I tried to make sure this was not an OP, but I couldnt find evidence that it was. Was Burnside pushed into action way beyond campaigning season and did he feel compelled to act of his own volition or was it at the beckoning of Lincoln, Halleck and Stanton?
Should he have stopped the campaign when Halleck was indifferent to the pontoon problem? I once thought that the entire problem at Fredricksburg was caused by Burnside - who said from the get go that he was not up to the task. But Washington has to bear an extreme responsibility for initiating the disaster. Burnside could have and should have called it off, but didnt.
Am I wrong? Where does the bulk of responsibility lie?
Should he have stopped the campaign when Halleck was indifferent to the pontoon problem? I once thought that the entire problem at Fredricksburg was caused by Burnside - who said from the get go that he was not up to the task. But Washington has to bear an extreme responsibility for initiating the disaster. Burnside could have and should have called it off, but didnt.
Am I wrong? Where does the bulk of responsibility lie?