Timeline (Give Them the Bayonet!)

1863-1869
1863


 * May
 * May 2-4- The Battle of Chancellorsville takes place. The Confederate II Corps under Stonewall Jackson ambushes General Howard's XI. The Northern corps loses 55% percent of its men without most of them firing a shot. Only one of the divisions returns fire on the Southern soldiers, but the counter-attack is short-lived. Meanwhile the Union's commanding officer, Joseph Hooker, had his III Corps retire to Chancellorsville, reuniting Jackson's II Corps with the rest of General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Stonewall leaves to scout a way to secure U.S. Ford, the only way for the Northern army to retreat across the river. He alerts some of his soldiers upon his return, but they are able to see that he is their commanding officer.

Lee orders multiple attacks into the front of the Army of the Potomac. This compels Hooker to order General Reynolds and his I Corps from U.S. Ford to the front. This is debated by historians as what cost the North the battle.

General Jackson's men set out at 7:30 p.m. They climbed through the dense forests northeast until reaching the ford. The general was amazed to see no defenders. With U.S. Ford in Confederate hands, Jackson let his soldiers rest for the night. However, he did not rest before sending General Lee news of his position.

May 3rd began with a total offensive into the Union lines. The attacks caused Hooker to encircle U.S. Ford, still thinking it was under his control. Once Jackson's scouts confirmed this, he ordered his II Corps to attack Howard's XI Corps. Stonewall's 26,000 men charged into the back of Howard's 5,000 reducing the Federal corps to only a few lucky survivors. Early's division, that had been engaged with Howard before Stonewall's breakthrough, combined with the II Corps to assault Slocum's surrounded corps, which was twice the size of the combined Confederates. Nevertheless, the Federal corps was forced to flee while under heavy fire from Stonewall's men.

The day ended with the Army of Northern Virginia stretched from U.S. Ford to Chancellorsville. Hooker resolved to flee by Ely's Ford, about 15 miles to the west. Only two of the eight Federal corps retreated without doing any battle. Jackson's II Corps, combined with Early's and McLaws' divisions, took the Northern II and XII completely by surprise. The rest of the Confederate army joined in, overrunning the the II and XII before being pushed back.

The Battle of Chancellorsville took 35,000 lives from the Army of the Potomac (26%) while Lee only lost 16,000 men (27%).