Chancellorsville
Definition: Disaster for the Union army, despite outnumbering the South 2-1. Fresh from the defeat at Fredericksburg, mere miles to the southeast, the Union army, with "Fighting Joe" Hooker in charge, acted swiftly and then hesitated. Into the breach came Robert E. Lee, splitting his vastly numerically inferior force into three even smaller parts. With Hooker pinned down defending the town of Chancellorsville instead of the high ground town (his original destination), Lee and Stonewall Jackson and Jeb Stuart hammered the Union army into submission and retreat. But the cost was high for the South: Stonewall Jackson was shot by his own men and died eight days after Lee's greatest success.
Related Resources:
Chancellorsville Battle Map
Check it out up close: troop encampments and movements.
The Civil War
The Civil War was one of the most devastating events in American History. Read about the causes, see the heroes, and share the horror. Start here.
Elsewhere on the Web:
The Battle of Chancellorsville
Details, facts, and figures about the Confederate victory (and loss).
Hooker's Comments on Chancellorsville
Read what the Union general had to say about his decisions.
The Death of Stonewall Jackson
Numerous primary sources tell the story of death of Robert E. Lee's right-hand man.