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Battle Name: Chancellorsville, VA
Alternate Battle Names: Chancellorsville, VA, April 30 - May 6, 1863
Description: On April 27, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker led the V, XI, and XII Corps on a campaign to turn the Confederate left flank by crossing the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers above Fredericksburg. Passing the Rapidan via Germanna and Ely's Fords, the Federals concentrated near Chancellorsville on April 30 and May 1. The III Corps was ordered to join the army via United States Ford. Sedgwick's VI Corps and Gibbon's division remained to demonstrate against the Confederates at Fredericksburg. In the meantime, Lee left a covering force under Maj. Gen. Jubal Early in Fredericksburg and marched with the rest of the army to confront the Federals. As Hooker's army moved toward Fredericksburg on the Orange Turnpike, they encountered increasing Confederate resistance. Hearing reports of overwhelming Confederate force, Hooker ordered his army to suspend the advance and to concentrate again at Chancellorsville. Pressed closely by Lee's advance, Hooker adopted a defensive posture, thus giving Lee the initiative. On the morning of May 2, Lt. Gen. T.J. Jackson directed his corps on a march against the Federal left flank, which was reported to be "hanging in the air." Fighting was sporadic on other portions of the field throughout the day, as Jackson's column reached its jump-off point. At 5:20 pm, Jackson's line surged forward in an overwhelming attack that crushed the Union XI Corps. Federal troops rallied, resisted the advance, and counterattacked. Disorganization on both sides and darkness ended the fighting. While making a night reconnaissance, Jackson was mortally wounded by his own men and carried from the field. J.E.B. Stuart took temporary command of Jackson's Corps. On May 3, the Confederates attacked with both wings of the army and massed their artillery at Hazel Grove. This finally broke the Federal line at Chancellorsville. Hooker withdrew a mile and entrenched in a defensive "U" with his back to the river at United States Ford. Union generals Berry and Whipple and Confederate general Paxton were killed; Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded. On the night of May 5-6, after Union reverses at Salem Church, Hooker recrossed to the north bank of the Rappahannock. This battle was considered by many historians to be Lee's greatest victory.
Day of Week Started: Thursday
Day Started: 30
Month Started: 4
Year Started: 1863
Duration: More than 3 days
Theater: Main Eastern Theater
Campaign: Chancellorsville Campaign, April-May 1863
Winner: Confederate
Leaders: Lee, Robert Edward, 1807-1870; Hooker, Joseph, 1814-1879
Troops: 16th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 24th Georgia Infantry Regiment; Cobb's Georgia Legion; Phillip's Georgia Legion; 10th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 50th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 51st Georgia Infantry Regiment; 53rd Georgia Infantry Regiment; 2nd South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 3rd South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 7th South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 8th South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 15th South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 13th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 17th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 18th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 21st Mississippi Infantry Regiment; Georgia Artillery Battery; Georgia Artillery Battery; Virginia Battery, 1st Howitzers; North Carolina Artillery Battery; 8th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 9th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 10th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 11th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 14th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 3rd Georgia Infantry Regiment; 22nd Georgia Infantry Regiment; 48th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 2nd Georgia Infantry Regiment; 6th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 12th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 16th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 41st Virginia Infantry Regiment; 61st Virginia Infantry Regiment; 12th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 16th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 19th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 48th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 2nd Florida Infantry Regiment; 5th Florida Infantry Regiment; 8th Florida Infantry Regiment; Virginia Artillery Battery; Lewis's Virginia Battery; Louisiana Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Moody's Louisiana Artillery Battery; Rhett's South Carolfina Artillery Battery; Eubank's Virginia Artillery Battery; Jordan's Virginia Artillery Battery; Parker's Virginia Artillery Battery; Woolfolk's Virginia Artillery Battery; Squires 1st Company Washington Artillery; Richardson's 2nd Company Washington Artillery; Miller's 3rd Company Washington Artillery; Eshleman's 4th Company Washington Artillery; 40th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 47th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 55th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 14th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 35th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 45th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 49th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 7th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 18th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 28th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 33rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 37th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 1st South Carolina Provisional Army; 1st South Carolina Rifles; 12th South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 13th South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 13th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 1st Tennessee Provisional Army; 7th Tennessee Infantry Regiment; 14th Tennessee Infantry Regiment; 13th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 16th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 22nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 34th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 38th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; South Carolina Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery, Crenshaw's Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; 3rd Alabama Infantry Regiment; 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 6th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 12th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 26th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 6th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 19th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 23rd Georgia Infantry Regiment; 27th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 28th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 2nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 4th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 14th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 30th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 4th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 12th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 21st Georgia Infantry Regiment; 44th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 44th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 5th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 12th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 20th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 23rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment; Alabama Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; 13th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 26th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 31st Georgia Infantry Regiment; 38th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 60th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 61st Georgia Infantry Regiment; 6th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 21st North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 54th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 57th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 1st North Carolina Infantry Battalion; 13th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 49th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 52nd Virginia Infantry Regiment; 58th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 5th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 7th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 8th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; Brown's Maryland Artillery Battery; Dement's Maryland Artillery Battery; Carpenter's Virginia Artillery Battery; Raine's Virginia Battery; 2nd Virginia Infantry Regiment; 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 5th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 27th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 33rd Virginia Infantry Regiment; 21st Virginia Infantry Regiment; 42nd Virginia Infantry Regiment; 48th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 50th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 3rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 10th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 23rd Virginia Infantry Regiment; 37th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 1st Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 2nd Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 10th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 14th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 15th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; Virginia Artillery Battery; Garber's Virginia Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Louisiana Artillery Battery; Brooke's Virginia Battery; Dance's Virginia Battery; Graham's Virginia Battery; Hupp's Virginia Battery; Smith's Virginia Battery; Watson's Virginia Battery; Hurt's Alabama Battery; Johnson's Virginia Battery; Lusk's Virginia Battery; Wooding's Virginia Battery; Ross's Battery A; Patterson's Battery B; Wingfield's Battery C; Massie's Virginia Battery; Milledge's Virginia Battery; 1st Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 3rd Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 4th Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 2nd North Carolina Cavalry Regiment; 5th Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 9th Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 10th Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 13th Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 15th Virginia Cavalry Regiment; Virginia Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Provost guard; 93rd New York Infantry Regiment; Company "E", 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry; Company "I", 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry; 6 Companies, 8th U.S. Infantry; Detachment of Regular Cavalry; Battery "C", Maryland Light Artillery; 21st New York Infantry Regiment; 23rd New York Infantry Regiment; 35th New York Infantry Regiment; 80th New York Infantry Regiment; 12th Battery, Ohio Light Artillery; 15th New York Engineers; Battalion, U.S. Engineers; Oneida New York Cavalry; Battery "B", 1st Connecticut Light Artillery; Battery "M", 1st Connecticut Light Artillery; 5th Battery, New York Light Artillery; 15th Battery, New York Light Artillery; 29th Battery, New York Light Artillery; 30th Battery, New York Light Artillery; 32nd Battery, New York Light Artillery; Battery "K", 1st U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "C", 1st U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "G", 4th U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "K", 5th U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "C", 32nd Massachusetts Light Artillery; Company "L", 1st Maine Cavalry; 22nd New York Infantry Regiment; 24th New York Infantry Regiment; 30th New York Infantry Regiment; 84th New York Infantry Regiment; 7th Indiana Infantry Regiment; 76th New York Infantry Regiment; 95th New York Infantry Regiment; 147th New York Infantry Regiment; 56th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 22nd New York Infantry Regiment; 29th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 30th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 31st New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 137th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 19th Indiana Infantry Regiment; 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment; 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment; 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment; 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment; 1st Battery, New Hampshire Light Artillery; Battery "L", 1st New York Light Artillery; Battery "B", 4th U.S. Light Artillery; 16th Maine Infantry Regiment; 94th New York Infantry Regiment; 104th New York Infantry Regiment; 107th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 12th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 26th New York Infantry Regiment; 90th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 136th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 13th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 83rd New York Infantry Regiment; 97th New York Infantry Regiment; 11th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 88th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 2nd Battery, Maine Light Artillery; 5th Battery, Maine Light Artillery; Battery "C", Pennsylvania Light Artillery; Battery "C", 5th U.S. Light Artillery; 121st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 135th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 142nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 151st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 143rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 149th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 150th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; Company "D", 6th New York Cavalry; Company "K", 6th New York Cavalry; 5th New Hampshire Infantry Regiment; 61st New York Infantry Regiment; 81st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 148th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 28th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 63rd New York Infantry Regiment; 69th New York Infantry Regiment; 88th New York Infantry Regiment; 116th Pennsylvania Infantry Battalion; 52nd New York Infantry Regiment; 57th New York Infantry Regiment; 66th New York Infantry Regiment; 140th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 27th Connecticut Infantry Regiment; 2nd Delaware Infantry Regiment; 64th New York Infantry Regiment; 53rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 14th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; Battery "B", 1st New York Light Artillery; Battery "C", 4th U.S. Light Artillery; 19th Maine Infantry Regiment; 1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment; 34th New York Infantry Regiment; 82nd New York Infantry Regiment; 69th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 71st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 106th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 19th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 7th Michigan Infantry Regiment; 42nd New York Infantry Regiment; 59th New York Infantry Regiment; 127th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; Battery "A", 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery; Battery "B", 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery; 1st Company, Massachusetts Sharpshooters; 14th Indiana Infantry Regiment; 24th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 28th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 4th Ohio Infantry Regiment; 7th West Virginia Infantry Regiment; 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment; 12th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 108th New York Infantry Regiment; 130th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 1st Delaware Infantry Regiment; 4th New York Infantry Regiment; 132nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; Battery "G", 1st New York Light Artillery; Battery "G", 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery; Battery "I", 1st U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "A", 4th U.S. Light Artillery; 57th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 63rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 68th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 105th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 114th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 141st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 20th Indiana Infantry Regiment; 3rd Maine Infantry Regiment; 4th Maine Infantry Regiment; 38th New York Infantry Regiment; 40th New York Infantry Regiment; 99th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 17th Maine Infantry Regiment; 3rd Michigan Infantry Regiment; 5th Michigan Infantry Regiment; 1st New York Infantry Regiment; 37th New York Infantry Regiment; 2nd Battery, New Jersey Light Artillery; Battery "E", 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery; Battery "F", 3rd U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "K", 3rd U.S. Light Artillery; 1st Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 11th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 16th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 11th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 26th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 70th New York Infantry Regiment; 71st New York Infantry Regiment; 72nd New York Infantry Regiment; 73rd New York Infantry Regiment; 74th New York Infantry Regiment; 120th New York Infantry Regiment; 5th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 6th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 7th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 8th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 2nd New York Infantry Regiment; 115th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; Battery "D", 1st New York Light Artillery; 4th Battery, New York Light Artillery; Battery "H", 1st U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "K", 4th U.S. Light Artillery; 86th New York Infantry Regiment; 124th New York Infantry Regiment; 122nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 12th New Hampshire Infantry Regiment; 84th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 110th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 1st U.S. Sharpshooters; 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters; 10th Battery, New York Light Artillery; 11th Battery, New York Light Artillery; Battery "H", 1st Ohio Light Artillery; 2nd Maine Infantry Regiment; 18th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 22nd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 2nd Company, Massachusetts Sharpshooters; 1st Michigan Infantry Regiment; Battalion, 13th New York Infantry; 25th New York Infantry Regiment; 118th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 9th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 32nd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 4th Michigan Infantry Regiment; 14th New York Infantry Regiment; 62nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 20th Maine Infantry Regiment; Brady's Company, Michigan Sharpshooters; 16th Michigan Infantry Regiment; 12th New York Infantry Regiment; 17th New York Infantry Regiment; 44th New York Infantry Regiment; 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 3rd Battery, Massachusetts Light Artillery; Battery "C", 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery; Battery "D", 5th U.S. Light Artillery; 6 Companies, 3rd U.S. Infantry; 4 Companies, 4th U.S. Infantry; 5 Companies, 1st Battalion, 12th U.S. Infantry; 3 Companies, 1st Battalion, 12th U.S. Infantry; 6 Companies, 1st Battalion, 14th U.S. Infantry; 2 Companies, 2nd Battalion, 14th U.S. Infantry; 5 Companies, 2nd U.S. Infantry; 5 Companies, 6th U.S. Infantry; 4 Companies, 7th U.S. Infantry; 2 Companies, 2nd Battalion, 11th U.S. Infantry; 5 Companies, 1st Battalion, 17th U.S. Infantry; 2 Companies, 2nd Battalion, 17th U.S. Infantry; 5th New York Infantry Regiment; 140th New York Infantry Regiment; 146th New York Infantry Regiment; Battery "L", 1st Ohio Light Artillery; Battery "I", 5th U.S. Light Artillery; 91st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 126th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 129th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 134th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 123rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 131st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 133rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 155th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
Troop Size: 154734
Confederate Troop Size: 57352
Union Troop Size: 97382
Overall losses: 3255
Confederate Losses: 1649
Union Losses: 1606
Confederate Wounded: 9106
Union Wounded: 9762
Confederate Missing in Action: 1708
Union Missing in Action: 5919
The locomotive ground to a halt at a little depot amidst a drenching downpour. An eager figure scanned the cars for two passengers who meant more to him than anyone else on earth.
The legendary "Stonewall" Jackson, renowned as the quintessential grim warrior, revealed his gentler nature on April 20, 1863, at Guinea Station, 12 miles south of Fredericksburg as he greeted his beloved wife and saw his infant daughter for the first time. The blissful family repaired to a nearby house and passed the next nine days enjoying the only domestic contentment they would ever share. In less than three weeks, at a small frame building near Guinea, Jackson would be dead.
The campaign that resulted in Jackson's demise, paradoxically remembered as "Lee's greatest victory," emerged from the backwash of the Battle of Fredericksburg. That Federal debacle and subsequent political intrigue at army headquarters prompted a change of command in the Army of the Potomac. Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, a 48-year-old Massachusetts native endowed with high courage and low morals, replaced Burnside in January. Within weeks, Hooker's able administrative skills restored the health and morale of his troops, whom he proudly proclaimed "the finest army on the planet." See Hooker's Official Report on the battle.
The new commander crafted a brilliant plan for the spring that he expected would at least compel General Robert E. Lee to abandon his Fredericksburg entrenchments, and, possibly, prove fatal to the Army of Northern Virginia. First, Hooker would detach his cavalry, 10,000 strong, on a flying raid toward Richmond to sever Lee's communications with the Confederate capital. Then, he would send most of his infantry 40 miles upstream to cross the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers beyond the Confederate defenses, and sweep east against Lee's left flank. The rest of "Fighting Joe's" army would cross the river at Fredericksburg and menace the Confederate front as the second blade of a great pincers. "My plans are perfect," boasted Hooker "and when I start to carry them out may God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none."
The condition of the Confederate army lent credence to Hooker's confidence. In February, Lee detached his stalwart lieutenant, James Longstreet, with two strong divisions to gather food and supplies in southeastern Virginia. The gray commander cherished the offensive, but could not hope to move north without Longstreet. In the meantime, Lee's 60,000 veterans at Fredericksburg would guard their long river line against 130,000 well-equipped Yankees. See Lee's Official Report on the battle.
Hooker began the campaign on April 27 and within three days some 40,000 Federals had splashed through the upriver fords, their presence detected by Confederate cavalry. On April 29, a sizable Union force led by Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick's {click to read Sedgwick's official report on Chancellorsville} Sixth Corps erected pontoon bridges below Fredericksburg and also moved to Lee's side of the river.
With both wings of the enemy across the Rappahannock, Lee faced a serious dilemma. Conventional military wisdom dictated that the understrength Army of Northern Virginia retreat south and escape Hooker's trap. Lee opted instead to meet the Federal challenge head-on. Correctly deducing that Hooker's primary threat lay to the west, "Marse Robert" assigned 10,000 troops under Maj. Gen. Jubal A. Early to man the old Fredericksburg entrenchments. The balance of the army would turn west toward the tangled Wilderness to confront Hooker's flanking column.
By mid afternoon of April 30, that column, now containing 50,000 men and 108 artillery pieces, rendezvoused at the most important road junction in the Wilderness. A large brick tavern named Chancellorsville dominated this intersection of the Orange Turnpike with the Orange Plank, Ely's Ford, and River roads. "This is splendid," exulted one of Hooker's corps commanders, "Hurrah for Old Joe."
The Federals had encountered virtually no opposition to this point. Moreover, they could now press eastward, break clear of the Wilderness, and uncover Banks Ford downstream, thus significantly shortening the distance between their two wings. Hooker, however, decided to halt at Chancellorsville and await the arrival of additional Union troops. This fateful decision disheartened the Federal officers on the scene who recognized the urgency of maintaining the momentum they had thus far sustained.
"Stonewall" Jackson, gladly seizing the initiative that Hooker needlessly surrendered, left the Fredericksburg lines at 3:00 a.m., on May I and arrived at Zoan Church five hours later. There he found two divisions of Confederate infantry, Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson's and Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws', fortifying a prominent ridge covering the Turnpike and Plank Road. Although his corps had not yet appeared, Jackson ordered Anderson and McLaws to drop their shovels, pick up their rifles, and advance to the attack. See Anderson's and McLaws' Official Reports on the battle.
Jackson's audacity dictated the shape of the Battle of Chancellorsville. When Hooker at last authorized an eastward movement late in the morning of May 1, his troops on the Turnpike and Plank Road ran flush against "Stonewall's", outgunned but aggressive brigades. Union front-line commanders had not expected this kind of resistance. They sent anxious messages to Hooker, who quickly ordered his generals to fall back to the Wilderness and assume a defensive posture. The Federal columns on the River Road marched almost to Bank's Ford without seeing a Rebel. They returned to Chancellorsville fuming, fully realizing the opportunity that had slipped through their fingers. See A. P. Hill's Official Report for Jackson's Corps.
Late in the day, as the blue infantry threw up entrenchments encircling Hooker's Chancellorsville headquarters, Maj. Gen. Darius N. Couch {click to read an article on Chancellorsville by Couch} approached his superior. As the army's senior corps commander, Couch {click to read Couch's Official Report on the battle} had advocated an offensive strategy and shared his comrades' disappointment with "Fighting Joe's" judgment. "It is all right, Couch," Hooker reassured him, "I have got Lee just where I want him; he must fight me on my own ground."
Couch could barely believe his ears. "To hear from his own lip that the advantages gained by the successful marches of his lieutenants were to culminate in fighting a defensive battle in that nest of thickets was too much, and I retired from his presence with the belief that my commanding general was a whipped man."
Hooker's confidence had faded to caution, but whether he was "whipped" depended upon Lee and Jackson. Those two officers reined up along the Plank Road at its intersection with a byway call the Furnace Road on the evening of May 1. Transforming discarded Federal cracker boxes into camp stools, the generals examined their options.
Confederate scouts verified the Federals' strong positions extending from the Rappahannock River, around Chancellorsville, to the high, open ground at Hazel Grove. This was the bad news. The Southern army could not afford a costly frontal attack against prepared fortifications.
Then, about midnight, Lee's cavalry chief, "Jeb" Stuart, galloped up to the little campfire. The flamboyant Virginian carried thrilling intelligence. The Union right flank was "in the air" -- that is, resting on no natural or artificial obstacle! From that moment on, the generals thought of nothing but how to gain access to Hooker's vulnerable flank. Jackson consulted with staff officers familiar with the area, dispatched his topographical engineer to explore the roads to the west, and tried to snatch a few hours rest at the chilly bivouac.
Before dawn, Lee and Jackson studied a hastily drawn map and decided to undertake one of the biggest gambles in American military history. Jackson's corps, about 30,000 troops, would follow a series of country roads and woods paths to reach the Union right. Lee, with the remaining 14,000 infantry, would occupy a position more than three miles long and divert Hooker's attention during Jackson's dangerous trek. Once in position, "Stonewall" would smash the Federals with his full strength while Lee cooperated as best he could. The Army of Northern Virginia would thus be fractured into three pieces, counting Early's contingent at Fredericksburg, any one of which might be subject to rout or annihilation if the Yankees resumed the offensive. To learn more about the role of McLaws' men on May 2 see a folder for McLaws Trail.
Jackson led his column past the bivouac early on the morning of May 2. He conferred briefly with Lee, then trotted down the Furnace Road with the fire of battle kindled in his eyes. After about one mile, as the Confederates traversed a small clearing, Union scouts perched in treetops at Hazel Grove spotted the marchers. The Federals lobbed artillery shells at Jackson's men and notified Hooker of the enemy movement.
"Fighting Joe" correctly identified Jackson's maneuver as an effort to reach his right flank. He advised the area commander, Maj. Gen. Oliver 0. Howard, to be on the lookout for an attack from the west. As the morning progressed, however, the Union chief grew to believe that Lee was actually withdrawing - the course of events Hooker most preferred. Worries about his right disappeared. Instead, he ordered his Third Corps to harass the tail end of Lee's "retreating" army.
Colorful Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles commanded the Third Corps. He probed cautiously from Hazel Grove toward a local iron manufactory called Catharine Furnace. In mid-afternoon the Federals overwhelmed Jackson's rearguard beyond the furnace along the cut of an unfinished railroad, capturing nearly an entire Georgia regiment. The action at Catharine Furnace, however, eventually attracted some 20,000 Bluecoats onto the scene thus effectively isolating Howard's Eleventh Corps on the right with no nearby support. See Sickles' Official Report on the battle.
Meanwhile the bulk of Jackson's column snaked its way along uncharted trails barely wide enough to accommodate four men abreast. "Stonewall" contributed to Hooker's faith in a Confederate retreat by twice turning away from the Union line - first at Catharine Furnace, then again at the Brock Road. After making the desired impression, Jackson ducked under the Wilderness canopy and continued his march toward Howard's insensible soldiers.
Acting upon a personal reconnaissance recommended by cavalry general Fitzhugh Lee, Jackson kept his column northbound on the Brock Road to the Orange Turnpike where the Confederates would at last be beyond the Union right. The exhausting march, which altogether traversed more, than 12 miles, ended about 3 p.m. when "Old Jack's" warriors began deploying into battle lines astride the Turnpike. Jackson, however, did not authorize an attack for some two hours, providing 11 of his 15 brigades time to take position in the silent forest. The awe-inspiring Confederate front measured nearly two miles across.
Although individual Northern officers and men warned of Jackson's approach, Eleventh Corps headquarters dismissed the reports as frightened exaggerations from alarmists or cowards. Hooker's shortage of cavalry hampered the Federals's ability to penetrate the Wilderness and uncover the Confederate presence with certainty. Only two small regiments and half a New York battery faced west in the direction of Jackson's corps.
Suddenly, a bugle rang out in the afternoon shadows. Bugles everywhere echoed the notes up and down the line. As waves of sweat-soaked soldiers rolled forward, the high defiance of the Rebel Yell pierced the gloomy woods. Jackson's Corps erupted from the trees and sent the astonished Unionists reeling. "Along the road it was pandemonium," recalled a Massachusetts soldier, "and on the side of the road it was chaos." See General Robert Rodes' Official Report on the battle.
Most of Howard's men fought bravely, drawing three additional battle lines across Jackson's path. But the overmatched Federals occupied an untenable position. The screaming gray legions overwhelmed each Union stand and eventually drove the Eleventh Corps completely from the field.
Sunset and the inevitable intermingling of "Stonewall's" brigades compelled Jackson to call a reluctant halt to the advance about 7:15. He summoned Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill's division to the front and, typically, determined to renew his attack despite the darkness. Jackson hoped to maneuver between Hooker and his escape routes across the rivers and then, with Lee's help, grind the Army of the Potomac into oblivion.
While Hill brought his brigades forward, Jackson rode ahead of his men to reconnoiter. When he attempted to return, a North Carolina regiment mistook his small party for Union cavalry. Two volleys burst forth in the blackness and Jackson tottered in his saddle, suffering from three wounds. Shortly thereafter a Federal shell struck Hill, incapacitating him, and direction of the corps devolved upon Stuart. The cavalryman wisely cancelled "Stonewall's" plans for a night attack. See text for Wounding of Stonewall Jackson Trail.
Despite his misfortune on May 2, Hooker still held the advantage at Chancellorsville. He received reinforcements during the night and the Third Corps moved back from Catharine Furnace to reoccupy Hazel Grove. Sickles' troops thus divided the Confederates into separate wings controlled by Stuart and Lee. Hooker, if he chose, could defeat each fraction of his out manned enemy in detail.
The Confederate commanders understood the need to connect their divisions, and Stuart prepared an all-out assault against Hazel Grove at dawn. Hooker made it easy for him. As the Southerners approached the far crest of Hazel Grove they witnessed Sickles' men retiring in an orderly fashion. "Fighting Joe" had directed that his troops surrender the key ground and fall back to Fairview, an elevated clearing closer to Chancellorsville. Photo of Hazel Grove
Stuart immediately exploited the opportunity by placing 31 cannon on Hazel Grove. Combined with artillery located west along the Turnpike, the gunners at Hazel Grove pounded Fairview with a spectacular bombardment. The Federals responded with 34 pieces of their own and soon the Wilderness trembled with a discordant symphony of iron. See folder for Hazel Grove to Fairview walking trail.
The bloodiest fighting of the battle occurred between 6:30 and 9:30 a.m. on May 3. Stuart launched brigade after brigade against entrenched Union lines on both sides of the Turnpike. Troops lost their way in the tangled underbrush and the woods caught fire, confronting the wounded with a horrible fate. See Stuart's Official Report on the battle.
The see-saw fighting began to favor the Southerners as, one by one, Union artillery pieces dropped out of the contest. Hooker failed to resupply his cannoneers with ammunition or shift sufficient infantry reserves to critical areas. A Confederate projectile abetted this mental paralysis when it struck a pillar at Chancellorsville, throwing the Union commander violently to the ground. The impact stunned Hooker, physically removing him from a battle in which he had not materially been engaged for nearly 48 hours. Before relinquishing partial authority to Couch, Hooker instructed the army to assume a prepared position in the rear, protecting the bridgehead across the Rappahannock.
Stuart pressed forward first to Fairview and then against the remaining Union units at Chancellorsville. Lee's wing advanced simultaneously from the south and east. The Bluecoats receded at last and thousands of powder-smeared Confederates poured into the clearing, illuminated by flames from the burning Chancellorsville mansion.
Lee emerged from the smoke and elicited a long, unbroken cheer from the gray multitudes who recognized him as the architect of their improbable victory. A Confederate staff officer, watching the unbridled expression of so much admiration, reverence, and love, thought that, "it must have been from such a scene that men in ancient times rose to the dignity of gods."
The Southern commander wasted little time on reflection. He prepared to pursue Hooker and seal the success achieved since dawn. A courier bearing news from Fredericksburg shattered Lee's plans. Sedgwick had driven Early's contingent from Marye's Heights and now threatened the Confederate rear. This changed everything. Lee assigned Stuart to watch Hooker's host and sent McLaws eastward to deal with the Sixth Corps menace. Early's Official Report on the battle. See also a folder for a driving tour of 2nd Fredericksburg & Salem Church.
Sedgwick, slowed by Wilcox's single Alabama brigade retreating stubbornly from Fredericksburg, came to grips with the Confederates four miles west of town at Salem Church. The Federals swept into the churchyard but a powerful counterattack drove them back and ended the day's combat. The next day Lee shoved Sedgwick across the Rappahannock at Banks Ford and once again focused on the main Union army in the Wilderness.
Hooker, however, had seen enough. Despite the objections of most of his corps commanders, he ordered a withdrawal across the river. The Federals conducted their retreat under cover of darkness and arrived back in Stafford County on May 6. Ironically, this decision may have been Hooker's most serious blunder of the campaign. Lee's impending assault on May 6 might have failed and completely reversed the outcome of the battle.
Confederate leadership during the Chancellorsville Campaign may represent the finest generalship of the Civil War, but the luster of "Lee's greatest victory" tarnishes upon examination of the battle's tangible results. In truth, the Army of the Potomac had not been so thoroughly defeated - some 40,000 Federals had done no fighting whatsoever. Although Hooker suffered more than 17,000 casualties, those losses accounted for only 13% of his total strength. Lee's 13,000 casualties amounted to 22% of his army, men difficult to replace. Of course, Jackson's death on May 10 created a vacancy that could never be filled. Finally, Lee's triumph at Chancellorsville imbued him with the belief that his army was invincible. He convinced the Richmond government to endorse his proposed offensive into Pennsylvania. Within six weeks, the Army of Northern Virginia confidently embarked on a journey northward to keep an appointment with destiny at a place called Gettysburg.
Alternate Battle Names: Chancellorsville, VA, April 30 - May 6, 1863
Description: On April 27, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker led the V, XI, and XII Corps on a campaign to turn the Confederate left flank by crossing the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers above Fredericksburg. Passing the Rapidan via Germanna and Ely's Fords, the Federals concentrated near Chancellorsville on April 30 and May 1. The III Corps was ordered to join the army via United States Ford. Sedgwick's VI Corps and Gibbon's division remained to demonstrate against the Confederates at Fredericksburg. In the meantime, Lee left a covering force under Maj. Gen. Jubal Early in Fredericksburg and marched with the rest of the army to confront the Federals. As Hooker's army moved toward Fredericksburg on the Orange Turnpike, they encountered increasing Confederate resistance. Hearing reports of overwhelming Confederate force, Hooker ordered his army to suspend the advance and to concentrate again at Chancellorsville. Pressed closely by Lee's advance, Hooker adopted a defensive posture, thus giving Lee the initiative. On the morning of May 2, Lt. Gen. T.J. Jackson directed his corps on a march against the Federal left flank, which was reported to be "hanging in the air." Fighting was sporadic on other portions of the field throughout the day, as Jackson's column reached its jump-off point. At 5:20 pm, Jackson's line surged forward in an overwhelming attack that crushed the Union XI Corps. Federal troops rallied, resisted the advance, and counterattacked. Disorganization on both sides and darkness ended the fighting. While making a night reconnaissance, Jackson was mortally wounded by his own men and carried from the field. J.E.B. Stuart took temporary command of Jackson's Corps. On May 3, the Confederates attacked with both wings of the army and massed their artillery at Hazel Grove. This finally broke the Federal line at Chancellorsville. Hooker withdrew a mile and entrenched in a defensive "U" with his back to the river at United States Ford. Union generals Berry and Whipple and Confederate general Paxton were killed; Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded. On the night of May 5-6, after Union reverses at Salem Church, Hooker recrossed to the north bank of the Rappahannock. This battle was considered by many historians to be Lee's greatest victory.
Day of Week Started: Thursday
Day Started: 30
Month Started: 4
Year Started: 1863
Duration: More than 3 days
Theater: Main Eastern Theater
Campaign: Chancellorsville Campaign, April-May 1863
Winner: Confederate
Leaders: Lee, Robert Edward, 1807-1870; Hooker, Joseph, 1814-1879
Troops: 16th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 24th Georgia Infantry Regiment; Cobb's Georgia Legion; Phillip's Georgia Legion; 10th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 50th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 51st Georgia Infantry Regiment; 53rd Georgia Infantry Regiment; 2nd South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 3rd South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 7th South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 8th South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 15th South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 13th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 17th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 18th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 21st Mississippi Infantry Regiment; Georgia Artillery Battery; Georgia Artillery Battery; Virginia Battery, 1st Howitzers; North Carolina Artillery Battery; 8th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 9th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 10th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 11th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 14th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 3rd Georgia Infantry Regiment; 22nd Georgia Infantry Regiment; 48th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 2nd Georgia Infantry Regiment; 6th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 12th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 16th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 41st Virginia Infantry Regiment; 61st Virginia Infantry Regiment; 12th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 16th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 19th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 48th Mississippi Infantry Regiment; 2nd Florida Infantry Regiment; 5th Florida Infantry Regiment; 8th Florida Infantry Regiment; Virginia Artillery Battery; Lewis's Virginia Battery; Louisiana Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Moody's Louisiana Artillery Battery; Rhett's South Carolfina Artillery Battery; Eubank's Virginia Artillery Battery; Jordan's Virginia Artillery Battery; Parker's Virginia Artillery Battery; Woolfolk's Virginia Artillery Battery; Squires 1st Company Washington Artillery; Richardson's 2nd Company Washington Artillery; Miller's 3rd Company Washington Artillery; Eshleman's 4th Company Washington Artillery; 40th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 47th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 55th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 14th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 35th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 45th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 49th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 7th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 18th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 28th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 33rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 37th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 1st South Carolina Provisional Army; 1st South Carolina Rifles; 12th South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 13th South Carolina Infantry Regiment; 13th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 1st Tennessee Provisional Army; 7th Tennessee Infantry Regiment; 14th Tennessee Infantry Regiment; 13th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 16th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 22nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 34th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 38th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; South Carolina Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery, Crenshaw's Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; 3rd Alabama Infantry Regiment; 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 6th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 12th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 26th Alabama Infantry Regiment; 6th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 19th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 23rd Georgia Infantry Regiment; 27th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 28th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 2nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 4th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 14th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 30th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 4th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 12th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 21st Georgia Infantry Regiment; 44th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 44th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 5th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 12th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 20th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 23rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment; Alabama Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; 13th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 26th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 31st Georgia Infantry Regiment; 38th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 60th Georgia Infantry Regiment; 61st Georgia Infantry Regiment; 6th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 21st North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 54th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 57th North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 1st North Carolina Infantry Battalion; 13th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 49th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 52nd Virginia Infantry Regiment; 58th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 5th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 7th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 8th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; Brown's Maryland Artillery Battery; Dement's Maryland Artillery Battery; Carpenter's Virginia Artillery Battery; Raine's Virginia Battery; 2nd Virginia Infantry Regiment; 4th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 5th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 27th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 33rd Virginia Infantry Regiment; 21st Virginia Infantry Regiment; 42nd Virginia Infantry Regiment; 48th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 50th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 3rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment; 10th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 23rd Virginia Infantry Regiment; 37th Virginia Infantry Regiment; 1st Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 2nd Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 10th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 14th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; 15th Louisiana Infantry Regiment; Virginia Artillery Battery; Garber's Virginia Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Louisiana Artillery Battery; Brooke's Virginia Battery; Dance's Virginia Battery; Graham's Virginia Battery; Hupp's Virginia Battery; Smith's Virginia Battery; Watson's Virginia Battery; Hurt's Alabama Battery; Johnson's Virginia Battery; Lusk's Virginia Battery; Wooding's Virginia Battery; Ross's Battery A; Patterson's Battery B; Wingfield's Battery C; Massie's Virginia Battery; Milledge's Virginia Battery; 1st Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 3rd Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 4th Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 2nd North Carolina Cavalry Regiment; 5th Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 9th Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 10th Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 13th Virginia Cavalry Regiment; 15th Virginia Cavalry Regiment; Virginia Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Virginia Artillery Battery; Provost guard; 93rd New York Infantry Regiment; Company "E", 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry; Company "I", 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry; 6 Companies, 8th U.S. Infantry; Detachment of Regular Cavalry; Battery "C", Maryland Light Artillery; 21st New York Infantry Regiment; 23rd New York Infantry Regiment; 35th New York Infantry Regiment; 80th New York Infantry Regiment; 12th Battery, Ohio Light Artillery; 15th New York Engineers; Battalion, U.S. Engineers; Oneida New York Cavalry; Battery "B", 1st Connecticut Light Artillery; Battery "M", 1st Connecticut Light Artillery; 5th Battery, New York Light Artillery; 15th Battery, New York Light Artillery; 29th Battery, New York Light Artillery; 30th Battery, New York Light Artillery; 32nd Battery, New York Light Artillery; Battery "K", 1st U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "C", 1st U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "G", 4th U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "K", 5th U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "C", 32nd Massachusetts Light Artillery; Company "L", 1st Maine Cavalry; 22nd New York Infantry Regiment; 24th New York Infantry Regiment; 30th New York Infantry Regiment; 84th New York Infantry Regiment; 7th Indiana Infantry Regiment; 76th New York Infantry Regiment; 95th New York Infantry Regiment; 147th New York Infantry Regiment; 56th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 22nd New York Infantry Regiment; 29th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 30th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 31st New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 137th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 19th Indiana Infantry Regiment; 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment; 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment; 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment; 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment; 1st Battery, New Hampshire Light Artillery; Battery "L", 1st New York Light Artillery; Battery "B", 4th U.S. Light Artillery; 16th Maine Infantry Regiment; 94th New York Infantry Regiment; 104th New York Infantry Regiment; 107th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 12th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 26th New York Infantry Regiment; 90th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 136th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 13th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 83rd New York Infantry Regiment; 97th New York Infantry Regiment; 11th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 88th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 2nd Battery, Maine Light Artillery; 5th Battery, Maine Light Artillery; Battery "C", Pennsylvania Light Artillery; Battery "C", 5th U.S. Light Artillery; 121st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 135th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 142nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 151st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 143rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 149th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 150th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; Company "D", 6th New York Cavalry; Company "K", 6th New York Cavalry; 5th New Hampshire Infantry Regiment; 61st New York Infantry Regiment; 81st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 148th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 28th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 63rd New York Infantry Regiment; 69th New York Infantry Regiment; 88th New York Infantry Regiment; 116th Pennsylvania Infantry Battalion; 52nd New York Infantry Regiment; 57th New York Infantry Regiment; 66th New York Infantry Regiment; 140th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 27th Connecticut Infantry Regiment; 2nd Delaware Infantry Regiment; 64th New York Infantry Regiment; 53rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 14th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; Battery "B", 1st New York Light Artillery; Battery "C", 4th U.S. Light Artillery; 19th Maine Infantry Regiment; 1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment; 34th New York Infantry Regiment; 82nd New York Infantry Regiment; 69th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 71st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 106th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 19th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 20th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 7th Michigan Infantry Regiment; 42nd New York Infantry Regiment; 59th New York Infantry Regiment; 127th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; Battery "A", 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery; Battery "B", 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery; 1st Company, Massachusetts Sharpshooters; 14th Indiana Infantry Regiment; 24th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 28th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 4th Ohio Infantry Regiment; 7th West Virginia Infantry Regiment; 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment; 12th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 108th New York Infantry Regiment; 130th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 1st Delaware Infantry Regiment; 4th New York Infantry Regiment; 132nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; Battery "G", 1st New York Light Artillery; Battery "G", 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery; Battery "I", 1st U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "A", 4th U.S. Light Artillery; 57th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 63rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 68th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 105th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 114th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 141st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 20th Indiana Infantry Regiment; 3rd Maine Infantry Regiment; 4th Maine Infantry Regiment; 38th New York Infantry Regiment; 40th New York Infantry Regiment; 99th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 17th Maine Infantry Regiment; 3rd Michigan Infantry Regiment; 5th Michigan Infantry Regiment; 1st New York Infantry Regiment; 37th New York Infantry Regiment; 2nd Battery, New Jersey Light Artillery; Battery "E", 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery; Battery "F", 3rd U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "K", 3rd U.S. Light Artillery; 1st Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 11th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 16th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 11th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 26th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 70th New York Infantry Regiment; 71st New York Infantry Regiment; 72nd New York Infantry Regiment; 73rd New York Infantry Regiment; 74th New York Infantry Regiment; 120th New York Infantry Regiment; 5th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 6th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 7th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 8th New Jersey Infantry Regiment; 2nd New York Infantry Regiment; 115th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; Battery "D", 1st New York Light Artillery; 4th Battery, New York Light Artillery; Battery "H", 1st U.S. Light Artillery; Battery "K", 4th U.S. Light Artillery; 86th New York Infantry Regiment; 124th New York Infantry Regiment; 122nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 12th New Hampshire Infantry Regiment; 84th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 110th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 1st U.S. Sharpshooters; 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters; 10th Battery, New York Light Artillery; 11th Battery, New York Light Artillery; Battery "H", 1st Ohio Light Artillery; 2nd Maine Infantry Regiment; 18th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 22nd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 2nd Company, Massachusetts Sharpshooters; 1st Michigan Infantry Regiment; Battalion, 13th New York Infantry; 25th New York Infantry Regiment; 118th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 9th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 32nd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; 4th Michigan Infantry Regiment; 14th New York Infantry Regiment; 62nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 20th Maine Infantry Regiment; Brady's Company, Michigan Sharpshooters; 16th Michigan Infantry Regiment; 12th New York Infantry Regiment; 17th New York Infantry Regiment; 44th New York Infantry Regiment; 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 3rd Battery, Massachusetts Light Artillery; Battery "C", 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery; Battery "D", 5th U.S. Light Artillery; 6 Companies, 3rd U.S. Infantry; 4 Companies, 4th U.S. Infantry; 5 Companies, 1st Battalion, 12th U.S. Infantry; 3 Companies, 1st Battalion, 12th U.S. Infantry; 6 Companies, 1st Battalion, 14th U.S. Infantry; 2 Companies, 2nd Battalion, 14th U.S. Infantry; 5 Companies, 2nd U.S. Infantry; 5 Companies, 6th U.S. Infantry; 4 Companies, 7th U.S. Infantry; 2 Companies, 2nd Battalion, 11th U.S. Infantry; 5 Companies, 1st Battalion, 17th U.S. Infantry; 2 Companies, 2nd Battalion, 17th U.S. Infantry; 5th New York Infantry Regiment; 140th New York Infantry Regiment; 146th New York Infantry Regiment; Battery "L", 1st Ohio Light Artillery; Battery "I", 5th U.S. Light Artillery; 91st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 126th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 129th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 134th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 123rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 131st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 133rd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment; 155th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
Troop Size: 154734
Confederate Troop Size: 57352
Union Troop Size: 97382
Overall losses: 3255
Confederate Losses: 1649
Union Losses: 1606
Confederate Wounded: 9106
Union Wounded: 9762
Confederate Missing in Action: 1708
Union Missing in Action: 5919
The locomotive ground to a halt at a little depot amidst a drenching downpour. An eager figure scanned the cars for two passengers who meant more to him than anyone else on earth.
The legendary "Stonewall" Jackson, renowned as the quintessential grim warrior, revealed his gentler nature on April 20, 1863, at Guinea Station, 12 miles south of Fredericksburg as he greeted his beloved wife and saw his infant daughter for the first time. The blissful family repaired to a nearby house and passed the next nine days enjoying the only domestic contentment they would ever share. In less than three weeks, at a small frame building near Guinea, Jackson would be dead.
The campaign that resulted in Jackson's demise, paradoxically remembered as "Lee's greatest victory," emerged from the backwash of the Battle of Fredericksburg. That Federal debacle and subsequent political intrigue at army headquarters prompted a change of command in the Army of the Potomac. Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, a 48-year-old Massachusetts native endowed with high courage and low morals, replaced Burnside in January. Within weeks, Hooker's able administrative skills restored the health and morale of his troops, whom he proudly proclaimed "the finest army on the planet." See Hooker's Official Report on the battle.
The new commander crafted a brilliant plan for the spring that he expected would at least compel General Robert E. Lee to abandon his Fredericksburg entrenchments, and, possibly, prove fatal to the Army of Northern Virginia. First, Hooker would detach his cavalry, 10,000 strong, on a flying raid toward Richmond to sever Lee's communications with the Confederate capital. Then, he would send most of his infantry 40 miles upstream to cross the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers beyond the Confederate defenses, and sweep east against Lee's left flank. The rest of "Fighting Joe's" army would cross the river at Fredericksburg and menace the Confederate front as the second blade of a great pincers. "My plans are perfect," boasted Hooker "and when I start to carry them out may God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none."
The condition of the Confederate army lent credence to Hooker's confidence. In February, Lee detached his stalwart lieutenant, James Longstreet, with two strong divisions to gather food and supplies in southeastern Virginia. The gray commander cherished the offensive, but could not hope to move north without Longstreet. In the meantime, Lee's 60,000 veterans at Fredericksburg would guard their long river line against 130,000 well-equipped Yankees. See Lee's Official Report on the battle.
Hooker began the campaign on April 27 and within three days some 40,000 Federals had splashed through the upriver fords, their presence detected by Confederate cavalry. On April 29, a sizable Union force led by Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick's {click to read Sedgwick's official report on Chancellorsville} Sixth Corps erected pontoon bridges below Fredericksburg and also moved to Lee's side of the river.
With both wings of the enemy across the Rappahannock, Lee faced a serious dilemma. Conventional military wisdom dictated that the understrength Army of Northern Virginia retreat south and escape Hooker's trap. Lee opted instead to meet the Federal challenge head-on. Correctly deducing that Hooker's primary threat lay to the west, "Marse Robert" assigned 10,000 troops under Maj. Gen. Jubal A. Early to man the old Fredericksburg entrenchments. The balance of the army would turn west toward the tangled Wilderness to confront Hooker's flanking column.
By mid afternoon of April 30, that column, now containing 50,000 men and 108 artillery pieces, rendezvoused at the most important road junction in the Wilderness. A large brick tavern named Chancellorsville dominated this intersection of the Orange Turnpike with the Orange Plank, Ely's Ford, and River roads. "This is splendid," exulted one of Hooker's corps commanders, "Hurrah for Old Joe."
The Federals had encountered virtually no opposition to this point. Moreover, they could now press eastward, break clear of the Wilderness, and uncover Banks Ford downstream, thus significantly shortening the distance between their two wings. Hooker, however, decided to halt at Chancellorsville and await the arrival of additional Union troops. This fateful decision disheartened the Federal officers on the scene who recognized the urgency of maintaining the momentum they had thus far sustained.
"Stonewall" Jackson, gladly seizing the initiative that Hooker needlessly surrendered, left the Fredericksburg lines at 3:00 a.m., on May I and arrived at Zoan Church five hours later. There he found two divisions of Confederate infantry, Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson's and Maj. Gen. Lafayette McLaws', fortifying a prominent ridge covering the Turnpike and Plank Road. Although his corps had not yet appeared, Jackson ordered Anderson and McLaws to drop their shovels, pick up their rifles, and advance to the attack. See Anderson's and McLaws' Official Reports on the battle.
Jackson's audacity dictated the shape of the Battle of Chancellorsville. When Hooker at last authorized an eastward movement late in the morning of May 1, his troops on the Turnpike and Plank Road ran flush against "Stonewall's", outgunned but aggressive brigades. Union front-line commanders had not expected this kind of resistance. They sent anxious messages to Hooker, who quickly ordered his generals to fall back to the Wilderness and assume a defensive posture. The Federal columns on the River Road marched almost to Bank's Ford without seeing a Rebel. They returned to Chancellorsville fuming, fully realizing the opportunity that had slipped through their fingers. See A. P. Hill's Official Report for Jackson's Corps.
Late in the day, as the blue infantry threw up entrenchments encircling Hooker's Chancellorsville headquarters, Maj. Gen. Darius N. Couch {click to read an article on Chancellorsville by Couch} approached his superior. As the army's senior corps commander, Couch {click to read Couch's Official Report on the battle} had advocated an offensive strategy and shared his comrades' disappointment with "Fighting Joe's" judgment. "It is all right, Couch," Hooker reassured him, "I have got Lee just where I want him; he must fight me on my own ground."
Couch could barely believe his ears. "To hear from his own lip that the advantages gained by the successful marches of his lieutenants were to culminate in fighting a defensive battle in that nest of thickets was too much, and I retired from his presence with the belief that my commanding general was a whipped man."
Hooker's confidence had faded to caution, but whether he was "whipped" depended upon Lee and Jackson. Those two officers reined up along the Plank Road at its intersection with a byway call the Furnace Road on the evening of May 1. Transforming discarded Federal cracker boxes into camp stools, the generals examined their options.
Confederate scouts verified the Federals' strong positions extending from the Rappahannock River, around Chancellorsville, to the high, open ground at Hazel Grove. This was the bad news. The Southern army could not afford a costly frontal attack against prepared fortifications.
Then, about midnight, Lee's cavalry chief, "Jeb" Stuart, galloped up to the little campfire. The flamboyant Virginian carried thrilling intelligence. The Union right flank was "in the air" -- that is, resting on no natural or artificial obstacle! From that moment on, the generals thought of nothing but how to gain access to Hooker's vulnerable flank. Jackson consulted with staff officers familiar with the area, dispatched his topographical engineer to explore the roads to the west, and tried to snatch a few hours rest at the chilly bivouac.
Before dawn, Lee and Jackson studied a hastily drawn map and decided to undertake one of the biggest gambles in American military history. Jackson's corps, about 30,000 troops, would follow a series of country roads and woods paths to reach the Union right. Lee, with the remaining 14,000 infantry, would occupy a position more than three miles long and divert Hooker's attention during Jackson's dangerous trek. Once in position, "Stonewall" would smash the Federals with his full strength while Lee cooperated as best he could. The Army of Northern Virginia would thus be fractured into three pieces, counting Early's contingent at Fredericksburg, any one of which might be subject to rout or annihilation if the Yankees resumed the offensive. To learn more about the role of McLaws' men on May 2 see a folder for McLaws Trail.
Jackson led his column past the bivouac early on the morning of May 2. He conferred briefly with Lee, then trotted down the Furnace Road with the fire of battle kindled in his eyes. After about one mile, as the Confederates traversed a small clearing, Union scouts perched in treetops at Hazel Grove spotted the marchers. The Federals lobbed artillery shells at Jackson's men and notified Hooker of the enemy movement.
"Fighting Joe" correctly identified Jackson's maneuver as an effort to reach his right flank. He advised the area commander, Maj. Gen. Oliver 0. Howard, to be on the lookout for an attack from the west. As the morning progressed, however, the Union chief grew to believe that Lee was actually withdrawing - the course of events Hooker most preferred. Worries about his right disappeared. Instead, he ordered his Third Corps to harass the tail end of Lee's "retreating" army.
Colorful Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles commanded the Third Corps. He probed cautiously from Hazel Grove toward a local iron manufactory called Catharine Furnace. In mid-afternoon the Federals overwhelmed Jackson's rearguard beyond the furnace along the cut of an unfinished railroad, capturing nearly an entire Georgia regiment. The action at Catharine Furnace, however, eventually attracted some 20,000 Bluecoats onto the scene thus effectively isolating Howard's Eleventh Corps on the right with no nearby support. See Sickles' Official Report on the battle.
Meanwhile the bulk of Jackson's column snaked its way along uncharted trails barely wide enough to accommodate four men abreast. "Stonewall" contributed to Hooker's faith in a Confederate retreat by twice turning away from the Union line - first at Catharine Furnace, then again at the Brock Road. After making the desired impression, Jackson ducked under the Wilderness canopy and continued his march toward Howard's insensible soldiers.
Acting upon a personal reconnaissance recommended by cavalry general Fitzhugh Lee, Jackson kept his column northbound on the Brock Road to the Orange Turnpike where the Confederates would at last be beyond the Union right. The exhausting march, which altogether traversed more, than 12 miles, ended about 3 p.m. when "Old Jack's" warriors began deploying into battle lines astride the Turnpike. Jackson, however, did not authorize an attack for some two hours, providing 11 of his 15 brigades time to take position in the silent forest. The awe-inspiring Confederate front measured nearly two miles across.
Although individual Northern officers and men warned of Jackson's approach, Eleventh Corps headquarters dismissed the reports as frightened exaggerations from alarmists or cowards. Hooker's shortage of cavalry hampered the Federals's ability to penetrate the Wilderness and uncover the Confederate presence with certainty. Only two small regiments and half a New York battery faced west in the direction of Jackson's corps.
Suddenly, a bugle rang out in the afternoon shadows. Bugles everywhere echoed the notes up and down the line. As waves of sweat-soaked soldiers rolled forward, the high defiance of the Rebel Yell pierced the gloomy woods. Jackson's Corps erupted from the trees and sent the astonished Unionists reeling. "Along the road it was pandemonium," recalled a Massachusetts soldier, "and on the side of the road it was chaos." See General Robert Rodes' Official Report on the battle.
Most of Howard's men fought bravely, drawing three additional battle lines across Jackson's path. But the overmatched Federals occupied an untenable position. The screaming gray legions overwhelmed each Union stand and eventually drove the Eleventh Corps completely from the field.
Sunset and the inevitable intermingling of "Stonewall's" brigades compelled Jackson to call a reluctant halt to the advance about 7:15. He summoned Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill's division to the front and, typically, determined to renew his attack despite the darkness. Jackson hoped to maneuver between Hooker and his escape routes across the rivers and then, with Lee's help, grind the Army of the Potomac into oblivion.
While Hill brought his brigades forward, Jackson rode ahead of his men to reconnoiter. When he attempted to return, a North Carolina regiment mistook his small party for Union cavalry. Two volleys burst forth in the blackness and Jackson tottered in his saddle, suffering from three wounds. Shortly thereafter a Federal shell struck Hill, incapacitating him, and direction of the corps devolved upon Stuart. The cavalryman wisely cancelled "Stonewall's" plans for a night attack. See text for Wounding of Stonewall Jackson Trail.
Despite his misfortune on May 2, Hooker still held the advantage at Chancellorsville. He received reinforcements during the night and the Third Corps moved back from Catharine Furnace to reoccupy Hazel Grove. Sickles' troops thus divided the Confederates into separate wings controlled by Stuart and Lee. Hooker, if he chose, could defeat each fraction of his out manned enemy in detail.
The Confederate commanders understood the need to connect their divisions, and Stuart prepared an all-out assault against Hazel Grove at dawn. Hooker made it easy for him. As the Southerners approached the far crest of Hazel Grove they witnessed Sickles' men retiring in an orderly fashion. "Fighting Joe" had directed that his troops surrender the key ground and fall back to Fairview, an elevated clearing closer to Chancellorsville. Photo of Hazel Grove
Stuart immediately exploited the opportunity by placing 31 cannon on Hazel Grove. Combined with artillery located west along the Turnpike, the gunners at Hazel Grove pounded Fairview with a spectacular bombardment. The Federals responded with 34 pieces of their own and soon the Wilderness trembled with a discordant symphony of iron. See folder for Hazel Grove to Fairview walking trail.
The bloodiest fighting of the battle occurred between 6:30 and 9:30 a.m. on May 3. Stuart launched brigade after brigade against entrenched Union lines on both sides of the Turnpike. Troops lost their way in the tangled underbrush and the woods caught fire, confronting the wounded with a horrible fate. See Stuart's Official Report on the battle.
The see-saw fighting began to favor the Southerners as, one by one, Union artillery pieces dropped out of the contest. Hooker failed to resupply his cannoneers with ammunition or shift sufficient infantry reserves to critical areas. A Confederate projectile abetted this mental paralysis when it struck a pillar at Chancellorsville, throwing the Union commander violently to the ground. The impact stunned Hooker, physically removing him from a battle in which he had not materially been engaged for nearly 48 hours. Before relinquishing partial authority to Couch, Hooker instructed the army to assume a prepared position in the rear, protecting the bridgehead across the Rappahannock.
Stuart pressed forward first to Fairview and then against the remaining Union units at Chancellorsville. Lee's wing advanced simultaneously from the south and east. The Bluecoats receded at last and thousands of powder-smeared Confederates poured into the clearing, illuminated by flames from the burning Chancellorsville mansion.
Lee emerged from the smoke and elicited a long, unbroken cheer from the gray multitudes who recognized him as the architect of their improbable victory. A Confederate staff officer, watching the unbridled expression of so much admiration, reverence, and love, thought that, "it must have been from such a scene that men in ancient times rose to the dignity of gods."
The Southern commander wasted little time on reflection. He prepared to pursue Hooker and seal the success achieved since dawn. A courier bearing news from Fredericksburg shattered Lee's plans. Sedgwick had driven Early's contingent from Marye's Heights and now threatened the Confederate rear. This changed everything. Lee assigned Stuart to watch Hooker's host and sent McLaws eastward to deal with the Sixth Corps menace. Early's Official Report on the battle. See also a folder for a driving tour of 2nd Fredericksburg & Salem Church.
Sedgwick, slowed by Wilcox's single Alabama brigade retreating stubbornly from Fredericksburg, came to grips with the Confederates four miles west of town at Salem Church. The Federals swept into the churchyard but a powerful counterattack drove them back and ended the day's combat. The next day Lee shoved Sedgwick across the Rappahannock at Banks Ford and once again focused on the main Union army in the Wilderness.
Hooker, however, had seen enough. Despite the objections of most of his corps commanders, he ordered a withdrawal across the river. The Federals conducted their retreat under cover of darkness and arrived back in Stafford County on May 6. Ironically, this decision may have been Hooker's most serious blunder of the campaign. Lee's impending assault on May 6 might have failed and completely reversed the outcome of the battle.
Confederate leadership during the Chancellorsville Campaign may represent the finest generalship of the Civil War, but the luster of "Lee's greatest victory" tarnishes upon examination of the battle's tangible results. In truth, the Army of the Potomac had not been so thoroughly defeated - some 40,000 Federals had done no fighting whatsoever. Although Hooker suffered more than 17,000 casualties, those losses accounted for only 13% of his total strength. Lee's 13,000 casualties amounted to 22% of his army, men difficult to replace. Of course, Jackson's death on May 10 created a vacancy that could never be filled. Finally, Lee's triumph at Chancellorsville imbued him with the belief that his army was invincible. He convinced the Richmond government to endorse his proposed offensive into Pennsylvania. Within six weeks, the Army of Northern Virginia confidently embarked on a journey northward to keep an appointment with destiny at a place called Gettysburg.