What type of military tactics did most Confederate commanders use in the US Civil War?

Answer 1

Many if not most of the commanders in the US Civil War obtained their military education at the USMA located at West Point New York. The basic distinctions in the study of military operations is that one branch concerns offensive operations and the other concerns itself with defensive ones. Since the Confederacy was the weaker of the two armies, it focused a good deal on defensive strategies and tactics. As it turns out, the defensive side of military operations is the stronger of the two. The power of the defense is manifested in several ways. Generally speaking the defender has the advantage of choosing where a battle will take place. A hill, valley, a river all exploit the potential advantages that geography offers. And, these advantages can be augmented with the creation of artificial obstacles such as trenches and on-ground walls and fortifications.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee was a master at this and so were most of the USMA graduates on each side of the war. They were all schooled at West Point and were trained as engineers.

In Lee's situation, the Battle of Fredericksburg is a perfect example.

The Union force, the Army of the Potomac, was in late Fall, 1862, under the command of Major General Ambrose Burnside. He was an experienced and intelligent commander. He was blessed with a huge army and his goal, as per President Lincoln was to use this large force to capture Richmond, the Rebel capital.

Before he could assault Richmond, however, he had to reduce Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Unless he was able to do that, his rear lines would be exposed as he marched on Richmond.

Lee knew this and as per the advantages of defense, he set army in a place of his choosing, namely the obscure town of Fredericksburg. His main forces were entrenched behind a wall and his artillery set above on a hill called Marye's Heights. Lee had chosen where the battle would be fought. As with the defensive advantage, he created a tactical situation favorable to his army. He was in his friendly territory, Virginia, and obstacles were in Burnside's way. He first had to secure control of the town of Fredericksburg. Rebels might be there waiting to ambush his army. Then, to make matters worse, Burnside's army had to cross a long field that was several hundred yards long and wide. The area had little in the way of natural cover for his troops.

Any advantage Burnside had lay in the huge size of his army.

Lee had the tactical defensive position. The Battle of Fredericksburg in December of 1862 was a Union disaster as Burnside's men were cut down with ease as they mounted at least 10 or more frontal assaults on Lee's entrenched forces. Union commanders also had to deal with the artillery batteries Lee had placed on Marye's Heights.

The battle was a Union disaster. Burnside was soon after replaced as the second commander of the Army of the Potomac.