How did Robert E. Lee win the Battle of Fredericksburg?

General Robert E. Lee secured a decisive victory at the Battle of Fredericksburg by utilizing a strong defensive position on the south bank of the Rappahannock River.

Lee’s strategy relied on two primary defensive anchors:
* The Right Flank: Maj. Gen. Thomas (“Stonewall”) Jackson commanded the Confederate right near Hamilton’s Crossing. When Union forces under Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin briefly punctured this line, Lee’s forces successfully counterattacked, driving the Union troops back with heavy losses.
* The Left Flank: Lieut. Gen. James Longstreet’s corps held the high ground at Marye’s Heights. Confederate riflemen positioned behind a stone wall at the foot of the heights, supported by heavy artillery fire from above, repelled repeated Union bayonet charges.

Because the Union artillery on the north bank was too distant to provide effective support, the attacking Union divisions suffered catastrophic casualties while failing to reach the Confederate line. This defensive success resulted in nearly 13,000 Union casualties compared to approximately 5,000 Confederate losses, forcing the Army of the Potomac to withdraw.12