. The Civil War and the Constitution, 1859-1865 . uth, and heights running along behind Fredericks- the Confeder- . te , , . & & . ate army on burg, and Jackson was approaching rapidlyFredericks- from Orange Court House. Nothing but urg prompt and energetic action on the part of the Union army could warrant any reasonable expecta-tion of success. Both Sumner and Hooker were anxiousto go ahead, but Burnside sat down to wait for the pon-toons from Washington. Sumner was allowed to sum-mon the municipal authorities of Fredericksburg tosurrender the place on the 21st, and to threaten bom-bardment
. The Civil War and the Constitution, 1859-1865 . uth, and heights running along behind Fredericks- the Confeder- . te , , . & & . ate army on burg, and Jackson was approaching rapidlyFredericks- from Orange Court House. Nothing but urg prompt and energetic action on the part of the Union army could warrant any reasonable expecta-tion of success. Both Sumner and Hooker were anxiousto go ahead, but Burnside sat down to wait for the pon-toons from Washington. Sumner was allowed to sum-mon the municipal authorities of Fredericksburg tosurrender the place on the 21st, and to threaten bom-bardment in case of refusal, but the inhabitants simplyabandoned their homes, and the Union General omittedhis bombardment. The pontoons did not arrive until the 25th, owing, asBurnside claimed, to the remissness of the Washington mv . authorities, who, on their part, claimed that The delay in r > crossing the they had approved, or assented to, no plan which involved the need of pontoons in crossing the Rappahannock. When they arrived, the. FREDERICKSBURG 109 entire Confederate army was on the heights back ofFredericksburg, or in easy supporting distance. For two weeks more now Burnside waited, as he said,perfecting his plans for crossing in the face The a formidable force. By the expiration of federate forti- J x . fications. this time, the Confederates had so fortified the crest of the hills behind the town as to make their position fairly impregnable. Burnside says, in his report, that his first intentionwas to attempt the crossing at Skinkers Neck, a pointsome fourteen miles below Fredericksburg, Burns idesbut that his preparations attracted the atten- Planofattack-tion of the Confederates, and caused them to make for-midable arrangements to meet him at that place. Hethereupon concluded to surprise his antagonists by un-dertaking to cross at the town, where he had appearedto make no preparations. In execution of this design, he caused the materialfor his bridges to be take
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