The Battle of Chancellorsville
Civil War Combat
Unflinching, uncompromising and graphic, the images and stories presented here show these battles for what they were, with all the brutality, horror, devastation and desperation

Chancellorsville
Civil War Virginia

American Civil War
April 30-May 6, 1863

On April 27, General Joseph Hooker led the V, IX, and XII Corps on a campaign to turn the Confederate left flank by crossing the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers above Fredericksburg.
Union Sixth Army Corps in the Chancellorsville Campaign: A Study of the Engagements of Second Fredericksburg, Salem Church And Banks's Ford
The winter of 1862-1863 found the Union's Army of the Potomac in sad shape. Bloody battles, multiple defeats, lack of adequate provisions and high desertion rates had left even the hardiest Union soldiers dispirited

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 General 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, Lieutenant General 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.

Result(s): Confederate victory

Location: Spotsylvania County

Campaign: Chancellorsville Campaign (April-May 1863) next battle in campaign Campaigns

Date(s): April 30-May 6, 1863

Principal Commanders: General Joseph Hooker [US]; General Robert E. Lee and General Thomas J. Jackson [CS]

Forces Engaged: 154,734 total (US 97,382; CS 57,352)

Estimated Casualties: 24,000 total (US 14,000; CS 10,000)


Chancellorsville
The series of controversial events that define this crucial battle, including General Robert E. Lee's radical decision to divide his small army--a violation of basic military rules--sending Stonewall Jackson on his famous march around the Union army flank

Click to enlarge maps
Chancellorsville Virginia Battle Map

A. By late in the day of April 30, Genreal Joseph Hooker had moved his army from north of Fredericksburg west across the Rapidan and Rappahannock rivers to Chancellorsville. General Robert E. Lee's army had been flanked. Hooker would have 73,000 men in position by May 1.

B. General Lee's force at Fredericksburg consisted of 60,000 men. He left 10,000 there, under General Jubal Early, and on May 1 moved 50,000 west to meet Hooker. Lieut. General Thomas Jackson's corps attacked the Union force but the fighting was not decisive. Hooker, however, withdrew his troops to around Chancellorsville for the night.

C. On May 2 Lee divided his army at Chancellorsville with Jackson taking 26,000 men on a fourteen mile march west and north to hit the Federal right flank. Splitting his force was a big gamble and defied tactical rules. Lee had only 17,000-20,000 men remaining to face Hooker's 73,000 man army. Jackson attacked General Howard's Federal troops causing them to retreat two miles east. Darkness stopped the Confederate pursuit. Jackson was shot by mistake by men of the 18th North Carolina. General Stuart assumed command of Jackson's troops.

 
The attack of Stonewall Jackson and his army upon the right flank of the Army of the Potomac at Chancellorsville
Stonewall Jackson at Chancellorsville
Produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library

Fredericksburg Area Map of Battles

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Civil War Map Chancellorsville
Civil War Journal
Collector's Edition 4-DVD Set
Made exclusively for Books Are Fun. Discs include: · Stonewall Jackson · Sherman and the March to the Sea · West Point Classmates-Civil War Enemies · Robert E. Lee · Battle of 1st Bull Run · The 54th Massachusetts · John Brown s War · Destiny at Fort Sumter

Virginia State Battle Map 1863
State Battle Maps
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Confederate Johhny Cake Recipes
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Fredericksburg Virginia Current Weather and Information

Virginia History Civil War Book Club Reading Titles

American Civil War Book Titles

The Official Virginia Civil War Battlefield Guide
Virginia was host to nearly 1/3rd of all Civil War engagements. This guide covers them all like a mini-history of the war. This guide organizes battles chronologically. Each campaign has a detailed overview, followed by concise descriptions of the individual engagements
A Girl's Life in Virginia Before the War
First published in 1895. An engrossing eyewitness account of antebellum plantation life as it really was
Attack of Stonewall Jackson at Chancellorsville
The cadenced ranks of Lieutenant General Thomas J. Stonewall Jackson's Confederates. The gray-clad Southerners plowed into the Union defense
Generals in Bronze: Interviewing the Commanders of the Civil War
Revealing interviews with the commanders of the Civil War. In the decades that followed the American Civil War, Artist James E. Kelly (1855-1933) conducted in-depth interviews with over forty Union Generals

Young Reader Civil War Book Titles

The Journal of James Edmond Pease: A Civil War Union Soldier, Virginia, 1863
James was only 15 when he joined, but he was able to get in. Nobody really liked him cause he was unlucky. One day in the confusion he charged ahead of his company and scared off all the Confederates single handed. After that, he became well liked by most people and soon rose Corporal. He showed his bravery when he spent a week in enemy territory. By the end of the war he rose up to Second Lieutenant.
Behind the Blue and Gray: The Soldier's Life in the Civil War
Civil War reading can be very dry, but not this book. Delia Ray takes us on a soldiers journey beginning with enlistment and ending with a soldiers life after the war, using quotes from actual letters and diaries strategically placed throughout the book.
The Civil War for Kids
History explodes in this activity guide spanning the turmoil preceding secession, the first shots fired at Fort Sumter, the fierce battles on land and sea, and finally the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. Making butternut dye for a Rebel uniform, learning drills and signals with flags, decoding wigwag, baking hardtack, reenacting battles, and making a medicine kit bring this pivotal period in our nation's history to life.
Eye Witness Civil War
Eyewitness Civil War includes everything from the issues that divided the country, to the battles that shaped the conflict, to the birth of the reunited states. Rich, full-color photographs of rare documents, powerful weapons, and priceless artifacts plus stunning images of legendary commanders, unsung heroes, and memorable heroines

Civil War History Documentary DVD Movie Titles


Gettysburg / Gods and Generals
The tide of the war changes during three fierce days of combat at Gettysburg [Disc 1] the gripping saga of the tactics command errors and sacrifices behind the bloodiest battle ever fought on U.S. soil. Gods and Generals [Disc 2] reveals the spirited allegiances and fierce combat of earlier Civil War struggles
Civil War Combat: America's Bloodiest Battles
The violent mayhem of the hornet's nest at Shiloh, the valiant charge on the sunken road at Antietam, the carnage in the wheat field at Gettysburg, and the brutal fighting at Cold Harbor
Civil War Journal - The Conflict Begins
These four programs from the History Channel series Civil War Journal cover critical aspects of the early days of the war.
The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns
Here is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that had to divide itself in two in order to become one

Sources:
U.S. National Park Service
U.S. Library of Congress.

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