In the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, the objective of the Union had been to advance and seize the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia. With the loss of Jackson, Lee reorganized his army, and flush with victory began what was to become the Gettysburg campaign a month later.įurther information: Peninsula Campaign, Seven Days Battles, Northern Virginia campaign, Maryland campaign, Battle of Fredericksburg, and American Civil War Union attempts against Richmond Both armies resumed their previous position across the Rappahannock from each other at Fredericksburg. The campaign ended on May 7 when Stoneman's cavalry reached Union lines east of Richmond.
Lee turned back to confront Hooker who withdrew the remainder of his army across U.S. Sedgwick withdrew across the ford early on May 5. On the 4th Lee turned his back on Hooker and attacked Sedgwick, and drove him back to Banks' Ford, surrounding them on three sides.
The Confederates fought a successful delaying action at the Battle of Salem Church. That same day, Sedgwick advanced across the Rappahannock River, defeated the small Confederate force at Marye's Heights in the Second Battle of Fredericksburg, and then moved to the west. The fiercest fighting of the battle-and the second bloodiest day of the Civil War-occurred on May 3 as Lee launched multiple attacks against the Union position at Chancellorsville, resulting in heavy losses on both sides and the pulling back of Hooker's main army. Stuart temporarily replaced him as corps commander. While performing a personal reconnaissance in advance of his line, Jackson was wounded by fire after dark from his own men close between the lines, and cavalry commander Maj. On May 2, Lee divided his army again, sending Stonewall Jackson's entire corps on a flanking march that routed the Union XI Corps. Despite the objections of his subordinates, Hooker withdrew his men to the defensive lines around Chancellorsville, ceding the initiative to Lee. John Sedgwick from advancing, while he attacked Hooker's advance with about four-fifths of his army. On May 1, Hooker advanced from Chancellorsville toward Lee, but the Confederate general split his army in the face of superior numbers, leaving a small force at Fredericksburg to deter Maj. Combined with the Union force facing Fredericksburg, Hooker planned a double envelopment, attacking Lee from both his front and rear. Crossing the Rapidan River via Germanna and Ely's Fords, the Federal infantry concentrated near Chancellorsville on April 30. This operation was completely ineffectual. George Stoneman began a long-distance raid against Lee's supply lines at about the same time. The Chancellorsville campaign began when Hooker secretly moved the bulk of his army up the left bank of the Rappahannock River, then crossed it on the morning of April 27, 1863. The two armies faced off against each other at Fredericksburg during the winter of 1862–1863. He died of pneumonia eight days later, a loss that Lee likened to losing his right arm. Jackson was hit by friendly fire, requiring his left arm to be amputated. The victory, a product of Lee's audacity and Hooker's timid decision-making, was tempered by heavy casualties, including Lt. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.Ĭhancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because his risky decision to divide his army in the presence of a much larger enemy force resulted in a significant Confederate victory. Joseph Hooker's Army of the Potomac against an army less than half its size, General Robert E. Two related battles were fought nearby on May 3 in the vicinity of Fredericksburg. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign.
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