While General Lee was awaiting the movements of the Federal army, an event happened which changed the entire aspect of military affairs. General McClellan was removed from command and General Burnside was put in his place. General McClellan had been too slow and cautious to suit the authorities at Washington; so, much to the delight of the Confederate government, this able general was removed just as his campaign had begun. General Burnside remained at Warrenton ten days in order to reorganize his army into three divisions. Then he began to move his forces toward Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock river. This movement was at once observed by Stuart and reported to General Lee who immediately began to move troops toward Fredericksburg. When Burnside’s forces reached the northern bank of the river, they found the town in Lee’s possession and the heights to the south of it crowned by his artillery. General Lee now ordered General Jackson to come from the Valley to join him. While waiting for this reenforcement, he began to construct earthworks for his artillery and to dig rifle-pits for his infantry on the range of hills extending in a semicircle for five miles south of the river. Here with Hampton guarding the left wing of the army and Stuart the right, the Confederates camped in comparative quiet until early in December. During this period, there were several heavy snowstorms which the soldiers enjoyed like so many schoolboys. Major Von Borcke tells of a snow battle when several hundred men of McLaws’ division charged across a snow-covered plain half a mile wide, on the quarters of Hood’s division. Suddenly Hood’s whole division, led by its officers with colors flying, advanced against the attacking party which was driven back some distance. Then receiving reenforcements from their own division, the men rallied and threw up entrenchments behind which they made a stand. The air was white with flying snowballs, and the contest waxed hottest just at Stuart’s headquarters where he stood on a box and cheered the contestants. Hood’s men finally drove their opponents from the snow entrenchments, and would have routed them utterly, had not Anderson’s division come up to assist their fleeing comrades. With these reenforcements, McLaws’ men suddenly turned and drove Hood’s division back home. From these sham battles, the army turned soon to real warfare. General Burnside had posted guns on Stafford Heights opposite Fredericksburg and on December 10, he shelled the town. Then his splendid army of 116,000 men crossed the river on pontoon bridges, and on the morning of December 13, it stormed Lee’s position. The battle raged all day, but the Federals were repulsed at all points and when night closed, the Confederates were still holding their position.