January 25, 1863

Burnside relieved of command
After two months, General Ambrose Burnside is removed as commander of the Army of the Potomac.

Burnside assumed command of the army after President Lincoln removed General George B. McClellan from command in November 1862. Lincoln had a difficult relationship with McClellan, who built the army admirably but was a sluggish and overly cautious field commander.

Lincoln wanted an attack on the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, which was commanded by Robert E. Lee. Burnside drafted a plan to move south towards Richmond. The plan was sound, but delays in its execution alerted Lee to the danger. Lee headed Burnside off at Fredericksburg, Virginia, on December 13. Burnside attacked repeatedly against entrenched Confederates along Marye's Heights above Fredericksburg with tragic results. More than 13,000 Yankees fell; Lee lost just 5,000. Northern morale sunk in the winter of 1862-1863.

Lincoln allowed Burnside one more chance. In January, Burnside attempted another campaign against Lee. Four days of rain turned the Union offensive into the ignominious "Mud March," during which the Yankees floundered on mud roads while the Lee's men jeered at them from across the Rappahannock River. Lincoln had seen enough--General Joe Hooker took over command of the army.

Why did only Burnside get fired? Why didn't the guy who took his good old time in making sure the bridges got delivered get fired too? If the bridges would have arrived shortly after Burnside asked Washington for their delivery, things may have gone differently. Also, had Meade's commander taken some initiative, and, not followed his orders "to the letter," Jackson's broken lines might also have had a different outcome. But, for this battle, there was seemingly only one fall guy, a man who didn't really want the job in the first place.

1864:  
Skirmish at Baker's Springs, Arkansas


Skirmishes at Sylamore and Sulphur Spirngs, Arkansas


Skirmish at Mount Pleasant, Mississippi


1865:  
Skirmish near Powhatan, Virginia


Skirmish near Simpsonville, Kentucky


Primary sources:
Official Records of the War of the Rebellion
A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion ; by Frederick Dyer;
The Civil War Day By Day: An Almanac 1861-1865 by E. B. Long with Barbara Long;
National Archives Guide Index

Quote :

GrumpyDave wrote : Lincoln allowed Burnside one more chance. In January, Burnside attempted another campaign against Lee. Four days of rain turned the Union offensive into the ignominious "Mud March," during which the Yankees floundered on mud roads while the Lee's men jeered at them from across the Rappahannock River. Lincoln had seen enough--General Joe Hooker took over command of the army.

Dave,

I do believe it was Nappy who said, "I'd rather have a lucky general than a good one."

Burnside was a mediocre general with bad luck. That is not a good combination!