Site 3: Chancellorsville, 1863
Animated Battle History of Chancellorsville:
historyanimated.com/verynewhistorywaranimated/animations/ChancellorsvilleAnimation.html |
Lee's triumph at the battle of Chancellorsville followed his recent success in Fredericksburg, causing this period of time to be dubbed the Confederacy's "glory days". Living up to this title, Chancellorsville proved to be Genera Lee's greatest victory of the war, where he defeated "Fighting Joe" Hooker and a Union army of twice his size (134,000 men: the biggest army ever assembled on American soil). Hookers army began by crossing the Rappahannock River and flanking the Rebels, while his cavalry men cut out Lee's supply lines. Both armies finally face each other in the heart of Chancellorsville. The Union army moved back, hoping to remain in the defensive and tire out the offensive Rebels. However, Lee and Jackson attempted an unconventional maneuver: they split their forces, one half managing to flank the Union army from behind undetected, and forcing the survivors to retreat. Though a triumph for the Confederacy, the Rebels lost almost as many casualties as the Federals (13,000 vs. 16,000), as well as Lee's best general: Stonewall Jackson. Hodge and Horwitz follow the markers of Jackson's death and even visit his arm's grave.
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