Wednesday, December 13, 2006
This Day in American History
On this day in 1862, the famous battle of Fredericksburg takes place as the North, with 112,000 men but under the less than fully able leadership of Ambrose Burnside, first fails to exploit a gap in Confederate lines south of Marye's Heights in Fredericksburg, VA, due largely to the quick response of troops under Jackson. The Yankee troops form up and charge across cleared, flat fields west of the Rappahannock River against Southern troops (72,000 in number) in sunken roads and behind stone walls where the land goes up from the bottom lands. They do it 16 times. Terrible casualties for the North result with no breakthrough. Another humiliating defeat for the Army of the Potomac.
(misspelling of Marye's Heights corrected thanks to Doug Sundseth).
(misspelling of Marye's Heights corrected thanks to Doug Sundseth).
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 8:04 AM 
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Ambrose Burnside's facial whiskers gave us the term "sideburns."
Meanwhile on an unrelated topic, but w/ which I am concerned, The Rocky Mountain News and Fox News report that GOP Rep Walter Jones of North Carolina has written a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales requesting that the Justice Department investigate whether Duitrict Attorney Mike Nifong has violated thre civil rights of the 3 Duke Lacrosse players he is prosecuting for rape.
Let us pray the that the vultures are coming home to roost for Mr. Nifong.
Meanwhile on an unrelated topic, but w/ which I am concerned, The Rocky Mountain News and Fox News report that GOP Rep Walter Jones of North Carolina has written a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales requesting that the Justice Department investigate whether Duitrict Attorney Mike Nifong has violated thre civil rights of the 3 Duke Lacrosse players he is prosecuting for rape.
Let us pray the that the vultures are coming home to roost for Mr. Nifong.
# posted by 
: 8:59 AM
: 8:59 AM
I saw that and I guess there is hope but I see no rescue for the Duke guys short of victory in suppression hearings or at trial. Nifong won his election, though, so he can let it go now if he wanted.
Ambrose Burnside had essentially no strategic skills*, but at least he seems to have known this and tried to avoid command. It is at least arguably not his fault that his protestations were ignored by higher command.
* See also: Antietam, Battle of the Crater
(Typographical correction: It's Marye's Heights.)
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* See also: Antietam, Battle of the Crater
(Typographical correction: It's Marye's Heights.)
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