The Union Herald

Disaster At Fredericksburg!
Fredericksburg - December 11, 1862 Union
Soldiers of the Potomac Army under the command of General Ambrose E. Burns engaged General Robert E. Lees Army at the town of Fredericksburg. Virginia. General Burnside had been planning to take Fredericksburg by surprise but was stopped short of the town when the requested pontoon bridges needed to cross the river and attack the town did not arrive. A ten day delay of the union army as they waited for the pontoon bridges allowed General Lee to mass his forces and fortify his position on the other side of the river. When the pontoon bridges finally arrived Burnsides element of surprise was lost and forces of around 75,900 Confederate soldiers were dug in. Burnside, out numbering his enemy with a force of 120,000 decided to cross directly into the town and had the pontoon bridges built under the cover of darkness. As dawn broke, the Confederate forces in the town of Fredericksburg were given the order to open fire on the bridges. In response Burnside issued his artillery to open fire on the town, leaving much of it in ruins. Union soldiers eventually crossed the river and engaged the Confederate soldiers in the streets of the town. Barksdale, commander of the remaining forces in Fredericksburg, decided to put up a fight from the narrow alleys, cellars and brick lined homes of the town. After a day of intense street fighting the confederates where pushed out and the town was finally in Union hands. As December 13 dawned, Union soldiers began to prepare to face the confederate army that had positioned themselves on the heights outside of the town. The heights, nicknamed Maryes Heights, allowed the confederate artillery to control the open field between them and the town. Burnside gave the orders to General Sumner to take the heights while the rest of the army attacked the

The Union Herald

left flank. Brigade after brigade advanced on the heights but each attack was beaten back, each attack unable to break the confederate lines. The Confederates, having a clear range of fire mowed down lines of union soldiers throughout the day as Sumner continued to attack the heights. By the time Sumner canceled his attack on the heights around 7,500 Union soldiers lay dead or wounded in between the Union and Confederate lines, which remained the same from when they started. In comparison, the Confederates only took around 1,000 dead or wounded. As the sounds of battle faded, a new more horrifying sound filled the night air - those of the wounded and dying on the field crying out in agony for help. There was one man who answered that terrible cry for help. Richard Kirkland, a Confederate soldier from South Carolina, risked his life several times to run out and give water to the wounded and dying. He was nicknamed The Angel of Mayres Heights cheered on by both union and confederate troops. In The following two days Burnside slipped away his army back across the river and abandoned the battle on December 15 officially ending the battle for Fredericksburg. The casualties where enormous in this almost one sided battle as the Union suffered 13,300 casualties and the Confederate forces only 4,580. Burnside was then swiftly relieved of duty by Lincoln fallowing the battle.

World News
Russia Supports the North
In reaction to the ongoing civil war Russia declares diplomatic friendship to the United States. Russia in need of American goodwill and support due to rising tensions in Europe, hopes that America will provide a strong ally. Being the first foreign nation to support the Union, the Americans welcomed the idea of mutual

The Fight for Freedom

March 3, 1861 Tzar Alexander II of the Russian Empire signed an emancipation which freed over 20 million serfs in Russia and ended serfdom forever. Tzar Alexander now asks Lincoln to follow suit in the emancipation of slaves in America. Abolitionist now use this as fuel to fight against slavery and urge Lincoln to free the salves.

support. In response an agreement was made declaring that Russia would refuse to participate in any European intervention in the Civil war. In return the United States agreed to not interfere in Russian affairs.

England Aids The South

Britain is suspected of supplying the Confederate navy with several warships. They were pressed into service as commerce

The Union Herald

The Union Herald

The Trent Affair
Fall 1861,England and France, both strong sympathizers for the south have so far remained diplomatically neutral throughout the war. Jefferson Davis hoping to gain European support has sent representatives James Mason and John Slidell to England and France. Slipping through the Union blockade on a British ship headed for Europe. Captain Wilkes in charge of the U.S.S San Jacinto caught word of this and hunted down the Confederate representatives. He captured them and is now praised as a national hero. England though was in an uproar over the affair. Furious at the U.S. for halting a British ship and seizing the representatives, England demanded surrender of the prisoners and a prompt apology. Tensions sparking high, England also dispatched 8,000 troops to Canada. Lincoln aware of the need to just fight one war at a time, obliged and freed the two prisoners with an apology. England was content and no further hostile actions were taken. Though the event has put much strain on English-American relations.

French Emperor Proposes Armistice

Confederate representative, John Slidell, and proposed that France England and Russia join in trying to bring about an Armistice between the Union and the Confederacy. The Emperor himself remarked that if the Northern Government rejected the proposal, that France would show active support for the South. Luckily neither England nor Russia accepted the Emperors plan.

Russian Fleet Enters New York

On September 24, 1863, two Russian fleets entered American waters. One has docked in New York while the other docked in San Francisco and plan to spend the winter there. Many northerners

expressed both surprise and delight over the visit, assuming that the Russian Tzar has sent them to deter England and France from supporting the South and intervening in the civil war. Though others speculate that with the danger of war in Europe, the Tzar wishes to avoid the threat of having his fleets icebound in Russian port during the winter. If war should come they would be in an excellentDO place to WANT raid British and French YOU LUXURIANT WHISKERS OR MUSTACHES? My commerce. Onguent will force them to grow
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