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Burnside had taken on the job reluctantly, not considering himself suited to the responsibility. However, once in charge he made some significant changes to the army’s organization and displayed great energy in leading it into battle. The key to Burnside’s plan was to cross the Rapahannock river rapidly at Fredericksburg, but after his army reached 38 the opposite bank, it was delayed for two weeks waiting for the pontoons needed to build a bridge. This gave the time for General Robert E. Lee to rush his army to the heights overlooking Fredericksburg.

Net 1862 The rolling terrain IZW]VL\PM8MZZa^QTTMJI\\TMÅMTLKZMI\MLIKW][\QKKWVLQ\QWV[\PI\XZM^MV\MLI sizeable portion of the Federal army from realizing that a major battle was being fought. WESTERN UNION VICTORIES Œ7n 19 September 1862, a battle was fought at Iuka, Mississippi, between General Sterling Price and General William S. Rosecrans. Price was trying to prevent Federal troops in northern Mississippi from being withdrawn to reinforce Kentucky. However, General Grant sent :W[MKZIV[\WÅVL8ZQKMÅZ[\IVLLMNMI\ him.

A second assault took place later in the day against the northern end of the Federal line, at Cemetery and Culp’s hills. General George Meade, the Federal commander of the Army of the Potomac, was happy with his strong defensive line and focused his efforts on shifting reinforcements to counter the Rebel attacks. The fighting on the Round Tops was crucial to the battle, for if the Rebels had captured Little Round Top, the Federal position could not have been held. However, a valiant defence masterminded by the 20th Maine Regiment’s commander, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, secured the feature for the Federal.