Mud March

Added: Mar 03, 2017
The Mud March was an abortive attempt at a winter offensive in January 1863 by Union Army Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside. Following his defeat in the disastrous Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, Burnside was desperate to restore his reputation and the morale of his Army of the Potomac. The offensive began with a westward move on January 20, 1863, in unseasonably mild weather. During that night, the rain began, and by the next morning, the earth was soaked and the river banks had the appearance of a quagmire. Already, 15 pontoons were on the river, nearly spanning it, and 5 more were amply sufficient. Burnside began at once to bring up his artillery, which had the effect of making a perfect mortar bed. For a considerable area around the ford all day the men worked in the rain but to little purpose. Quite a number of cannons were advanced near the ford, but the storm continued into January 22, and the artillery, caissons, and even wagons were swamped in the mud.
The storm had delayed Burnside's movements, giving Lee ample time to line the other shore with his army, though there was no attempt to interfere with his crossing except from the sharpshooters, who peppered away on all occasions. No doubt Lee was hoping Burnside would prompt a crossing; with a swollen river in his rear, it would have been a sorry predicament for the Union Army indeed, but Burnside finally became resigned to his fate and gave the order for the army to retire to its quarters, and thus ended the famous Mud March.

Information sourced from: Wikipedia contributors. Mud March (American Civil War). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. August 25, 2015, 18:09 UTC. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mud_March_(American_Civil_War)&oldid=677815266. Accessed July 5, 2015.