Home » History » American Civil War » The Battle of Chancellorsville, Part II

The Battle of Chancellorsville, Part II

© Michael J. Swogger

It was a scene of terror and confusion such as I had never seen before. Men and animals were dashing one against another in wild dismay before the line of fire that came crackling and crashing after them. The constantly approaching rattle of musketry, the crash of shells through the trees, seemed to come from three sides upon the broken fragments of the Eleventh Corps that crowded each other in the road. - John L. Collins, United States Cavalry, May 2, 1863

The daring move had begun. Jackson had his 30,000 men moving amidst the thick woods and underbrush toward the Union right flank shortly after 8 a.m. on May 2. As Jackson, who was riding along side his men, passed the observing Lee, he pointed in the direction in which they were headed. Lee nodded in approval, and Jackson moved along. It was the last time the two men would see each other.

The men would march at good pace - moving for 50 minutes, resting for 10 - despite the rough terrain and warm spring weather. Jackson continually urged his men to move on. "'Press forward!' he called. 'See that the column is kept close. Press on, press on!'" (Goolrick, 1985, p. 128). The 12-mile march lasted for most of the day, and Jackson's troops were not in position to attack until 5:15 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Union line was repositioning and digging in for a defensive operation. General O.O. Howard's XI Corps made up the right flank of the line on the Turnpike where Jackson was headed. Sickles' III Corps was positioned next to Howard near a clearing called Hazel Grove. Next to Sickles were Slocum's XII Corps and Couch's II Corps, respectively. Finally, anchoring the Union left was Meade's V Corps with its extreme left on the Rappahannock River. Hooker had the line prepared for a frontal assault that was not coming. Facing the bulk of the Federal line were the two divisions of Anderson and McLaws.

Jackson's movements did not go undetected. As early as 8 a.m., General David Birney of Sickles' Corps had alerted Hooker of enemy movements from left to right across his front (Goolrick, 1985). After surmising that Lee was attempting to flank him, Hooker sent a swift message of warning to Howard . Ordered to have his pickets stay well in advance of the main line as to keep tabs on enemy movements, Howard took some minor steps to prepare for the imminent attack. He still had his men facing to the south, for he thought the woods to the west were impenetrable, and thus, there was no danger there. Also believing that the enemy movements were meant to be a retreat, his men were pretty well relaxed by suppertime (McPherson, 1988). This complacency would prove very costly.

The copyright of the article The Battle of Chancellorsville, Part II in American Civil War is owned by Michael J. Swogger. Permission to republish The Battle of Chancellorsville, Part II in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.