Battle of Fredericksburg
Poets involved
What happened
On December 13, 1862, Union General Ambrose Burnside ordered a series of futile assaults against Confederate positions on Marye's Heights above Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Confederate victory, with over 12,000 Union casualties to fewer than 5,000 Confederate, was one of the most lopsided defeats of the war. The battle shattered Union morale and highlighted the tactical incompetence of Union leadership.
Literary impact
The Battle of Fredericksburg inspired poems that expressed grief, anger, and disillusionment. John Boyle O'Reilly's 'At Fredericksburg' (1862) and Thomas Bailey Aldrich's 'Fredericksburg' captured the horror of the Union defeat and the courage of the soldiers. The battle also featured in Herman Melville's 'Battle-Pieces' and became a symbol of the war's senseless suffering, influencing later anti-war poetry.
Source: Wikipedia
