army of the Potomac, and General Lee’s
force. The Union troops, time and again, assaulted the heights where
the Confederates had taken position, but were driven back with frightful
losses. The enemy, being behind breastworks, suffered comparatively
little. At the beginning of the fight the Confederate line was broken,
but the result of the engagement was disastrous to the Union cause.
Burnside had one thousand one hundred and fifty-two killed, nine
thousand one hundred and one wounded, and three thousand two hundred
and thirty-four missing, a total of thirteen thousand seven hundred and
seventy-one. General Lee’s losses, all told, were not much more than
five thousand men.
Burnside had succeeded McClellan in command of the Army of the Potomac,
mainly, it was said, through the influence of Secretary of War Stanton.
Three months before, McClellan had defeated Lee at Antietam, the
bloodiest battle of the War, Lee’s losses footing up more than thirteen
thousand men. At Fredericksburg, Burnside had about one hundred and
twenty thousand men; at Antietam, McClellan had about eighty thousand.
It has been maintained that Burnside should not have fought this battle,
the chances of success being so few.