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Second Fredericksburg, Part VII: Gibbon’s attempt at a flanking maneuver was quickly stopped and Sedgwick now realized that the Confederate line extended well past Marye’s Heights. To determine the strength of the Confederate force behind Fredericksburg, he ordered a reconnaissance against the stone wall at the base of Marye’s Heights.

Brigadier General Frank Wheaton

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Reconnaissance against the stone wall (map by Kathleen Thompson)

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Newton's reconnaissance against the stone wall (map by Kathleen Thompson)

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View of Fredericksburg with the open ground between the city and Marye's Heights in the background (you can see Brompton with the columns on the heights)

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Report of Brig. Gen. Frank Wheaton, page 1

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Report of Brig. Gen. Frank Wheaton, page 2

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Report of Brig. Gen. Frank Wheaton, page 3

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Report of Brig. Gen. Frank Wheaton, page 4

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Once Gibbon’s flanking attempt failed, General Sedgwick wanted to determine the strength of the Confederate line in front of his men. Previous intelligence had not given him a complete picture of Early’s force that he could be confident in, and the assault on Gibbon’s troops revealed that the Confederate line was fortified all the way to Taylor Hill. Around 9:00am, Sedgwick ordered Newton to send a reconnaissance force forward to determine the strength of Early’s line on Marye’s Heights. Brig. Gen. Frank Wheaton’s Third Brigade moved forward against the stone wall, with the 62nd New York and 102nd Pennsylvania in the lead. Fire from behind the stone wall and up on the heights stopped Wheaton’s momentum and his men sought protection on the field. Wheaton brought up the 93rd, 98th, and 139th Pennsylvania in support, but observers feared they were witnessing a repeat of December. 

Furgurson, Ernest B. Chancellorsville, 1863: The Souls of the Brave. New York: Vintage Books, 1992.

Gallagher, Gary W. The Battle of Chancellorsville. National Park Civil War Series. Eastern National, 2007.

Parsons, Philip W. The Union Sixth Army Corps in the Chancellorsville Campaign: A Study of the Engagements of Second Fredericksburg, Salem Church and Banks’s Ford, May 3-4, 1863. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2006.

Sutherland, Daniel E. Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville: The Dare Mark Campaign. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1998.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

"Frank Wheaton." Wikipedia. Accessed May 5, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Wheaton.

Map by Kathleen Thompson

Map by Kathleen Thompson

John Hennessy, "Rare views of the Bloody Plain--Part I." Mysteries & Conundrums, October 27, 2010. Accessed May 11, 2021. https://npsfrsp.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/rare-views-of-the-bloody-plain-part-i/.

The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I-Volume XXV-Part I-Reports, page 617. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730244&view=1up&seq=3.

The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I-Volume XXV-Part I-Reports, page 618. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730244&view=1up&seq=3.

The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I-Volume XXV-Part I-Reports, page 619. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730244&view=1up&seq=3.

The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I-Volume XXV-Part I-Reports, page 620. Accessed May 12, 2021. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077730244&view=1up&seq=3.