Editing Ambrose Burnside (section)

===Overland Campaign===
Burnside was ordered to take the IX Corps back to the Eastern Theater, where he built it up to a strength of over 21,000 in Annapolis, Maryland.<ref>Grimsley, p. 245, n. 43.</ref> The IX Corps fought in the [[Overland Campaign]] of May 1864 as an independent command, reporting initially to Grant; his corps was not assigned to the Army of the Potomac because Burnside outranked its commander Maj. Gen. [[George G. Meade]], who had been a division commander under Burnside at Fredericksburg. This cumbersome arrangement was rectified on May 24 just before the [[Battle of North Anna]], when Burnside agreed to waive his precedence of rank and was placed under Meade's direct command.<ref>Esposito, text for map 120.</ref>

Burnside fought at the battles of [[Battle of the Wilderness|Wilderness]] and [[Battle of Spotsylvania Court House|Spotsylvania Court House]], where he did not perform in a distinguished manner,<ref>Grimsley, p. 230, describes Burnside's conduct as "inept". Rhea, p. 317: "[Burnside's] failings were so flagrant that the Army talked about them openly. He stumbled badly in the Wilderness and worse still at Spotsylvania."</ref> attacking piecemeal and appearing reluctant to commit his troops to the costly frontal assaults that characterized these battles. After North Anna and [[Battle of Cold Harbor|Cold Harbor]], he took his place in the [[Siege of Petersburg|siege lines at Petersburg]].<ref>Wilson, np.</ref>