Simply Murder: The Battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862

Emerging Civil War

by Chris Mackowski, Kristopher D. White

This Civil War history and guide offers a vivid chronicle of this dramatic yet misunderstood battle, plus invaluable information for battlefield visitors.The battle of Fredericksburg is usually remembered as the most lopsided Union defeat of the Civil War. It is sometimes called “Burnside’s folly,” after Union commander Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside who led the Army of the Potomac to ruin along the banks of the Rappahannock River. Confederates, fortified behind a stone wall along a sunken road, poured a hail of lead into them as they charged. One eyewitness summed it up saying, “it is only murder now.”But the battle remains one of the most misunderstood and misremembered engagements of the war. Burnside started with a well-conceived plan and had every reason to expect victory. How did it go so terribly wrong?Authors Chris Mackowski and Kristopher D. White have worked for years along Fredericksburg’s Sunken Road and Stone Wall, and they’ve escorted thousands of visitors across the battlefield. Simply Murder not only recounts Fredericksburg’s tragic story of slaughter, but includes vital information about the battlefield itself and the insights they’ve learned from years of walking the ground.

Genres: Civil War, History, American History, American Civil War, Military History

388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 19, 2013

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a great overview of the December 1862 battle. Interspersed amongst this is a detailed turn-by-turn narrative of how to see the battlefield. I'm sure there are books about Fredericksburg that provide a more authoritative history but the reader of this book will come away with a good understanding of the Federals' original goal for the campaign; how it was supposed to unfold and the reasons that it didn't happen that way. What I love about the book, though, is the tourist-eye view. In addition to the detailed directions, the authors also relate the scene as it exists today to what occurred there in 1862. For someone planning a trip to Fredericksburg, this book would be an indispensable companion.

[David Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is not masterfully written narrative history, it provides excellent commentary for one touring the battlefield. Mackowski and White also present a thesis (or at least viewpoint) on the battle of Fredericksburg beyond the basic Burnside blundered badly causing needless slaughter and defeat of the northern soldiers. On one hand, Burnside was pressured by Lincoln's political need and will to take action. His plan may have worked had his superiors (Halleck) succeeded in moving the promised pontoon boats in a timely manner. On the other hand, popular history only portrays the senseless attacks on Marye's Heights resulting in needless slaughter, without mentioning that Union forces under Mead broke the confederate lines at the other end of the battlefield and could have split the southern forces had they been reinforced.

[Sheritta Bitikofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought Fredericksburg was a pretty "open and shut" battle when I first visited Maryes Heights a year ago (2018). NOPE! There is so much more to discover about the battle and everything that leads up to it. The eastern half of the battlefield (Slaughter Pen Farm) doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves and I IMMENSELY regret not reading this before my visit last year. Now I want to go back! I want to see the places Chris and Kris highlight in the driving tour because their book made me understand the value of the sites. Their explanation of the battle in all its detail makes it real and engaging. Even the appendices at the end of the book made me eager to book a flight and take myself back to Virginia.

[John McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have lived in Fredericksburg for the past 5 years, visited all of the area's Civil War areas, and admittedly do not know that much about the Battle of Fredericksburg. Though I am a casual history buff, I often do not appreciate history books due to the burdensome length and the minutia of detail that is typical of said books. This book is succinct and provides the most important tidbits, but still details enough of the Battle for me to satisfy my history itch. The interactive part was a nice touch. Even though I did not follow the tour, it was neat to see pictures and read descriptions of places that I know well. This also made me appreciate the terrain of the area, and the terrain's importance to the military tactics, much more than I have in the past.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great entry in the Emerging Civil War series. Mackowski knows Fredericksburg well and shows it in his writing. The books are designed to give a great overview of the battle without going overboard on troop movements and minutiae that large books have that often make them extremely boring.

[William Olenick · Rating 5 out of 5]

ECW has another great one in their series on the Civil War. Following the norm the story of the battle is written along a tour format. There are an extra amount of appendices in this book.
Plenty of photos and some maps are included to support the text.

[Steven Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid overview of the Battle of Fredericksburg, and its impact on the city and its people. Well worth a read! Grade: A-

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting set of books. Took a couple hours to read. Very informative about what happened.

[W Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to the Battle of Fredericksburg. This is an early book in this series and is a little choppy with the tour interspersed with the narrative.

[Eric Burroughs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good summary of the battle. Probably the book I’d recommend to people interested in the battle but would be overwhelmed by Frank O’Reilly and George Rable’s books.

[Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite good

Well written, concise. Especially good for anyone planning to tour the battlefield. Good maps, interesting photos. Very informative. Do recommend.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

The authors, who write for the Emerging Civil War blog (www.emergingcivilwar.com), have provided a short but respectable account of the Battle of Fredericksburg. They do a good job of conveying the importance of Franklin’s (Meade’s) oft neglected southern attack. In addition to the battle narrative, the book also includes a physical description of important battlefield location, both at the time of the battle and today. By providing directions to tour sites, including their GPS coordinates, the authors have made this a valuable book to bring to the battlefield. I read the Kindle version of the book and unsurprisingly found a enough typos to be noticeable, of course these are not the fault of the authors. This book works well as an introduction to the battle and includes a list of books for further reading. Those more knowledgeable about the battle or the Civil War in general may find this book somewhat lacking in detail as well as in footnotes.

[Billy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part history, part guide book. I have yet to actually tour what's left of the Fredericksburg battlefield with this book in hand, but the directions appear to offer very specific street directions, which is not surprising as the authors were once park rangers there.

Additionally, despite its brevity, the history also examines the motivations and pressures that lead Burnside down the road to disaster before Marye's Heights.

[Deni Finch-frederick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dry but full of details and with a perspective I'd not seen before. Intersperced with tour guides, it would be a great addition to a visit to the battlefield!

[R B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. Racked with misspellings. Very opinionated and pro-union.