Brief Summary Of The Battle At Chancellorsville

Shots rang out at Chancellorsville, Virginia! The bloody battle lasted from April 30 to May 6. The Battle at Chancellorsville started with the Union army crossing Rappahannock River on the morning of April 27, 1863. On May 1, general Joseph Hooker of the Union advanced from Chancellorsville toward general Robert E. Lee, but general Lee split his army, leaving a small group at Fredericksburg to discourage Major General John Sedgwick from advancing, while he attacked Hooker's force with about four-fifths of his army. After making contact with Lee on May 1st on the Orange Turnpike east of the Chancellor house, Hooker pulled his men back and gave up the initiative to general Lee. That night, Lee and General "Stonewall" Jackson came up with one
While doing a personal scouting mission in advance of his line, Jackson was wounded by fire at night from his own men close in between the lines. Forcing Stonewall Jackson’s arm to have amputated. Major General J. E. B. Stuart temporarily replaced him as corps commander. The May 2nd flank attack stunned the Union troops and threatened Hooker’s position.The deadliest fighting of the battle, and the second bloodiest day of the Civil War, happened on May 3 as general Lee sent multiple attacks on the Union position at Chancellorsville, resulting in heavy losses on both sides. The Confederate army kept up their attack and forced Hooker’s larger army back to a new defensive line closer to the fords. Heading east, Lee defeated a separate Union force at Salem Church that had threatened his rear. That same day, general Sedgwick went 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 Confederate army fought a successful fight at the Battle of Salem Church and by May 4 had forced back general Sedgwick's men to Banks' Ford, surrounding them on three