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Chapter Two: Lee's Greatest Victory Part Two
General John F. Reynolds, I Corps commander
Luckily for Jackson, due to miscommunications and misunderstandings, Reynolds and his corps would not be able to reach the Union line in time to guard the Union right, which remained in the air by the time Jackson had his men ready for the attack. Observations of the XI Corps found them resting and unprepared for actions, despite orders from General Hooker, who had began suspecting an attack on his right, to post picketts and to be ready for action. At 5:30 P.M., Jackson's attack was ready. The divisions of D.H. Hill and Raleigh Colston would lead the attack, with A.P. Hill's division behind them in support. With everything ready, Jackson ordered the attack, and his men charged out of the woods and into the Union flank. The XI Corps was completely unprepared for the attack, and already having poor morale since they disliked their commander, Oliver O. Howard, and having never before tasted victory, they dissolved into a complete rout.
An image from the 1884 book, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, which was a joint effort between Northern and Southern officers, depicting the rout of the XI Corps
News of the rout would reach Hooker's headquarters at the Chancellor House when mobs of routing XI Corps reached there. Hooker would mount his horse, and try and bring order out of the panic to no avail. By the end of the second day of the battle, Jackson and the men under his command his pushed roughly 1.25 miles, but his command his disorganized following the chaotic attack, and the rest of the Union line still held. The battle came to a stop by nightfall, and both sides tried to reorganize and prepare for the next day. Jackson favored continuing the attack on the Union line despite the coming of nightfall with the hopes of keeping the Union line confused. According to the post-war memoirs of two of his staff, Alexander "Sandie" Pendleton and Henry Kyd Douglas, Jackson planned on personally going out to survey the Union lines to decide if a night attack was possible, but decided not to when Raleigh Colston, a division commander and one of Jackson's favorite and most trusted generals, rode up and reminded him of the advice General Thomas had given him before departing with Lee, "Don't risk your life and get yourself killed, Jackson, I might need you and your command if it gets too hot on my line." Colston would volunteer to do the scouting, and Jackson, after some debate, allowed him to do so. Many say this decision saved Jackson from wounding or possibly even death, as on his way to the Confederate lines, Colston and his staff would be mistaken from Union cavalry and fired upon by 18th North Carolina Infantry under Major John D. Barry, with Colston being fatally wounded.
Brigadier General Raleigh Colston: 1825-1863
With Colston's death, Jackson decided not to launch an night attack, and to wait until morning to continue operations. Jackson would send for General Robert E. Rodes, a brigade commander with a reputation for aggression and a capable officer, from D.H. Hill's division and assign him to lead Colston's division for the battle. The third day of battle would find several new developments. First, the VI Corps under John Sedgwick, supported with a II Corps division under John Gibbon, would finally begin an attack against Marye's Heights, which Generals George Thomas and Richard Anderson held with only one division. Despite this, they would manage hold back repeated attacks from Sedgwick in some of the finest defensive fighting in the entire Civil War, serving the double purpose of protecting the rear of the CSA lines under Lee and Jackson, and also tying up thousands of troops that could have been serving in Hooker's main line. Secondly, John F. Reynolds and his I Corps arrived at Hooker's line, replacing for the most part the Union losses of the last day's fight. Third and finally, Lee's two forces were divided into by Sickles' III Corps, which was preventing Lee from being his full weight to bear against the formidable Union lines. Once again, Hooker provided Lee with another advantage when he ordered Sickles to move further back into the Union lines, not only allowing Lee to consolidate his forces, but to also use Sickles' former position in Hazel Grove as a strong artillery position. With this artillery position (a shot from which would concuss Hooker temporarily, which some say was a factor in his later decisions) and repeated assaults, Lee made the Union line untenable, while also severely damaging the III Corps. All the while during this action, Jackson was riding with only a small party of six staff officers, Douglas, Pendleton, Hotchkiss, Hunter McGuire, the II Corps' chief surgeon, James K. Boswell, chief engineer, and Stapeton Crutchfield, the II Corps' chief of artillery, up and down his lines, constantly exposing himself to enemy fire. By the end of the night, Hooker agreed to have a council of war with his senior corps commanders. Several, including Darius Couch, II Corps commander and 2nd-in-command, Slocum, Sickles, and Meade, were in favor of staying and fighting it out. Hooker decided, however, that a withdrawal his necessary, and ordered that the preparations for it be set in motion. It was decided that the I Corps and Hancock's division of the II Corps would serve as a rearguard, while the rest of the army withdrew. The next day, the Army of the Potomac recrossed the Rappahannock River while Jackson launched more attacks against the defending Union rearguard. By the end of May 4, the Union had completely withdrawn from both Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg, ending the battle. Stoneman and his cavalry, who had ineffectively been raiding in central and southern Virginia, returned to the Union lines by May 7, ending the campaign.
A picture of the Confederate defensive line at Marye's Heights following the battle
Chancellorsville would cost both heavy losses, with the Union losing a little over 18,000 men, and the CSA losing a little less than 12,000. Both sides also took heavy hits in terms of officers. The Union would lose two division commanders killed, both from the III Corps, Hiram Berry (who commanded Hooker's former division) and Amiel Whipple. Six brigade commanders would also be killed, Gershom Mott, Joseph Revere, and Charles Graham of the III Corps, William Hays and Joshua Owen of the II Corps, and Thomas Rowley of the I Corps. The III Corps would take terrible losses in this battle, forcing into the to be consolidated from three divisions into two. In terms of Rebel losses, the senior loss was Raleigh Colston. Three brigade commanders were killed as well, Alfred Colquitt, John R. Jones, and Edward T.H. Warren. Interestingly, almost all of Lee's best brigade commanders, including John B. Gordon, Stephen D. Ramseur, Robert F. Hoke, Samuel McGowan, Cadmus Wilcox, and George Doles, were wounded in the action, but all would recover in time for Lee's next campaign. One however, Elisha F. Paxton, commander of the famed "Stonewall" brigade, would be wounded and put out of active command for the rest of the war, along with such capable colonels as Philip Cook, William Cox, and Thomas Garnett.
A picture of wounded Union troops following the battle from the National Archives of the U.S.
With such an overwhelming, and seemingly impossible victory under his belt and the Union army in complete panic and disarray, Lee would again look north, hoping to bring an end to the Civil War, once and for all.
Chapter Two: Lee's Greatest Victory Part Two
Jackson's Flank Attack by Daniel Troiani, one of the most prolific modern day U.S. Civil War painters
With his orders in place, Jackson would begin the risky march. Against all odds, Jackson would manage to march across the whole Union front on the road Hotchkiss discovered without the Union army moving in to destroy his vulnerable marching column. Despite his success in the maneuver, the plan of Lee and Jackson nearly ended in disaster. From the first day of battle, Hooker had realized that Lee was not leaving a large portion of his troops defending Fredericksburg, and was instead moving the great majority of them against the column under himself and Slocum. With this in mind, Hooker decided to reduce the force threatening Fredericksburg to only the VI Corps, and to bring John F. Reynolds and his I Corps to his column to guard and anchor the Union right on the Rapidan River. If this was to happen, the Union's right flank would no longer be vulnerable, forcing Jackson either attack a well fortified position, or to retread his steps across the whole Union front again, but this time in daylight.
Jackson's Flank Attack by Daniel Troiani, one of the most prolific modern day U.S. Civil War painters
General John F. Reynolds, I Corps commander
Luckily for Jackson, due to miscommunications and misunderstandings, Reynolds and his corps would not be able to reach the Union line in time to guard the Union right, which remained in the air by the time Jackson had his men ready for the attack. Observations of the XI Corps found them resting and unprepared for actions, despite orders from General Hooker, who had began suspecting an attack on his right, to post picketts and to be ready for action. At 5:30 P.M., Jackson's attack was ready. The divisions of D.H. Hill and Raleigh Colston would lead the attack, with A.P. Hill's division behind them in support. With everything ready, Jackson ordered the attack, and his men charged out of the woods and into the Union flank. The XI Corps was completely unprepared for the attack, and already having poor morale since they disliked their commander, Oliver O. Howard, and having never before tasted victory, they dissolved into a complete rout.
An image from the 1884 book, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, which was a joint effort between Northern and Southern officers, depicting the rout of the XI Corps
Brigadier General Raleigh Colston: 1825-1863
With Colston's death, Jackson decided not to launch an night attack, and to wait until morning to continue operations. Jackson would send for General Robert E. Rodes, a brigade commander with a reputation for aggression and a capable officer, from D.H. Hill's division and assign him to lead Colston's division for the battle. The third day of battle would find several new developments. First, the VI Corps under John Sedgwick, supported with a II Corps division under John Gibbon, would finally begin an attack against Marye's Heights, which Generals George Thomas and Richard Anderson held with only one division. Despite this, they would manage hold back repeated attacks from Sedgwick in some of the finest defensive fighting in the entire Civil War, serving the double purpose of protecting the rear of the CSA lines under Lee and Jackson, and also tying up thousands of troops that could have been serving in Hooker's main line. Secondly, John F. Reynolds and his I Corps arrived at Hooker's line, replacing for the most part the Union losses of the last day's fight. Third and finally, Lee's two forces were divided into by Sickles' III Corps, which was preventing Lee from being his full weight to bear against the formidable Union lines. Once again, Hooker provided Lee with another advantage when he ordered Sickles to move further back into the Union lines, not only allowing Lee to consolidate his forces, but to also use Sickles' former position in Hazel Grove as a strong artillery position. With this artillery position (a shot from which would concuss Hooker temporarily, which some say was a factor in his later decisions) and repeated assaults, Lee made the Union line untenable, while also severely damaging the III Corps. All the while during this action, Jackson was riding with only a small party of six staff officers, Douglas, Pendleton, Hotchkiss, Hunter McGuire, the II Corps' chief surgeon, James K. Boswell, chief engineer, and Stapeton Crutchfield, the II Corps' chief of artillery, up and down his lines, constantly exposing himself to enemy fire. By the end of the night, Hooker agreed to have a council of war with his senior corps commanders. Several, including Darius Couch, II Corps commander and 2nd-in-command, Slocum, Sickles, and Meade, were in favor of staying and fighting it out. Hooker decided, however, that a withdrawal his necessary, and ordered that the preparations for it be set in motion. It was decided that the I Corps and Hancock's division of the II Corps would serve as a rearguard, while the rest of the army withdrew. The next day, the Army of the Potomac recrossed the Rappahannock River while Jackson launched more attacks against the defending Union rearguard. By the end of May 4, the Union had completely withdrawn from both Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg, ending the battle. Stoneman and his cavalry, who had ineffectively been raiding in central and southern Virginia, returned to the Union lines by May 7, ending the campaign.
A picture of the Confederate defensive line at Marye's Heights following the battle
Chancellorsville would cost both heavy losses, with the Union losing a little over 18,000 men, and the CSA losing a little less than 12,000. Both sides also took heavy hits in terms of officers. The Union would lose two division commanders killed, both from the III Corps, Hiram Berry (who commanded Hooker's former division) and Amiel Whipple. Six brigade commanders would also be killed, Gershom Mott, Joseph Revere, and Charles Graham of the III Corps, William Hays and Joshua Owen of the II Corps, and Thomas Rowley of the I Corps. The III Corps would take terrible losses in this battle, forcing into the to be consolidated from three divisions into two. In terms of Rebel losses, the senior loss was Raleigh Colston. Three brigade commanders were killed as well, Alfred Colquitt, John R. Jones, and Edward T.H. Warren. Interestingly, almost all of Lee's best brigade commanders, including John B. Gordon, Stephen D. Ramseur, Robert F. Hoke, Samuel McGowan, Cadmus Wilcox, and George Doles, were wounded in the action, but all would recover in time for Lee's next campaign. One however, Elisha F. Paxton, commander of the famed "Stonewall" brigade, would be wounded and put out of active command for the rest of the war, along with such capable colonels as Philip Cook, William Cox, and Thomas Garnett.
A picture of wounded Union troops following the battle from the National Archives of the U.S.
- TheRockofChickamauga
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