The Battle of Chancellorsville, fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, is widely considered to be Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's greatest victory during the American Civil War. Facing an enemy force nearly twice the size of his own, Lee daringly split his troops in two, confronting and surprising Union Gen. Joseph Hooker. Though Hooker still held numerical superiority, he did not press this advantage, instead falling back to defensive positions. When Lee once again split his forces and attacked, Hooker was forced to retreat across the Rappahannock River. Lee's victory came at a high cost, however. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, one of his most trusted generals, was mortally wounded by friendly fire during the battle.
More to Explore
People and Groups
Themes
Events
Related Topics
This Day in History
Jun 19
Civil War
USS Kearsarge sinks CSS Alabama, 1864
The most successful and feared Confederate commerce raider of the war, the CSS Alabama, sinks after a spectacular battle off the coast of France with the…
Recommended Articles
-
American Civil War
The American Civil War, fueled by the debate over slavery and states' rights, pitted North against South in the costliest conflict fought on U.S. soil.
-
Robert E. Lee
Lee's most brilliantly fought battle was the defeat of Joseph Hooker at Chancellorsville on May 1-4, 1863.
-
Stonewall Jackson
Jackson was a key Confederate general during the American Civil War and was killed by friendly fire at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
-
Battle of Gettysburg
In July 1863, Union and Confederate forces clashed at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War.
Did You Know?
Author Stephen Crane's 1895 novel, The Red Badge of Courage, is based on the Battle of Chancellorsville.
Fought in the Wilderness region of Virginia, Chancellorsville was General Robert E. Lee's greatest defensive victory, an outstanding example of command partnership and the misuse of strategic initiative. On April 30, Lee (whose 60,000 men occupied the Fredericksburg heights) found 80,000 enemy troops behind him, thanks to a brilliantly executed march and river crossing by Union major general Joseph Hooker, who proclaimed Lee could either "ingloriously fly" or give "battle on our ground." Unnerved by sharp counterattacks delivered by the outnumbered Confederate rear guard, Hooker squandered his advantage by halting to erect defenses near the Chancellor farm. Lee arrived on May 1, and together with his able subordinate Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, planned his own flank movement.
Early on May 2, Jackson and 30,000 men followed a circuitous route that brought them against Hooker's weak right flank. Jackson's attack, begun in late afternoon, was a brilliant tactical success that destroyed half of Hooker's line; only nightfall prevented a complete victory. Jackson, scouting in the dark, was mortally wounded by his own pickets. The most intense combat of the battle took place on May 3, with Hooker now defending against Lee's attack. In masterful crisis management, Lee simultaneously parried a thrust against his rear by the 27,000 troops Hooker had left behind. On May 6, Hooker recrossed the Rappahannock, having lost 17,278 casualties to Lee's 12,826, including the irreplaceable Jackson. Lee now possessed the strategic initiative, which in a few weeks would lead him north to Gettysburg.
NOAH ANDRE TRUDEAU
The Reader's Companion to Military History. Edited by Robert Cowley and Geoffrey Parker. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
Related Shows
-
America The Story of Us
America The Story of Us is an epic 12-hour television event that tells the extraordinary story of how America was invented.
Shop HISTORY
-
-
Civil War: Rebellion to Reconstruction DVD Set
Experience the turbulent events that ignited the bloodiest, most divisive war this country has known.
$53.99
Buy Now -
Swamp People Troy Mask
Want the ultimate Big Head? The Swamp People Troy Mask is for Cajuns and Cajuns at heart.
$44.99
Buy Now
Email Updates
Keep up with the latest History shows, online features, special offers and more.
Sign upClassroom Study Guides
-
10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America: Antietam (PDF)
Teacher's Guide to the program dramatically exploring the events, meaning, and significance of the watershed battle at Antietam.
-
April 1865: The Month That Saved America (PDF)
Teacher's Guide to the program covering the last few weeks of the Civil War, from President Abraham Lincoln's second inauguration, to the surrender at Appomatox, the assassination of Lincoln, and the final laying down of arms by the Confederacy.
-
Sherman's March (PDF)
Teacher's guide to General William Tecumseh Sherman's military campaign. In 1864 General Sherman began his "March to the Sea," burning crops, confiscating supplies, destroying buildings and ripping up the rail tracks on his way.
