page_title: Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath
section_title: Battle of Fredericksburg
hierarchical_section_title: Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath / 20th Indiana Volunteer Regiment / Battle of Fredericksburg
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of the en:Battle of Fredericksburg of the en:American Civil War, overview. Drawn in Adobe Illustrator CS5 by Hal Jespersen. Graphic source file is available at http://www.posix.com/CWmaps/
context_page_description: Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath was a major in the United States Army who began his 37-year career as a first lieutenant in the 20th Indiana Volunteer Regiment. Gilbreath was involved in numerous battles during the American Civil War, such as Gettysburg and bearing witness to the battle between the CSS Virginia and the USS Monitor, the American Indian Wars, in which he helped establish Fort Custer, and the Spanish–American War. Gilbreath is buried in Arlington National Cemetery with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Etta.
context_section_description: Further Information: Battle of Fredericksburg
  Following the Second Battle of Bull Run, the regiment, along with the entire 3rd Corps, encamped along the southern side of the Potomac for an extended time due to a lack of combat-ready troops.  The 20th was briefly put back into action to counter a raid by the Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart.  During Sutarts's Chambersburg Raid, Gilbreath documents that the only contact made with the enemy was the observance of them falling back across the Potomac after successfully completing their raid.
  While the regiment camped at Poolesville, Gilbreath was ordered to return to Washington in order to gather up wounded soldiers for his division and return with them.  Spending roughly five days in Washington, Gilbreath made his way back to the division by way of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal with approximately 350 men.  Gilbreath had difficulty controlling the men, as they would frequently wander off from camp, with Gilbreath stating that neither "moral suasion or profanity had any effect on this crowd".
  The 20th Indiana began moving on October 26 in accordance with General McClellan's plan to meet the Confederate army in Virginia.  During this march, General McClellan was relieved from duty by Washington, as President Lincoln felt McClellan was acting too slowly to guarantee the end of the war.  This action was met with hostility by many men under McClellan's command.  Although Gilbreath does not directly voice his own opinion of McClellan's removal, he does mention an opinion that had McClellan remained in command of the Army of the Potomac, he would likely have continued to be "slow in his movements". General Burnside was given command of the Army of the Potomac and devised a plan to take Richmond.  Rather than using the tenuous hold on the railroad from Manassas as his direct means of supply, Burnside planned to ford the Rappahannock river at Fredericksburg, allowing him to use the extensive river system as a more lucrative supply line as well as force Lee into an open battle.  However, due to delays in supply and Burnside's tendency to give confusing and poorly worded orders, he was not able to begin building the necessary pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock until early December, by which time Lee had already entrenched his men on the heights behind the town.
  The 20th Indiana was moved to a point roughly 8 or 9 miles north of Fredericksburg, where they made camp.  The 20th Indiana occupied this camp for the duration of the winter of 1862-1863.  The regiment saw action during the battle on December 13, when they crossed the Rappahanock River and charged Confederate positions along Marye's Heights. Gilbreath was wounded in the leg during this action.  During the charge, Gilbreath suddenly noticed his right leg "would not do its duty".  Gilbreath looked down and saw a hole where the bullet had entered his leg, and fell to the ground.  He lay on the ground from about 2 P.M., when his regiment had charged the Confederate positions, until about 8 or 9 P.M. when a sergeant from his company was able to retrieve him.  During the hours he was immobile on the battlefield, Gilbreath witnessed regiments and brigades from Sumner's and Hooker's division charge against the Confederate positions on Marye's Heights, where Longstreet's veterans had taken up positions behind a stone wall.  Gilbreath was taken to a house in the town of Fredericksburg which served as a distribution point for the wounded of the battle.  The wounded would be transferred to their respective Corps hospitals across the river, out of danger.  However, if a wound was found to be too severe, such as Gilbreath's was, the surgeons at the house would perform the necessary operations.  surgeon's believed that Gilbreath's wound was too serious to be treated, and he would need his right leg amputated.  By chance, a Confederate artillery round hit the roof of the house.  in the confusion, Gilbreath recognized one of the surgeons and got his attention.  The surgeon made sure that Gilbreath was transported to 3rd Corps hospital for p
caption: Map of the Battle of Fredericksburg.  The yellow box indicates the area where the 20th Indiana and Erasmus Gilbreath saw action.
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