Edward Cross kept a diary throughout his time in the Civil War.
Below is a passage from his diary, telling the story of his experience in the Battle of Fredericksburg.
Below is a passage from his diary, telling the story of his experience in the Battle of Fredericksburg.
Cross Diary:
I was one of those who did not believe that Gen Burnside intended to cross the river opposite Fredericksburg, and storm the heights in the rear of the City. After carefully examining the ground several times, such a plan seemed to me totally impracticable, and attended with great risk to the whole army…Such was the plan. As God as my witness it seemed to my heart that it was a failure. |
Leading men into battle at Fredericksburg.
Click to take a closer look! |
Remember that Edward Cross was a colonel, and therefore it was his job to lead troops into battle. This also meant that he was supposed to follow orders from higher ranking generals like Ambrose Burnside. Edward states in his memoirs that the plan laid out by General Burnside seemed like a failure. If you believed this, would you still lead your men into battle?
Yes:
As a member of the military it is your duty to follow orders without questioning your commanding officers. General Burnside is in charge of you and the entire army; therefore, it is your job to do as he says. Remember, the Union Army still had a lot more men than the Confederate Army, and hope is not lost yet. |
No:
Failure to follow orders would lead to punishment. Though Edward stated he thought the plan at Fredericksburg would fail, he did not know that for sure. However, he did know that disobeying General Burnside would get him in a lot of trouble. |
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