Henry Wilson Storey's History of Cambria County, V.II, p.309

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History of Cambria County, V.2

HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY. 309

the Union people, who were impatient for a fight and a victory. Under these citcumstances Mr. Lincoln removed McClellan and appointed Maj. Gen. Ambrose Everett Burnside. McClellan retired to Trenton, N.J., and took no further part in the war. He was the Democratic candidate for president in 1864 on a platform which declared the war a failure.
    Gen. Lee retreated to Fredericksburg, and entrenched in rear of the town on the south side of the Rappahannock river. Gen. Burnside followed and encamped on the north side of that river at Falmouth, Va., on the Rappahannock heights, opposite the town.
    On the first of December the records show that Burnside had "present and equipped for duty" 120,281 men with 312 guns;and on the 10th Lee had "present for duty" 78,513 men with 270 guns. After deducting the sick and the absent which usually occur in an army it is not likely that either had such a force.
    The Rappahannock river flows in a southeasterly direction, between the town and the river heights, and is navigable for light steamboats up to Fredericksburg. Lee was entrenched on a ridge in the rear of the town; his lines extended for a mile up the river or in a westerly direction, and about four miles down or in an easterly course. Longstreet was in command of the left wing of Lee's army, or that portion above the town, and Stonewall Jackson that of the right wing down at Hamilton's crossing, at a point near the Bernard house, about four miles from the town. Therefore his battle line was about five miles in length posted on a ridge; an ideal location for a defense. A part of this ridge, about thirty feet high, in the immediate rear of the town, is known as Marye's Heights. In front of the heights, and between it and the river is a plain; through this plain was an abandoned canal bed running parallel with the river, and across this canal bed ran two sunken roads from the stone wall near the brick house at the foot of Marye's Heights. This stone wall was about a mile in length.
    Lee had his first line of battle behind the stone wall with other lines on the side and top of the heights. where the artillery of 270 guns were posted. Burnside had his army on the north side of the river on the Rappahannock heights which overlooked the town. This was also an ideal place for artillery action, but not for an attacking army. Such was the situation on December 10th. The northern sentiment was pressing Burnside for action,

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	HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.	309
the Union people, who were impatient for a fight and a victory. Under these citcumstances Mr. Lincoln removed McClellan and appointed Maj. Gen. Ambrose Everett Burnside. McClellan retired to Trenton, N.J., and took no further part in the war. He was the Democratic candidate for president in 1864 on a platform which declared the war a failure. Gen. Lee retreated to Fredericksburg, and entrenched in rear of the town on the south side of the Rappahannock river. Gen. Burnside followed and encamped on the north side of that river at Falmouth, Va., on the Rappahannock heights, opposite the town. On the first of December the records show that Burnside had "present and equipped for duty" 120,281 men with 312 guns;and on the 10th Lee had "present for duty" 78,513 men with 270 guns. After deducting the sick and the absent which usually occur in an army it is not likely that either had such a force. The Rappahannock river flows in a southeasterly direction, between the town and the river heights, and is navigable for light steamboats up to Fredericksburg. Lee was entrenched on a ridge in the rear of the town; his lines extended for a mile up the river or in a westerly direction, and about four miles down or in an easterly course. Longstreet was in command of the left wing of Lee's army, or that portion above the town, and Stonewall Jackson that of the right wing down at Hamilton's crossing, at a point near the Bernard house, about four miles from the town. Therefore his battle line was about five miles in length posted on a ridge; an ideal location for a defense. A part of this ridge, about thirty feet high, in the immediate rear of the town, is known as Marye's Heights. In front of the heights, and between it and the river is a plain; through this plain was an abandoned canal bed running parallel with the river, and across this canal bed ran two sunken roads from the stone wall near the brick house at the foot of Marye's Heights. This stone wall was about a mile in length. Lee had his first line of battle behind the stone wall with other lines on the side and top of the heights. where the artillery of 270 guns were posted. Burnside had his army on the north side of the river on the Rappahannock heights which overlooked the town. This was also an ideal place for artillery action, but not for an attacking army. Such was the situation on December 10th. The northern sentiment was pressing Burnside for action,