On this day, one hundred forty-seven hears ago, US Major General Joseph Hooker put his Army of the Potomac in motion. With flowering trees in full bloom, and spring temperatures warming the days, the 1863 campaign season had opened. After assuming command of the Army of Potomac, in January 1863, Hooker had implemented many changes to his army. While in winter camp near Falmouth, Virginia Hooker worked diligently to raise the morale of his men, granting much needed furloughs and instituting badges for each army corps so the soldiers could proudly be identified by their corps. By March the morale in the Army of the Potomac had been significantly improved.
Hooker’s operational plans for the upcoming campaign were well devised and provided a terrific opportunity for success against CSA General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Leaving US Major General John Sedgwick’s VI Corps at Fredericksburg, to deceive Lee of his true intentions, Hooker planned to march his remaining six infantry corps northwest of Fredericksburg, crossing the Rappahannock River at U.S. and Ely’s fords. From there he would push south falling on Lee’s left flank and rear, preventing him from escaping towards Richmond. Additionally, Hooker sent his cavalry corps, commanded by US Brigadier General George Stoneman, on a long circuitous route around Lee’s army to destroy his communications and provide an additional layer of of support to prevent Lee from escaping south. According to Civil War scholar, Ernest B. Furgurson, “Hooker had sent most of his cavalry away from the battle; what was left was misused, and ignored when it did show initiative.”(i) This would prove to be the undoing of Hooker. While his plan confused Lee to his true intentions, Hooker was operating blindly. Lee, in perhaps his best performance as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, would split his smaller army not once, but twice, in front of an army that had a two to one numerical advantage. On May 2 Lee sprung his own trap sending CSA Lieutenant General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s 2d Corps on a long flanking march to fall on the right flank of Hooker’s army. The surprise was complete, pushing US Major General Oliver O. Howard’s XI Corps more than two miles towards Chancellorsville. On May 3 Hooker consolidated his position around the Chancellor tavern giving up 
the high ground held by US Major General Daniel Sickles’ III Corps at Hazel Grove. This also proved disastrous as Lee’s artillery would use the high ground to pound the Federal position.
Meanwhile, Hooker had ordered Sedgwick to dislodge CSA Major General Jubal A. Early’s 2d Corps division from Marye’s Heights at Fredericksburg. While Early’s division was significantly outnumbered, he was able to delay Sedgwick’s advance long enough for CSA Brigadier General Cadmus Wilcox to establish a trap at Salem Church, just east of Chancellorsville. Arrayed in the woods, along the Orange Turnpike, Wilcox would halt Sedgwick’s VI Corps in their tracks as they were marching along the pike. After the bloody fight at Salem Chuch, Sedgwick, like Hooker, consolidated his corps along the Rappahannock River at Scott’s Ford. Having left Fredericksburg uncovered, Early marched his division back to his trenches on Marye’s Heights cutting off Sedgwick’s retreat route. This essentially ended any opportunity Hooker had to defeat Lee. No longer willing or able to take the offensive Hooker would retreat across the Rappahannock River in the overnight hours of May 5.
Chancellorsville would prove fatal to Hooker’s ambition. He would be removed from command of the Army of the Potomac in June. Suffering nearly 14,000 casualties at the Battle of Chancellorsville it be one of the worst defeats the Federal army would suffer in the eastern theater. Lee’s army was also badly mauled, suffering approximately 10,000 casualties. However, Lee’s most significant loss was Thomas Jackson. The great Stonewall would be wounded during the May 2 flank attack. Scouting between the lines, Jackson would be shot by one of his own soldiers while returning to his lines. The wound, in itself not fatal, would require the amputation of his left arm. While recovering, at Guinea Station, Jackson would contract pneumonia and die on May 10, 1863.
For a more complete narrative on the Battle of Chancellorsville, refer to the article I wrote last year: The Battle of Chancellorsville – Joe Hooker’s Legacy.
(i) Furgurson, Ernest B., Chancellorsville 1863: The Souls of the Brave, published by Vintage Civil War Library in 1993, Pg. 161.
