CIVIL WAR - Spring 1863 - The Battle of Fredericksburg and the Local Political Fall Out - Copperheads vs Union League in Cambria County

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The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought from December 11 to 15, 1862. It was a significant clash between the Union Army of the Potomac, led by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside, and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by Gen. Robert E. Lee. Despite having a numerical advantage, the Union forces suffered a soul crushing defeat, with approximately 12,653 casualties out of nearly 200,000 combatants, making it one of the largest and deadliest battles of the war. And it hit Cambria County troops hard with loss of life, wounded and prisoners. Some families lost all their sons...

The battle is remembered for its futile frontal assaults by Union troops against well-entrenched Confederate positions, particularly at the infamous "sunken wall". This defeat had a profound impact on Union morale and set the stage for subsequent battles in the Civil War. 

Because of the crushing defeat - this stirs up Northern feelings about how the war is being conducted - from Copperheads (Northern Democrats who opposed the Civil War and sought a negotiated peace with the Confederacy and opposed the draft and Emancipation Proclamation) and the Union League (who promoted loyalty to President Abraham Lincoln, combating anti-war sentiments, playing a significant role in the political landscape of the time). 

And this Copperheads vs Union League played out on the local front as well - with local newspapers taking sides to even personal attacks with riots and fights on the streets. With both sides not backing down. One local group even attacked a local newspapers office - feelings were that strong. 

The following clippings are taken from two different Cambria County newspapers - The Democrat & Sentinel (pro-Copperhead) and The Alleghanian (pro-Union League). They are in no particular order.
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