May 3, 1863---The Battle of Chancellorsville: Day Four

MAY 3, 1863: 

The Battle of Chancellorsville (Day Four): 

On what would eventually be recognized as the second single bloodiest day of the Civil War, the Battle of Chancellorsville resolved itself into three interlinked engagements on three fronts:

1. On the main Chancellorsville front, Confederate forces were at first split by a Union salient commanded by Major General Daniel E. Sickles. Inexplicably, and disastrously for the Union, General Hooker ordered Sickles to pull back his exposed salient. Following Sickles’ withdrawal, the Confederates attacked with both wings of their army and massed their artillery at Hazel Grove. The bombardment finally broke the Federal line at Chancellorsville.

At the height of the battle, Hooker suffered a concussive injury when a rebel cannonball struck the fence post he was leaning against. Although not killed, Hooker was knocked out cold. When he regained consciousness, he was, not unexpectedly, disoriented, though he refused to yield command to his Second. Historians still debate whether the injury impacted his decisionmaking or whether his next moves were dictated by fear of death.

After the collapse of the Union lines, Hooker withdrew for a mile and entrenched in a defensive “U” with his back to the Rappahannock River at United States Ford. 

  2. In what is known as The Second Battle of Fredericksburg, Union forces at Fredericksburg launched a dawn attack on their Confederate counterparts, who (as in the First Battle of Fredericksburg) were manning Marye’s Heights, and were able to pour fire down upon them, causing a fearful slaughter.

After several hours, the Confederates called for a cease-fire so that the Union troops could retrieve their dead and wounded who were littering the field. Unfortunately for gallantry, Union observers noted that the Confederate flank was “in the air,” and when combat resumed, Union forces focused on turning the flank. The Confederates finally were forced to withdraw. Union forces occupied the city, and the main body moved toward Chancellorsville.

3. Following the Union victory at Fredericksburg, the mass of Union troops engaged in that sector moved toward Chancellorsville to support Hooker, but were intercepted at Salem Church by a strong Confederate force led by Jubal Early, who attacked the Federals on both flanks. Losses on both sides were near 5,000 each.

So ended the second bloodiest day of the Civil War, a day eclipsed only by Antietam. Total combined losses on this day alone exceeded 21,000.