On this day in history -- Dec. 12, 1862 -- Union soldiers marched across the Rappahannock River downstream from Fredericksburg. As the sun rose on Dec. 13, a dense fog clung to the ground by the river. Facing the blue-clad troops was a wooded rise set back from the river, defended by Confederate troops. Like at Antietam, Federal forces were sent into battle piecemeal. The infantry could do no better than lie in the mud and endure the enemy's shot and shell. Today, a portion of the battlefield is even called the Slaughter Pen.
The inept Federal commanders had now allowed 3 distinct occasions to take Richmond slip through their hands. Days later, Hooker replaced Burnside as commander of the Army of the Potomac.
The war would drag on for 3 more weary years.