Chapter 4: Lee's Victory
With
Jackson injured (hie left arm was amputated) and his second-in-command
Gen. Hill also out of action, command fell to J.E.B. Stuart, the infamous
cavalry leader.
- May 3, Stuart orders II Corps to continue the attack on the Union right.
The odds are more even now, and Stuart's weary divisions now had to fight
the Wilderness as well as the fresh Union corps of Couch and Slocum. Casualties
begin to mount on both sides during the hard fighting of May 3rd.
- Hooker's force of 75,000 had the opportunity to attack the rebels in
three places: Stuart's 25,000 to the west, Lee's 20,000 to the east, or
Early's 10,000 around Fredericksburg. Hooker focuses his attention on his
smallest force and pins all hope on Sedgwick's abilty to push Early aside
and march from Fredericksburg to attack Lee in the rear. Accordingly, late
on May 2nd, Hooker ordered Sedgwick to attack.
- Hooker orders Sickles to withdraw from the salient at Hazel's Grove
in order to shorten his line. Hooker thus handed an ideal artillery sight
to Lee, who immediatley set up a battery there to bombard Chancellorsville.
- May 3rd, a confederate artillery round hit Chancellor's house (the
Union HQ) and knocked Hooker unconcious. He revived shaken and weak but
refused to relinquish command.
Chancellor's
House
- Under orders from Hooker, Sedgwick attacked Early's strongly fortified
position above Fredericksburg. He is repulsed three times, but carried
the breastworks on the fourth attempt.
- Early's small force fights a delaying action against Sedgwick and sends
word to Lee.
- Lee, correctly reading that by now Hooker is totally passive and incapable
of offensive
action, divides his force yet again and leads McLaws' and Anderson's divisions
against Sedgwick, leaving Stuart with 25,000 to hold Hooker's 75,000.
- May 4, Sedgwick, now outnumbered by Lee, leads an effective fighting
retreat towards Scott's Ford. Stuart doesn't have the numbers to continue
the attack in the west, and Hooker doesn't have the will.
- May 5, Hooker decides, against the judgment of most of his corps commanders,
to withdraw across the Rappahannock and admit defeat. He uses Meade's corps
as a rear guard.
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With
Jackson injured (hie left arm was amputated) and his second-in-command
Gen. Hill also out of action, command fell to J.E.B. Stuart, the infamous
cavalry leader.
Chancellor's
House
action, divides his force yet again and leads McLaws' and Anderson's divisions
against Sedgwick, leaving Stuart with 25,000 to hold Hooker's 75,000.