Battle of Chancellorsville facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Battle of Chancellorsville

Battle of Chancellorsville, by Kurz and Allison, 1889
(Apocryphal painting depicts the wounding of Confederate Lt. Gen. Stonewall Jackson on May 2, 1863)

Date	April 30 (1863-04-30) – May 6, 1863 (1863-05-06)
Location	Spotsylvania County, Virginia 38°18′38″N 77°38′54″W / 38.3105°N 77.6484°W / 38.3105; -77.6484
Result	Confederate victory

Belligerents

United States (Union)

Confederate States (Confederacy)

Commanders and leaders

Joseph Hooker

Robert E. Lee
Stonewall Jackson †
J. E. B. Stuart

Units involved

Army of the Potomac

Army of Northern Virginia

Strength

Chancellorsville campaign:

133,868 ("present for duty equipped"):
- Chancellorsville:
  c. 106,000 (Army of the Potomac minus VI Corps-2nd Div./II Corps);
- 2nd Fredericksburg/Salem Church:
  c. 28,000 (VI Corps; 2nd Div./II Corps);

60,298

Casualties and losses

Chancellorsville campaign:

17,287
(1,606 killed
9,762 wounded
5,919 captured/missing):
- Chancellorsville:
  12,145 (1,082 killed
  6,849 wounded
  4,214 captured/missing);
- 2nd Fredericksburg/Salem Church:
  4,700 (493 killed
  2,710 wounded
  1,497 captured/missing);
- Minor skirmishes:
  442 (31 killed
  203 wounded
  208 captured/missing);

12,764

(1,665 killed
9,081 wounded
2,018 captured/missing)

The Battle of Chancellorsville (April 30 to May 6, 1863) was a major battle in the American Civil War. It is generally considered to be Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s greatest victory over the Union Army. But the Confederate victory was lessened by the loss of Lieutenant general Stonewall Jackson. Jackson was shot and mortally wounded by his own men who mistook the general and his staff for Union cavalry. For this reason Lee's win at Chancellorsville was considered a pyrrhic victory.

Background
The battle
- Opening
- Heaviest fighting
Aftermath
Interesting fact
Images for kids
See also

Background

After the Battle of Fredericksburg the Union army was in a state of confusion. The Army of the Potomac was commanded by Major general Ambrose Burnside. But his generals were in near open revolt against Burnside feeling he was unfit to command. Burnside even seemed to agree with them. He had refused command of the Army of the Potomac twice saying he was not up to the job. Finally, President Abraham Lincoln agreed and replaced Burnside with General Joseph Hooker. Hooker managed to restore the health and morale of his army within a few weeks. He proudly called them "the finest army on the planet."

Hooker devised a plan for a spring campaign that would cause Lee's Army of Northern Virginia to fall back from Fredericksburg, Virginia. He hoped it would also destroy Lee's army. His plan was to send his 10,000-man cavalry on a raid against Richmond, Virginia to cut Lee's lines of communication with the Confederate capital. He would send most of his infantry to cross the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers 40 miles north of the Confederates. The rest of his army would cross the river at Fredericksburg to attack Lee from the front. It was devised as a pincer movement that if successful would surround the enemy.

The battle

Opening

General T.J. "Stonewall" Jackson

Hooker's army crossed the Rappahannock on April 30, 1863. This placed his army on Lee's flank. Hooker's Federal army numbered 97,382 men. This was twice the size of Lee's army at 57,352 men. But rather than retreat, Lee split his forces. He decided to attack Hooker while his army was still in the thick wilderness. Lee sent Jackson with 30,000 Confederate soldiers to attack the Union right flank. He assigned Major general Jubal A. Early with 10,000 soldiers to defend Fredericksburg. By the afternoon of April 30, 50,000 Union troops with 108 artillery pieces found themselves at an important road junction. There was a tavern at the crossroad named Chancellorsville. Rather than keep going and get clear of the wilderness, Hooker decided to stop and wait for more Union troops to arrive. There had been no Confederate opposition at this point. Even so, Hooker's officers wanted to keep going.

Spot of Stonewall Jackson's Death

On May 1, Stonewall Jackson found two divisions of Confederates at Zoan Church, fortifying a ridge. He ordered them to drop their shovels and pick up their rifles and move toward the Union soldiers to attack. The Union army had just decided to move forward again and had not expected any Confederate resistance. Hooker ordered his soldiers back and had them form defensive positions in the wilderness. On the morning of May 2, Jackson moved his corps against the Union left flank. There was fighting on and off all day. At 5:20 p.m., Jackson attacked the Union's XI Corps. The Federals counterattacked until darkness ended the fighting. That night, Jackson was making a night reconnaissance with one of his staff officers when he was mistakenly shot by his own soldiers. He died 8 days later from pneumonia after losing his left arm. General J.E.B. Stuart took over temporary command of Jackson's Corps.

Heaviest fighting

Map of Chancellorsville battle

On May 3, The Confederates resumed their attacks forcing Hooker's army to defend the river fords. This was the heaviest day of the fighting. Both wings of the Confederates attacked while their artillery concentrated on the Union line at Hazel Grove. The larger Union army held nearly all of the most strategic spots on the battlefield. Of these the key to the battle was Hazel Grove, a high open plateau that overlooked all the Union positions. Stuart realized this and early in the morning Confederates attacked up the slopes of Hazel Grove and captured about 100 men and four artillery pieces. For unknown reasons Hooker had ordered the artillery back from Hazel Grove. At the time of the attack, most of the artillery had already been removed. This was a costly mistake since the Confederate artillery could now fire down on the union positions with great ease. This finally forced the Union line back to a defensive position with his back to the river. Meanwhile, the other Union forces were advancing on Lee from the east. Lee split his army again and met and defeated the Federals near Salem Church (Fredericksburg). This was by far the bloodiest day of fighting. The fighting at Salem Church resulted in more casualties than the entire First Battle of Bull Run.

Aftermath

On May 6, Hooker recrossed the Rappahannock. He lost a total of 17,278 casualties while Lee lost 12,826. It was a tremendous win for Lee. But Lee could not replace Jackson. Hooker was the second general of the Army of the Potomac to be replaced after a single battle. Hooker argued that the cavalry raid failed to cut Lee's supply lines. He complained that the XI Corps, composed mostly of German-Americans and other recent immigrants, ran instead of staying to fight. Oliver O. Howard's XI corps were labeled the "flying Dutchmen" over this incident. But they redeemed themselves at the Battle of Missionary Ridge. Howard would later be promoted over Hooker. But despite laying the blame elsewhere Hooker was replaced by General George G. Meade. In a few weeks, Lee would move north to engage the Union forces again at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Interesting fact

Grave of Stonewall Jackson's Arm

Stonewall Jackson's arm is buried in a different place than his body.

Jackson was hit by three bullets, two in the left arm and one in the right hand.

Because of his injuries, Jackson's left arm had to be amputated. Jackson died of complications from pneumonia on May 10, 1863, eight days after he was shot.

He was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Lexington, Virginia.

The arm that was amputated on May 2 was buried separately by Jackson's chaplain (Beverly Tucker Lacy), at the J. Horace Lacy house, "Ellwood". Union soldiers reburied it in an unknown location in 1864.

In 1903 one of Jackson's officers put up a monument above where the arm was supposedly buried.

The monument to Stonewall Jackson's arm, erected where it is buried in Locust Grove, Virginia has become a tourist attraction.

Images for kids

Virginia, 1863
Troops crossing the Rapidan at Germanna Ford
Battle of Chancellorsville, Situation Late 30 April 1863 and Movements since 27 April
Troops on Hooker's right cross the Rappahannock
Chancellorsville, actions on May 1
Battle of Chancellorsville, 1 May 1863 (Situation at Dark)
Chancellorsville, actions on May 2
Battle of Chancellorsville, 2 May 1863 (Situation at 1800)
The ruins of Catharine Furnace photographed in 2011
The site of "Keenan's Charge" [8th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment] 2 May 1863
Dowdall's Tavern was Union General Oliver O. Howard's headquarters until he was surprised and driven out by Stonewall Jackson's Confederate troops on May 2.
Wilderness Church at Chancellorsville was the center of a stand made by Union general Schurz's division during Stonewall Jackson's surprise flank attack.
Ruins of the Chancellor House which was the headquarters of Federal General Joseph Hooker of the Army of the Potomac during the battle, later burned, May 1863
The XI Corps routs before Jackson's evening dinner time surprise attack
XII Corps artillery halts Jackson's surprise attack
Chancellorsville, actions on May 3, dawn to 10 a.m.
Battle of Chancellorsville, 3 May 1863 (Situation Early)
Chancellorsville, actions on May 3, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including the Second Battle of Fredericksburg and the Battle of Salem Church
Chancellorsville Campaign, 3 May 1863 (Battle of Salem Church: Situation at 1600)
Soldiers of the VI Corps, Army of the Potomac, in trenches before storming Marye's Heights at the Second Battle of Fredericksburg during the Chancellorsville campaign, Virginia, May 1863. This photograph (Library of Congress #B-157) is sometimes mistakenly labeled as taken at the 1864 Siege of Petersburg, Virginia.
Chancellorsville, actions on May 4, withdrawals on May 5 and 6
Battle of Chancellorsville, 4 May 1863 (Situation at 1800)
Battle of Chancellorsville, 6 May 1863 (Situation at 1700)
Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, (Commanding)
Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds, I Corps
Maj. Gen. Darius N. Couch, II Corps
Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles, III Corps
Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, V Corps
Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick, VI Corps
Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard, XI Corps
Maj. Gen. Henry W. Slocum, XII Corps
Maj. Gen. George Stoneman, Cav. Corps
Gen. Robert E. Lee, (Commanding)
Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, I Corps
Lt. Gen. Stonewall Jackson, II Corps
Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, Cav. Corps
Brig. Gen. Charles Devens, wounded
Brig. Gen. Amiel W. Whipple, mortally wounded
Brig. Gen. Gershom Mott, wounded
Brig. Gen. William Hays, wounded
Lt. Gen. Stonewall Jackson, mortally wounded
Maj. Gen. Ambrose P. Hill, wounded
Brig. Gen. Henry Heth, wounded
Brig. Gen. William D. Pender, wounded
Brig. Gen. Samuel McGowan, wounded
Brig. Gen. Stephen D. Ramseur, wounded
Brig. Gen. Robert F. Hoke, wounded
Brig. Gen. Francis T. Nicholls, wounded
Brig. Gen. Edward A. O'Neal, wounded
Col. Stapleton Crutchfield, wounded
Map symbols
Map 1: Hooker's Flanking March, 27–30 April 1863
Map 2: 1 May 1863 (late morning)
Map 3: 2 May 1863 (early evening)
Map 4: 3 May 1863 (early morning)
Map 5: 4 May 1863 (late afternoon)