“My God, General Reynolds, did they think my division could whip Lee's entire army? » — Major General George G. Meade to Major General John F. Reynolds, on the afternoon of December 13 “If there's a place worse than hell, I'm there. » —President Abraham Lincoln after learning of Burnside's defeat at Fredericksburg. The First Battle of Fredericksburg marked a new low point in the Civil War for the Union. With more than 200,000 troops on the field, it was the largest battle of the war. Despite his overwhelming numerical superiority, Major General Ambrose E. Burnside's frontal assault, carried out from disadvantageous terrain, against the soldiers of Lieutenant General "Stonewall" Jackson proved disastrous. The attack and the failure to synchronize efforts when the attack was launched allowed the numerically inferior force to defeat the Union generals piecemeal. However, through the darkness of defeat, a promising light shone: the leadership of Major General Meade and the heroic actions of his division. Meade, division commander of Reynolds' I Corps, had at his disposal on the morning of December 12, 1862, three brigades and four batteries of artillery. The First Brigade, led by Colonel William Sinclair, and the Second Brigade, commanded by Colonel AL Magilton, both consisted of six regiments. Third brigade, commanded by Brigadier. General C. Feger Jackson's regiments consisted of five regiments. The four batteries each had four cannons. Two batteries were light 12-pounder guns, commanded by Capt. D. R. Ransom and Lieut. JG Simpson, and two were 3-inch rifled guns, commanded by captains. JH Cooper and FP Amsden. In total, Meade commanded approximately 4,500 men. On the morning of December 12, the VI Corps, commanded by Major General William F....... middle of paper ......ter wrote: “What will it be? done next, I can't say. Burnside, I presume, is a dead rooster in the pit. To Halleck, who was in Washington, D.C., Meade would write: "It is understood that Halleck said, 'This army must go to Richmond, if it is to move on crutches,' which (more than 10,000 cripples were returned the other day) seems likely. will happen shortly. Through Meade's efforts, he would be promoted to major general. Meade's leadership at Fredericksburg would serve the Union well during the remaining years of the war. Although Fredericksburg was arguably the greatest blow to the morale of the Union army and to Washington's leadership, the leadership and courage demonstrated at Prospect Hill would find their way. in a future battle. In this battle, Meade would find himself in the driver's seat of the decision-making process. At Gettysburg, Meade would make Lee feel the pain of Fredericksburg.