Longtime fans know. Im a Stonewall Jackson Fanboy. Chris is like the anti Stonewall Jackson Fanboy and as a result, his description of Jacksons Death is far more entertaining than mine is but chancellorsville is a battlefield where both of us are really cut our teeth as younger historians and so his insights on the battle of Chancellors Bill known as lees greatest victory also said some important light on why its lees greatest Defeat Chris is the senior Education Manager at the american Battlefield Trust doing some great work preserving our battlefields including a lot of preservation at chancellorsville itself. Hes the Author And Coauthor of more than a dozen books about the civil war. Ive been privileged to write with him for a 16 years now. Weve got lots of great stuff in the works coming up. Its a real treat to have them with us today. Ladies and gentlemen, chris white. Thanks, chris. Thanks everybody for being here today, even though its a virtual conference. We do have a few people out in the out in the crowd that have sat with us all day. There are presenters our Cspan Cohort and Terry Rental from the central virginia Battlefield Trust to who is a really great partner of the american Battlefield Trust. So we do a lot of work at chancellors specifically together. Youll see some of the maps as we talk about the battle of Chancellors Bill here over the next. I dont know three to four hours because im going to try to top Chris Mackowskis Hour and three Minute Talk that we just went through for grants last battle and if you missed it, youve got to tune in at least for the Peach Part alone where we thought he broke his teeth. So its very entertaining but as we said here and we look at the Opening Slide here. Its chancellors. Those lees greatest victory lees greatest defeat and a lot of people would think you know, that is a crazy statement to make but it is not all that. Landish to make that this is a fantastic Battlefield Victory for the confederates. Its a great tactical victory. It will give them the operational control of the eastern theater all the way through midjuly of 1863. But robert e. Lee himself is upset with the victory at chancellorsville, and ill have some quotes in here about from Robert E Lee saying that he was more depressed than after the battle of fredericksburg whenever he is going to be victorious december of 1862 and one of the most lopsided victories of the american civil war at the battle of first fredericksburg. There are some great lopsided victories throughout the civil war, richmond, virginia richmond, kentucky, which took place in the midst of the perryville campaign. You have cold Harbor Malvern Hill picketts charge franklin you can think of all of these these lopsided victories, but lees upset after fredericksburg, and he actually get some heat after it and after chancellors lilys upset as well. So Thats Something well unpack. But really the story of chancellorsville as Chris Kind of joked at the beginning has been the story of one man for the last 150 odd years and that would be thomas Jonathan Jackson and that Stonewall Jackson and it does a great disservice to all of the men who fought on both sides at Chancellors Bill that his wounding on May 2nd of 1863, which was his fault. No one elses he is going to be the basically the eclipse of the entire battle and the real battle of chancellorsville will take place the day after his wounding where theres more than 21,000 casualties. Its only second in the american civil war 2 antietam which comes in at about 23,110. So this will be the second bloodiest day of the american civil war the day after Stonewall Jackson is is wounded in action a chancellorsville. But his aura if you will is going to be so great that he is going to overshadow not only all of those men who fought at Chancellors Bill. Going to overshadow Robert E Lee himself who really was the man who constructed this great Battlefield Victory jackson played a huge role in it. Dont get me wrong, but Robert E Lee ultimately is the man responsible for making the decisions that give jackson the autonomy to go on a audacious Flank Attack that well talk about as well as bring home that victory against two to one odds against the Union Army the potomac which was abraham lincolns principle army and whats known as the eastern theater the civil war. So Opening Slides interesting too. We have two monuments that are actually being shown in this this picture or this postcard. Were seeing some folks riding down modern Day Route 3, not so modern at the time. This is the orange Plank Road also known as the Orange Turnpike the two roads come together, and its so confusing on this battlefield that when the 911 System is installed in Spotsylvania County. They actually have to break up. What is the Plank Road . What is the Orange Turnpike . So today we call this the Orange Turnpike. And these folks are riding up to two different monuments the monument. You see the Obelisk Or Shaft monument thats on here is the monument placed in 1888 to Stonewall Jackson it approximates the location of where jackson was wounded at Chancellors Bill today. It sits near the chancellors old Battlefield Visitor Center and just to the audience is right of it. You will see a low Stone Boulder that was placed in the late 1870s potentially the early 1880s that also marks the approximate location of Stonewall Jacksons wounding along this very prominent road the Orange Turnpike, but is a great. Is a great postcard i like to show theres all kinds of pictures from there. Theres at least a few pictures from the dedication of the larger monument fits you lee, who is a robert e. Lees nephew as well as a confederate cavalrymen shows up. Hes so large at this point. He Cant Mount a horse. So hes riding in the back of a carriage. Theres something about union and confederate calverman that they just beef up after the war. These guys are huge phil sheridan. Does here comes fits you lee fits you lee so large at one point when he is actually this has nothing to do a Chancellors Hill when he is down as governor of virginia it down in richmond. Theyre gonna install a brand new elevator and hes gonna call across the compound and hes gonna call on a judge to come over and visit him and specifically tells him to take the Elevator Man takes the elevator up walks into fits you Lees Office and as he walks and he goes, okay, thats great. I didnt need anything else the man with such the same girth of fits you lady that he was worried. He got on the elevator wouldnt work. So he sends for this judge. The judge comes up in the Elevator And Everything is all good. What does that have to do with chancellorsville again . Nothing, but if you go and you take the look at some of the pictures that we have from these battlefields in the postwar years and we dont have many during the civil war of the Fredericksburg Area, but we have plenty after afterwards you can say a see a glimpse of this monument to Stonewall Jackson. So what are we going to actually cover here over the next 40 or so minutes . Were going to talk about the situation in the spring of 1863. Were in a bring you to what its going to look like in the american civil war and in the spring of 1863. Well talk about the organization of both armies the union and confederate army, even though well primarily focus on the confederates. We do have to talk about their adversaries and that is the Union Army of the potomac. Well talk about the battle obviously and then well talk about the immediate impact of this campaign. Was a longterm impacts of robert e. Lees campaigns from june of 1862 up through may of 1863. Well try to answer that question that lee is going to pose himself. Why is he going to say it chancellorsville . We gained another victory of but our people were wild with the light and i on the contrary was more depressed than after fredericksburg. You know, lets try to answer that question. And of course, well talk a little bit more about how this battle had turned into really one Mans Story and that is the wounding of Stonewall Jackson as well as his now fabled Flank Attack on May 2nd 1863. So as we jump in we just need to take a quick look at you know, where we stand here in 1863. Its early 1863 the union confederate army have been around fredericksburg, virginia, which is roughly the dead center of this map and a city that sits on the backs of the Rappahannock River 50 miles south of washington 55 miles north of richmond, virginia. Richmond is the confederate capital Washington Dc is obviously the United States capitol. So fredericksburg will become important during the american civil war few different times. Its going to see many battles near near or in it throughout 1862 63 and 1864. Its a major Supply Depot Depot throughout 1864 at least the early part of the overland campaign so fredericksburg will be a very important place for these union and confederate soldiers. The two armies will come here in november of 1862 and they will stay until june of 1863 while the first battle of fredericksburg the second battle of fredericksburg, and then the battle of Chancellors Bill. So the Union Army after the battle of fredericksburg, which is i said is a lopsided confederate victory in december of 1862 will receive a new commander. His name is joseph Hooker Hooker is going to be the latest of the union generals coming through he has now taken over for Ambrose Burnside who is his Rival And Burnside is the shortest tenured army the Potomac Commander at just 77 days. So whenever the world opens back up and if youre sitting in a bar and youre having a quiz, there you go 77 days shortest commander Ambrose Burnside. We historians are full of useless information, but Jill Hooker is a very interesting character. Hes a West Point Graduate of the class of 1838. He is 48 years old at the time of the battle a chancellorsville. Hes from hadley, massachusetts, and he has seen a lot of combat in the american civil war in fact a little serve in the mexicanamerican war just like many of his confederate and union counterparts, but hooker was one of the finest combat leaders in the army of the potomac in 1862 leading into 1863 he along with Phil Kearney in the union third army. Were both division commanders and they packed a 12 punch that was unequaled in the Union Army throughout 1862. They they were very aggressive commanders. They werent always the brightest commanders whenever they made their attacks, but you knew when they would drive Home And Attack they would do it with a lot of gusto and try to bring home that victory. But hooker has a very interesting background. No, the prostitutes are not named hookers after Joseph Hooker. Theyre named after the red Hook District in new york, but a lot of people like to talk about Joe Hooker Liking ladies of the evening and things like that, but Joe Hooker does have a drinking i wont call it a problem but a habit he is also a very boisterous man. He is going to make wild claims throughout his career. Hes gonna make a lot of enemies. Hell make a lot of fans as well abraham lincoln for a while was a fan of Joe Hooker. He liked what he saw in Joe Hooker an unfortunately Joe Hooker will be his own undoing like many folks of his Ilk But Hooker was described and and january of 1863 by charles francis adams. Hes not from the spooky family. Hes from the family who have a lot of ties politically in the United States and he is going to describe hooker as in no way and in no degree. Is he represent the typical sold . Up with a commonwealth chancing to be born in massachusetts. He was in 1861 and from that time forward little better than a drunken West Point military adventurer. He was all together devoid of character insubordinate and intriguing it is true that after superseding burnside. He did some effective work towards organizing the army of the potomac nevertheless. That was a period in its history when so far as character was concerned the army of the potomac sank to its loWest Point. It was commanded by a trio of each of whom the least said the better consisted of Joe Hooker. Dan sickles, who is the union third Army Corps Commander and Dan Butterfield who was Hookers Chief of staff all these men were of blemished character during the winter of 186263 when hooker was in Command Headquarters of the army of the potomac was a place to which no Selfrespecting Man liked to go and know what decent woman could go it was the combination of a ballroom and a brothel. He went on to say Sickles Butterfield and hooker are the Disgrain And Bane of this army. They are our three humbugs intriggers and so he doesnt like them. Thats pretty pretty clear. So what we see in hooker is were seeing all the poor traits that that some people are seeing. Theyre saying that hes a braggart. Theyre seeing he could be a liar. Hes a drinker and he likes to party but when Joe Hooker takes over the Union Army he is going to bring ace and a sense of respect with himself and hes gonna bring a sense of morale that is desperately needed. Hes gonna come in here with a swagger that the arm of the potomac had lost since they had lost their fabled commander that they loved George Mcclellan mclellans not a great battlefield leader, but he did organize a fantastic army and hookers gonna come in and after fredericksburg in a valley at a point called the Valley Forge Stage he is going to reinstall or reinstall a sense of honor within these men with a duty and a sense of Selfconfidence Hooker will rebuild the army to be about 135,000 men strong he is going to build a Spree Day Core by in implementing what we call Core Identification or badges, hes going to make sure that everybody can tell everyone else from a part on a battlefield. Most everyones wearing blue. So its tough to tell who is fighting with who so will come up with these different symbols a red circle for the first division of first core a red Tree Foil for the first division of second core and so on and so forth and these men will take these symbols and they will love them for the rest of their lives veterans will carve carve pipes. Theyll carve things into their homes with their old Core Symbol all the way up to their death. Youll see that at joshua learns Chamberlains House if you head up to maine these men are very proud of those core badges. He will resupply the army he will refit them. He will start sending men home on leaf he is going to oust troublemaking generals. Ironically. Hes kind of a troublemaker himself, but he is going to send troublemakers out of the army and by april of 1863 this army has a new swagger. Swagger that it hasnt had since it was within about eight miles of richmond in june of 1862 when the war was turned on its ear by a guy named Robert E Lee. So Joe Hooker is going to command seven Infantry Corps and one Cavalry Core a core is simply a mini army. Youll have infantry with artillery as well as sometimes cavalry with it. But what hooker is going to do is take all that cavalry all those horsemen put it into one wing about 12,000 men strong under brigadier general george stoneman, and then he will have his seven infantry core. First core is under John Reynolds the overrated John Reynolds who seems to fall asleep a lot at key moments. We have major general Darius Couch who will be the second in command of the army of the potomac at at Chancellors Bill and at the height of the crisis. He turns fairly calow major general daniel sickles. I think Dan Sickles is a very interesting character. I describe him to most people on tours if ted Kennedy And Bill clinton had a child it would be him. Then we have George Meade who is the finest Combat Officer in the army of the potomac at this point. He is one of the junior most leading Core Commanders John Sedgwick who is a carryover of the mcclellan days and is just as slow as George Mcclellan Oliver Rhodus Howard who is just nicknamed. Oh howard and that can say at all. He is probably the most inept Core Commander of everyone youre seeing here in that includes Dan Sickles, and then you have Henry Slocum who would even board drywall, but hes a pretty brilliant brilliant man, but not a very daring commander. So Joe Hooker is gonna bring a list of characters to fight Stonewall Jackson robert e. Lee and Jeb St. Three of the most audacious officers to fight in the american civil war he is not exactly bringing what i would call an a team to to bat. He does have men who are experienced in their respective roles. Some arent inexperienced in their respective roles like oliver, Otis Howard and Dan Sickles George Meade. He has a little bit of experience from antietam John Sedgwick. This is his first time commanding a core and then hes going to be given a wing of the army about 60,000 men. So we have a lot of new guys coming in to take on a veteran army that is commanded by Robert E Lee. Lee at this time is 55 years old. Hes a West Point Graduate of the class of 1829. He came in second in that class only behind a guy named Charles Mason who serves in the army for one year and leaves so theres some more youre useless trivia for you who was better than lee at West Point a guy named charles, mason from new York Robert lee though is going to be a solid Army Officer for the next 34 odd years. Of his career he is going to serve an Engineering Capacity it places like what becomes Fort Pulaski Hell serve out west on the mississippi river. Hes going to serve in mexico. Hes at and in fact going to serve on the staff of Winfield Scott who will talk about here in a moment. Were already lee when he when the civil war starts is going to be a guy who is looked upon in the southern confederacy as a loser and people are gonna say, oh my god, how can you say about Robert E Lee . Well, thats what a lot of people said at the time about him. Hes gonna come in. Hes seems like a very very stoic man. One of his nicknames was the Marble Model at West Point. It was not an endearing Nickname And Lee whenever he starts commanding troops in the field in western, virginia. He doesnt do a very good job and hes cast aside down to the south east where hes going to command offenses and hes gonna have to build defenses and hes gonna have to deal with governors and hes gonna have to deal with political generals and personalities and that doesnt go well. Eventually shipped to richmond and confederate president jefferson. Daviss. I know this guy has a place. I know hes really good at what he does. So what can we do with them . He makes them a special military advisor and then whenever Joseph Johnston is wounded three times at the battle of fair oaks in june of 1862, may 31st of 1862 on june 2nd. Property lee is going to be given command of what he dubs the army of northern virginia and from that point forward. Thats the lee we know today or most people know today. He is known as audacity personified he is a man who will take the bull by the horns, but before that he was granny lee. He was the king of spades. He was a man. Who that even some soldiers a soldier in the 15th . South carolina said i dont know about this Robert E Lee guy, but i dont think hes going to be any better than i i think that hes no better than James Longstreet or Joe Johnston two of the more prominent officers when lee takes over he was disappointing Jeb Stuart. Jeff stewart says in his own writings. Im disappointed by Robert E Lee, but he will turn the war on its ear. Robert e. Lee has an army that has been riding high really at this point. Hes hes won the one the seven Days Battles. Hes gone gone on to win the second manassas campaign. Hes going to go to antietam where its essentially a draw for him and now hes going to come to fredericksburg where he wins a victory in december of 1862. So at this point hes kind of three. Oh and one as a major Army Commander and now hes gonna enter the chancellorsville campaign, but hes gonna enter the chancellors little with a major disadvantage. And that disadvantage is his supply line. Im showing this slide for a reason and that is the Richmond Fredericksburg of potomac railroad. Which runs up to fredericksburg is a single Track Railroad that is supposed to supply a 78,000 man army. It is not going to do that for a variety of reasons. Number one. Its a single track line. Number two. Theres a guy named Lucius Northrop whos running the confederate Supply Depot in richmond, and hes really really bad at his job. Then youre going to deal with a guy named samuel ruth. Samuel ruth is a Union Spy essentially whos running the Richmond Fredericksburg of potomac railroad. Hes a pennsylvania. So hes going to be supplying hes not going to be supplying lee with everything. He needs hes not gonna have as much Rolling Stock coming up to him. So lee who is in the Fredericksburg Area his men are not starving. Ive heard some historian say, oh the confederates are starving. Confederates are starving. No, theyre not starving. Theyre not well supplied but theyre not so itll illfed that they cannot do what they do with Chancellors Bill. Theyre so i fed they couldnt make these famous Flank Attacks that well talk about. But lee does have a Supply Problem and we always writes back to the president the Confederacy Jefferson davis to the secretaries of war Judah Benjamin or James Eden who write back to northrop himself and always oversell just how dire the situation is when it comes to his supplies George Washington did this during the american Revolution George Washington always oversells. Just how bad it is to congress because he knows if he doesnt over sell it he still not going to get hes not going to get everything that he needs. So Robert E Lee kind of takes that book or that page out of George Washingtons book. Its a smart very smart move. But the Richmond Fredericksburg micsomic railroad is not supplying his men and his horses with the materials. He needs there have been two armies and Stafford County and Spotsylvania County which surround fredericksburg. That these men are going to be like locust as some of the locals will call them. Were going out to the countryside. Theyll be pillaging whatever they can one confederates said that the bird known as the chicken is extinct in this region, so you cant find you know any chickens around here. So, you know the supply situations not terrible, but its not good and thats gonna Force Lee to send about 14,000 men two divisions under james long street his second in command down to southeast, virginia, their job is to send Food And Fodder up to fredericksburg as much as they can they can send up to this way. Some of the horses will be sent south towards Caroline County where they can find better Grazing Ground and the confederate army will have to reorganize and and emble itself whenever they go off to fight in any campaign in early 1863. So lee has to play to the Union Army here. He only has about 60 to 65,000 men under his operational control around fredericksburg. Hes gonna be taking on an army of between 130 and 135,000 men. Lee as i said had a couple audacious commanders with him James Longstreet whos his first Core Commander is not here old pete he is not here. Hes down in southeast virginia. He does have his now de facto second and command and thats thomas Jonathan Jackson Stonewall Jackson to most people Stonewall Jackson has made a reputation of himself by beating up a B List of Gent Union generals out in the Shenandoah Valley and then coming to the eastern theater not performing particularly. Well during the seven days but picking up his game as they go on towards Cedar Mountain second, manassas and antietam fredericksburg is not a great day for for Stonewall Jackson, but its men kind of bail him out of there. So Stonewall Jackson is you know at times hes showing that hes not perfection personified like a lot of people think he is hes human and thats the side of these guys that i like to study is the human side of them getting to know them. Its much more fascinating Robert Lee as a wicked temper on it and and that makes them more human to me and they even bring that up in the midst of this campaign. You know, he his temper. So Thats Something that humanize think about that. They do make mistakes. Dont put them all in pedestals. Jeb stuart had the confederate Cavalry Chief he is going to meet the height of his game in early 1863 those wills come off in june and july of 1863, but here at chancellorsville he is going to produce or give valuable service to Robert E Lee and lee as we as we look towards focusing on him throughout most of this battle as well as Stonewall Jackson. We have to look at his influences now, theres three men who influence Robert E Lee greatly a lot of people think its George Washington. Thats not so its hes not as great of a military influence as most people think with with Robert E Lee. Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte on the left Hand Side of the screen there. He is. Absolutely these Soldier Soldier of the 19th century most americans today. Just look at napoleon and say ah waterloo. Yeah that thats one of his battles. Napoleon bonaparte fights 60 major battles in his life and wins 53 of them. Thats why people study Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon apart is going to put together the blueprint for Shock And Awe with a linear Style Tactic using army throughout the 19th Century And Robert e. Lee Stonewall Jackson William T Sherman and Ulysses Sant all of them figure that out how to use these armies not as well as napoleon, but they get that that that manual that hes going to put down throughout his campaign it places like ouster. Lets Jena Hourstott and many many other battlefields. The man in the middle is anton honoree germany. Hes a frenchspeaking swiss and he is a shameless Self Promoter like my friend Chris Mackowski Anton Henry John or Andre Jonanee is going to serve as a Staff Officer under Marshall Nay Nay served under napoleon. So what jon is going to do is learn from the best nay is known as the bravest of the brave to napoleon for a exploit on the russian for an exploit during the russian campaign as as napoleon is making a retreat back towards what is Today Poland and back towards prussia, which is today germany, but germany is going to be one of the great military thinkers of the 19th century. Hes gonna write books. Hes going to write theories. Hes going to give us a lot of our modern military. Jargon when we talk about concentration of Force Interior lines decisive points those all are going to come from germany who learned from Marshall Nay who learned from napoleon himself the man on the right Hand Side is the the man. I dont think its enough credit for robert e. Lees career, and that is Winfield Scott now the picture that you see here of Winfield Scott legitimately. He has to be put on a horse at this point using what we would consider an engine winch. So a lot of people when they see this guy, hes hes very large hes obese. Hes wearing this these outdated clothes when we see these pictures of him, but Winfield Scott according to to arthur wellesley the guy who beat napoleon at waterloo. He said of Winfield Scott that he was the greatest soldier of their age, and that says a great deal Winfield Scott is an absolute student of napoleon in germany. Fluently speaks french hes going to study in europe. He is going to study the the treaties that are written by Germany Germany writes a lot of books scotts going to take what germany puts on paper and hes gonna work it to perfection during the mexicanamerican war he is so effective with about a 10,000 man force. Hes going to drive on Mexico City and win battle after battle he is going to use everything that you could think of and ill go through it here in a second to win these battles and on his staff. Just like germany was a Staff Officer. Robert e. Lee will be a Staff Officer with Winfield Scott. He is going to learn directly from the best and by the time this the mexicanamerican wars over scott is going to refer to Robert E Lee as the Gallatin Indefatible Lee and say that we should ensure his life for five million dollars a year. That is an impressive some even to this day, but thats how highly Winfield Scott thought of Robert E Lee. So lee is going to learn from a master whos learning from the masters and what lily is going to put into practice. He and jackson and these are just a few of the military i a military terms that we would think of strategies and tactics at lee will use a Chancellors Bill. Were going to see the use of the central position. That is something that napoleon uses time and time again, hes going to use his use one position to have most of his army and then hit you out of the blue with a Flank Attack or moving. Want to round a piece of train to hide them Hell Use Interior lines interior lines comes right from jon mini. That is simply from point a to point b having a closer point with exterior lines. You have to march a long way around an army with interior lines. You can move back and forth the best example of this during the civil war that i think of will be it gettysburg when youre thinking about July 2nd 1863 when George Meade shifts the fifth core in elements of the 12th Core across from Kulps Hill across Granite Schoolhouse Lane up through the Wheat Field Road and deploy on the union left flank. Thats a great use of interior lines. Rapid concentration of force this is going to be napoleons trademark. He is going to be there as nathan Bedford Forrest says it simply the fastest with the mostest you get there you get there fast and you get there with as many men as you can hes gonna use what we call the indirect approach or a turning movement. That is what we call Flank Attack. Were going to try to go around the side of the enemy hit them on their vulnerable point push them down and away from an objective so that you can bring home a victory dislodge your enemy the indirect approach becomes very very popular in the just after the first World War thats more for from bh little heart, but the turning movement is something that napoleon uses time and time again, then well focus on a decisive point. Thats something germany talks about you want to find a decisive point to hit thats gonna be a weak flank of an army. During the 19th century then well talk about the principal of continuity, which is simply keeping the attack going once you win a battle you need to keep pushing forward that think about the battles at the seven days when lee wins but wins battle after battle. He keeps pushing mcclellan backwards, even though mcclellan should have held the Field Lee keeps up that pressure that actually comes from another Stress Tactician or theorist and that is Carl Von. Klausfits Carl Von. Klausswiss is someone who i dont talk a lot about during the civil war here at least in this this setting because classmates isnt translated from german until 1872 and only really the 11th core here at chancellorsville would have used anything of class fits, but he is truly the greatest to me military thinker of the modern times and then of course who learn about calculated risks, that is something he is gonna learn from Winfield Scott. When do you make a calculated risk when you take that calculated risk . And at one point Robert E Lee during the mexicanamerican war is going to find an impassable piece of land during the battle of contreras. Its called the pedro gala. Its a lava field. No, one can go across it. Well Robert E Lee. Does he finds a way and he leads troops across it and that is one of the reasons that Winfield Scott will win the battle of contreras. So its always going to go back to what youve learned and how are we going to employ this on the battlefield . So as i said Robert E Lee is gonna have to play to the tune of Joe Hooker. How is he gonna have to play to that . That is hes got to wait for Joe Hooker to make that first move hookers first move will come in late april of 1863 when he comes up with the night with a very audacious plan. His audacious plan is to leave about 60,000 men just on the banks of the Rappahannock River east of fredericksburg. The idea would be to keep the Confederates Attention this way while he marches around with another force about 42,000 men around the rear of the confederates hold his men in place and well go around the confederate flank. Its a turning movement. So what is he going to do . Hes going to try to cross the men at fredericksburg. Hey look over here. Dont pay attention to the guys come in from your rear and he is going to try to smash lee between his two forces or forcedly to fall back to fight near richmond and confederate capital the fastest way to get a confederate or Union Army out to fight during the civil war threaten, their capital politicians dont like that. Then a third portion of this plan will be to send horsemen about 12,000 men. Im sorry about 10,000 men. To the west and then to the south to cut the Orange And Alexandria the virginia central railroad the Richmond Fredericksburg mitomic Rail Lines as well as Lees Telegraph lines of communication. So as lee would be forced to fall back in hookers mind. He would then fall on a force of about 10,000 horsemen who could slow them as the Union Army reconcentrates to attack robert e. Lee somewhere south of fredericksburg. Because remember lee has a seven mile defensive line here at fredericksburg. Its well fortified the Union Army tried to attack it in december of 1862. It did not go well. So what is what is hooker gonna try to do Force Lee out of these earthworks to do battle somewhere else. Hookers men will mark very rapidly. Theyll cross the Rapidan River at Germanna Ford and elys ford. They will get in behind Robert Elise forces, so i have Lee Pin between a force near fredericksburg and well have lee with men coming into a crossroads known as chancellorsville. Chancellorsville is really not a town which answers will is is if there was a Rail Line that ran through here there wasnt one. You called a whistle stop chancellorsville is a one House Town where where it once served as a Post Office and in they had a farrier there who could reshod your horses. It is a prominent house on the way from fredericksburg down the Orange Turnpike on the way to call Pepper Or Corn orange courthouse. So this is going to be out in an area we call the wilderness a dense second and third Growth Forest 70 square miles in in mass and Joe Hooker is going to march his army right into the middle of this large mass and then march out of it east. From west to east towards fredericksburg hes gonna march along a threeprong route. Hes gonna march towards the confederate rear and a threeprong route. Hell follow in the top of the map if road called the River Road modern Day Route 610. Hes gonna march along that with two divisions of the union fifth corps the head of the fifth core one division under george sykes is going to march down the Orange Turnpike modern Day Route 3, and then we are going to see marching down. The orange Plank Road modern Day Route 61 621 620. I cant remember its going to be the Union 12th Army corps, so hes going to move his men on three different routes on parallel routes. Theyll all be mutually supporting distance towards confederate rare. Now lees going to have to in gloriously fly or come out of his works to give him battle. Thats what Joe Hooker says. So, what is Robert E Lee do he comes out of his works . He turns around and he punches Hookers Army Square in the face. He is going to dispatch from the the right side of our map his now de second in command. Stonewall jackson with the bulk of his army corps. Hes gonna march them to the west to meet this new threat coming into the rear because what lee realizes very quickly. Hes going to take one of those calculated risks. He looks to it towards his front and he sees that these union soldiers who were here to keep my attention. Thats all theyre doing. Theyre not attacking me. So now i have a free hand to turn back and meet this real threat to my rear and thats exactly what lee does he dispatches jackson marches out to a place called the Zoo And Church rich there. Hes going to find some of his men and trenching and immediately. Hes gonna tell them to stop digging in and start marching forward stonewall. Jackson is not a great defensive commander. He is a much better Offensive Commander time and again he is going to win his battle. That way going on the offensive. So what jackson is going to do is take the offensive to the enemy and he is going to meet the Union Army along two different rows the orange Plank Road and the Orange Turnpike you can see here. This is lee bringing a Rapid Concentration of force upon his enemy. This is him using his interior lines. He can move from fredericksburg to chancellorsville on a 12mile line. Whereas its going to take Hookers Army roughly 35 miles to march from fredericksburg up around the rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers and to come in two Chancellors Bill. So were using those interior lines and then Stonewall Jackson is you can see at the bottom of the map. Its going to try a turning movement to come in on the flank of the the Union Army force them back. Now the Union Army is actually in a very good position here Stonewall Jacksons forces are coming up piecemeal. Theyre coming up two different roads the art. Theyre not taking three roads the third road the River Road, which is just to the north of this map to the top of this map has two full divisions of the union. War led by some of the best commanders in the army of the Potomac Andrew Atkinson humphries and charles griffin two of the most most offensiveminded commanders. In the army of the potomac but Joseph Hooker even though hes going to outposition the confederates and he has more union troops coming in from chancellorsville, which is just off of this map of just a few miles down the road he is going to decide to pull back and concentrate his lines around the chancellors. Theyll crossroads hes going to pull back into a very claustrophobic line inside of this choking, Virginia Wilderness known as the poisoned fields by some people at the brightest point of the day some claimed you couldnt see the Forest Floor because a foliage was so thick so this is a very dark forbidding forest or as Chris Mackowskis Book is called a close dark woods, which is available through sabbath baby calm. So as you go through here you start to see the battle of chancellorsville starts to turn what lee has done is now wrestled away. The initiative from joseph Hooker Hooker is going to fall back. Hes gonna fall back to the chancellorsville crossroads. This is a sketch a great sketch of what the Chancellors House looked like this is the Union Army organizing around it the unfortunately we do not have a known picture of the 1863 Chancellor Home this homes going to burn twice once during the battle of chancellorsville and then once into the early twentieth century, we do have pictures of the second Chancellor Home. We dont have pictures of the first unfortunately, so whats league going to do . Hes gonna go for broke. Hes gonna march 50 or so thousand men out towards chancellorsville. Hell leave a force near fredericksburg to keep an eye on that that distraction that hooker had started that faint if you will and hes gonna sit down with Stonewall Jackson. Hell sit down with Jeff Stewart and the three officers will start to talk about about what to do next. Stewarts on is a game as i mentioned and as they sit at a crossroads known as a Furnace Road and Plank Road intersection today. We call it the lead jackson bivouac. Theyre gonna to come up with the Battle Plan. Now who came up with the Battle Plan is still kind of debated today. Stonewall Jacksons Staff claim it with Stonewall Jackson now mind you all of their fame is tied to one man. And thats Stonewall Jackson if you ask Robert E Lee and someone did after the war who came up with this plan, and then they said it was Stonewall Jackson. Lisa said, no, it was me. I came up with that plan. So, you know you can you can say jackson came up with lee came up with it. You know, i think its a combination of Lee Jackson Stewart and maybe some Staff Officers. With the plan will be is to have Robert E Lee utilizing what we call a central position which is where you see the Names Anderson maclaws thats a Ridge Line called Mcgee Ridge that is going to be the central location for Lees Army from that point. He can jump to the east he can go to the west he can go to the south what he is going to do is utilize a Rapid Concentration of force, which will be a Flank March 12 miles around the Union Army to come up on the union right flank where you see on the left Hand Side of this map. You see the Names Hill Colston rhodes that is going to be the endpoint for this march. This will be a turning movement as we talked about and youre gonna be striking a decisive point and this truly is a calculated risk because were already lee is going to sit along Mcgee Ridge with the divisions of anderson maclaws, which roughly makes up 14,000 men. Those two divisions jacksons going to take 28 to 29,000 men with him swing around the front side of the Union Army and at this Point Point the confederate army is broken up into three distinct pieces one piece is near fredericksburg one piece is here at chancellorsville under lee whos acting as an army as well as a Core Commander because James Longstreets not here and then you have jim then you have Stonewall Jackson making a wide sweeping march. Joe hooker is gonna get word of this march very quickly. Itll start on May 2nd 1863 around 7 30 in the morning. This march will go down to the South Itll eventually Head West and then it will start to turn to the north. Hooker when he gets word about this is gonna think that lee is retreating towards a place called, gordonsville, virginia, gordonsville, virginia, according to them as the fried Chicken Capital of the world. Theres a sign there that says it im im not making that up. And what you have there is a Supply Depot for the confederates as well as open ground and the intersection of two railroads. So it makes sense that hooker is going to decide. Okay. This is where the confederates are going to go. Theyre gonna get out of this wilderness when i know theyre outnumbered two to one. I have an operational order of battle for them because ive improved my Intelligence Gathering so i think that this big wing that im seeing marching across my front is actually heading to gordonsville. Unfortunately hooker is going has already dispatched most of his horsemen south towards richmond, so he doesnt really have his eyes and his ears that he needs. Hes about a thousand horsemen with them and theyre led by the very incompetent alfred pleasanton. He does have some competent cavalry. Theyre led by thomas devon, but unfortunately Tom Devon who John Buford said i couldnt teach this Guy Anything about cavalry. Unfortunately, its gonna be outranked by alfred pleasanton. Whos not going to do a very good job during the battle. So what are we going to do . How are we going to figure out whats going on down . There dont have competent horseman with me. So what do we do . We send the entire union third corps from the center of my line south towards a place called the catherine iron furnace. This is gonna open a gap in hookers lines what hooker is doing and hes not doing it willingly. He is actually playing to least tune. He is moving his men south towards the Catherine Furnace and now hes gonna engage the rear rear guard of Stonewall Jacksons met okay, so weve engaged with the confederates they seem to be marching away what do we do we leave sickles there with his 18 or so thousand men then were going to turn to our right flank where you see the names devin schurrs and steinware were going to send our our reinforcements from that wing because theyre the farthest away from the enemy well send a brigade from there down to sickles tell him to cook three days rations get 60 rounds of ammunition because the next day on may 3rd, were chasing these confederates down towards gordonsville, so thats what we think is happening if were Joe Hooker. Its actually happening is the confederates returning and showing up on the right flank and now this 11th corps with only about 11,000 men strong are going to be isolated because Sickles Core has moved and left a mild gap between them and the rest of the Union Army and theyre going to leave this force out stuck in the open or in military terms the right flank of the union. Army will be in the air. So jackson well eventually to make a very long story short march from 7 30 in the morning to about five fifteen in the afternoon. He will deploy his men facing towards the east and he will use the Orange Turnpike is what we call an axis of advance and he will march down at 515 and start striking the Union Line in its flank. Theres only a few regiments facing towards the west for the Union Army here. One of them is a 153rd, pennsylvania. Its a ninemonth regiment. This is their first battle. Theyre going to be stuck on the right flank and get struck by the confederate second corps at the battle of gettysburg, July 1st 1863. These poor guys are stuck on the right flank of the Union Army near a Place Called Blockers knoll called barlows knoll today. These guys get hit by the second Core Right in the flank and get swept off the field. If on them. Im asking for my money back from this ride, but this is what we start to see if were Stonewall Jackson jacksons men are gonna start advancing from the west to the east and theyre going to try to meet up with with robert e. Lees men who are about three to four miles to the to the east on the other side of a 92,000 or so man Union Army. So now jackson with 28 to 29,000 men has to march for about four miles to go meet up with his closest support which are the 14,000 men and a poverty lee. This is absolutely a risk. And this is why were gonna we talk about this battle so frequently in the terms of the military. Jacksons Flank Attack seems to be going well, hes gonna go forward. Hes gonna sweep the 11th core off the field in about 45 minutes to an hour. They dont just panic and run all of them. They actually do stand and fight. But Stonewall Jacksons men will start to lose what we call cohesion. Theyll get broken up by the terrain by the fact that the 11th corps is not standing and fighting theyre going to end up kind of becoming disjointed some of the divisions arent attacking the way theyre supposed to be attacking and that creates a traffic jam. The wilderness is just a terrible place to launch an offensive. So, you know naturally the union and confederate armies come back here three times to fight battles here. It makes a lot of sense. So these guys will come back. Well fight at mine run wilderness and chancellors on every time its going to be a real pain to try to fight here. But Stonewall Jackson is making it work. He is driven the 11th corps off the field. He is hit that decisive point. He has hit the weak point with a concentration of force and he wants to drive that attack home. And hes doing so so while jackson is going to get himself shocked. Jackson is going to keep trying to push two of his three divisions forward when darkness starts coming across the field between 8 to 8 30 on the evening of may the second Stonewall Jackson has some deep seeded trust issues. They go back to his childhood. And they carry on through all of his life if you know anything about Stonewall Jackson one of his his greatest joys was leveling charges against people, especially subordinate officers because he doesnt get along with people very well. Hes very secretive, you know when we talk about commanders intent today. No one knew what his intent was other than the destroy the enemy you never knew. What the next step in the plan was. And this mistrust will carry over into his wounding. Jackson is gonna be riding along a road. Well jump forward here the Orange Turnpike and hes riding along. He is there the hes gonna be riding along and hes told that there is another road that you can use to try to scout. The Enemy Position 11th. Corps is given way the third core who had created this big nice gap in the Union Lines. That is what he is entering into. And at the same time the union third course being recalled by Joe Hooker to come back up into that gap. So we have a lot of moving parts going on. So we have jacksons men moving down west to east we have union soldiers coming up from the south. We have darkness coming across us. We had some of those few horsemen that hooker had on the field make a failed charge in this area and 88 or so horses are now dead laying around its gonna be an eerie battlefield. Its the moon starts to rise on the evening of may second of 1863. Jackson with a cavalcade of officers will ride down a road called the old Mountain Road or the Mountain Road at the time. Hes going to ride down this road because it runs parallel to the Orange Turnpike, which is a white crushed Stone Road known as macadamized and everything is kind of being silhouetted off of that road. So jackson wants to use some Cover And Concealment of the woods as he rides forward. Hes a lieutenant general. He is second in command of the army. He should be nowhere near where hes going. He is riding forward towards an Enemy Position but unknown strength. And of unknown disposition as he goes forward this shouldnt be him. It should be a lieutenant. But this is where trust issues come into. Into play jacksons going to do it on his own. Jackson rides forward as he rides 40 stops. He can hear if the felling of trees the digging of earth. He knows that the Union Armys reacted. They are reacting. Theyre starting to face towards the west and he knows theyre starting to dig in. So hes gonna send word back to Ap Hill his second in command Ap Hill with a Light Division of 12,000 men strong. Nothing light about that. Hes going to tell him to press them hill cut them off from United States ford, press them. He wants to go for broke here on the evening of may the second into the dark woods with an unknown enemy in front of him. And hes going to attack in the dark. Thats what jackson wants to do. Is he turns around he rides forward and he runs into the front line of hills men and that is the 18th, north carolina commanded by major John Barry at this time. Barry is going to hear these troopers. Come towards him his mental fire some shots. Joseph Morrison Jacksons brotherinlaw will scream stop firing youre firing into your own men. And at that Point Barry screams, its a lie boys poured into them. Remember theres a bunch of dead Union Horse been horses and some wounded and dead Union Horse men around him. Fires jacksons hit three times once in the right palm of his hand twice in his left arm. His horse goes creating towards the orange Plank Road. At the same. Im sorry the Orange Turnpike. At the same time Ap Hills cavalcade of officers another 10 men are riding back as well because he cant find jackson hills looking for him. Hes on one road jacksons on the other and as he comes riding back his men are shot left and right so we have just mass chaos taking place and the confederate lines jacksons knocked out of action. He is going to be taken to the rear. For the sake of time he is going to be have his left arm amputated about three inches below the left shoulder. And itll be taken down to the Fairfield Plantation where hes going to die on May 10th of 1863 of pneumonia eight days after his wounding here at chancellorsville, but jacksons knocked out of action moments later hills knocked out of action not by his own men, but by a Union Artillery Shell this Union Artillery Shell will bruise the back of his legs. So badly that he cant take to a horse my personal thought looking at some of the letters of Ap Hill is that he did not want this command he is going to write this to Jeb Stuart the guy you see here in 1862 and november of 1862 and say that you know, he doesnt get any credit for anything. He does and if anything if Stonewall Jackson screws up i get the blame for it, so i strongly feel that hill may have said man. I dont want this situation just looking at the sources that we have. So hes knocked out of action. Then you have Robert Rhodes and rolly colston. They have been in command of a division for just a few days now their junior ranking officers. There are no position to take over this army or this wing so, they turn to Jeb Stuart stewart who is in charge of the horseman of the army in northern virginia is gonna be called down to the front and the middle of the night in the middle of the pitch battled take over a foreign wing of the army. And what he is known for is just bold audacious charges and attacks and some of hills and some of Jackson Staff will talk about that how that is all youre going to get out of Jeb Stuart. Theyre worried about this and thats exactly what happens. This is the tactical position. Youre in after Stonewall Jacksons Flank Attack. Most people think that oh man. This is the greatest thing since sliced bread. But if you look at this map, you can see the two Union Core of reynolds and meade are sitting directly on the left flank of stewarts masked men. They know this the Union Army does. In fact, George Meades gonna ask for permission of Joe Hooker to attack and flank using a turning movement to push all of these of these confederates off the field. Hooker says no hookers not going to allow him to do it. And this is a golden opportunity. Thats missed another golden opportunity thats misses a place called Hazel Grove Hazel grove is gonna be giving up by the union forces because joe Hooker Hooker wants to consolidate his lines. And over the next five hours. Some 17,000 men will fall in action. Thats one man for every second over the next five hours when i said the real battle of chancellorsville was may 3rd. This is it and Jeb Stuart is going to make massive frontal attacks. And he really doesnt have any sort of Chance Or Opportunity to do anything else because he tries to get his lines straightened out and as soon as he tries to straighten his lines out, he makes contact with the enemy and then ill help breaks loose. And is this happens . He is now going to have to engage elements of the Union Army time and time again. Unfortunately for stuart. His men are gonna pay with blood it will get so ugly that men will refuse to go forward in the army northern virginia. Robert rhodes actually draws a pistol and holds it to an Officers Head and tells him he will blow his brains out if he does does not leave his men forward. Theres a accusation against the Stonewall Brigade the Fame Stonewall Brigade that they werent attacking forward stephen rams yours north carolina. Brigade will level these charges against these men. Its not true. Its another virginia brigade, but one of the men said very proudly Brian Grimes that he had smashed the face of an officer down into the Dirt And Ground it down because he climbed up over top of them gleefully as they go forward, but these men were telling them dont go forward. Its just youre going to be annihilated and that is exactly whats gonna happen. Its these Men Attack at places called hazel grove. Theyll attack down the orange Orange Turnpike. And it is just going to be a slugging match in the woods. Would eventually turns the tide of this battle. Robert e. Lee starts to jump in from his eastern side of the salient. And the confederates will eventually start to be able to advance close enough to the Chancellors Bill Chancellor Mansion that theyre able to bombard it as a bombard the mansion. Joseph hooker standing on the second Story Patio whenever a pillar splits into strikes him in the head knocks him unconscious today. We know he has a concussion at least and he is going to be taken off the field wounded the head of the snake is essentially cut off. He will issue orders through his second. Command Darius Couch who should have taken over the army of the potomac but did not. For whatever Reason Step into that role and say to hook her that you are wounded. We need to have an actual leader. Hooker field him couch failed the army the potomac as well. And eventually the confederates will start pouring in from all sides one by one the Union Backbone the artillery of this line will start to fall silent because they run out of ammunition and eventually robert e. Lee is able to crush this salient. But a beautiful rear Guard Action by Winfield Scott hancock and john white gary are able to save the union armies they fall back to a more defensible position. Hooker in the meantime had played his his ace up his sleeve and he ordered in that fainting foresight. I told you about around fredericksburg. They will march to aid the Union Army. The battle of second fredericksburg a slow battle will develop and john said to start marching towards a place called the Salem Church where lee again audacity personified with an enemy on the ropes will split his army. Use those interior lines. Take a calculated Risk And March and meet this threat and stop it cold. He knew his enemy. So well that when he is warned robert e. Lee is warned that John Sedgwick is coming up from to his rear. Hes going to say a very telling quote hes going to say that i believe that major sedgwick means us no harm. John said to some major general. But when Robert E Lee commanded John Sedgwick in the antebellum army, he was a major. He knows major cedric. He knows how slow he is. He knows he has time and he knows how he can react that is lead knowing you knowing his enemy very well. He concentrates that force at a place called Salem Church, and then is able to pin. Two pieces of the Union Army up against the river i call this one. The Rottweiler And Rottweiler in the chihuahua. The union armies are rottweiler. They got about 78,000 men and then you have the chihuahua which is this about 30,000 man confederate force thats out there holding them a position if you ever seen a little dog barking at a big dog in the big dogs, like oh man, thats not cool. Thats whats happening right here the Union Army at any point can fall upon this this um confederate force. This is an Opportunity Loss time and again the Union Army will miss opportunities and what were already do he will take advantage of them throughout this battle as well Stonewall Jackson. Dont forget about him. Lee will back them up against the river the union forces, but eventually the union forces will slip away. Jackson will die on May 10th of 1863 after being taken down to Guinea Station a place called fairfield down 27 Mile South of chancellorsville. He simply supposed to be placed in a training taken to richmond, but he cant get there. Hell die on May 10th and be buried on May 15th in lexington. To wrap up here the cost of battle and this is really were already lee talks about him being so depressed and over the last few campaigns. Lees gonna bleed his army white the numbers of engaged here a chancellors those roughly 120,000 men were engaged for the Union Army. Theyre going to lose about 17,000 men. The confederates will lose their 60,000 13,460. Thats 22 of the confederate army falls here. Nine officers nine General Officers will fall at chancellorsville for the confederates. The confederates will lose 64 of their 130 regimental commanders killed wounded missing. Are captured that is something that an army cannot overcome. A lot of people focus on the loss of Stonewall Jackson believe me. Thats an important loss. But whats happening in the army of northern, virginia . From june of 1862 all the way up through the Gettysburg Campaign in july of 1863 is the fact that robert e. Lee is bleeding this army white. During the seven Days Battles his Army Number 92,500 men. He lost a little over 20,000 men in that campaign, which is 23 of his army. 175 officers were killed 675 wounded and 110 of them were Field Grade officers lieutenant colonels majors colonels maxi griggs brigade lost 854 out of 2500 men engaged and they lost 36 field in line officers during that campaign. Its second Manassas Lee lost 19 of his army, including two very very senior officers isaac trimble and Richard Ewell for brigade commanders 11 regimental commanders and 726 Field And Line great officers. When you go on to antietam, he took 41,000 men into battle there and lost 14,000 men between South Mountain and antietam. Thats 27 of the army. 836 officers fell as casualties including four generals killed in six wounded six, georgia lost 226 men out of 215 gauged 30th, virginia 160 out of 236 the first texas famously lost 82. 3 of its men when it entered the cornfield. And it chancellorsville he will lose 13,000 plus men 22 of his army. James Lanes Brigade will lose 910 men including 12 of its 13 field officers. Parents brigade, which was led into into combat by a man named Samuel Mcgowan that brigade will lose five brigade commanders in 10 minutes as well as 457 men and stephen ramsurers. Brigade will lose 7800 789 out of 1500 engaged. Please bleeding his army white. Thats whats happening here. But lee has to do this in a sense. This is where i have the great grapple between robert e. Lee is a commander, you know, he has to do this. But but does he lee is the only real . Confederate officer going forward and trying to bring home these victories on such a grant and audacious scale when he went into battle. He went in he went all all in he went for broke. And that is exactly what he comes up against when ulysses s. Grant comes east the two of them are like two titanics meeting in battle. The Union Army is still going to be bleeding out as well. Believe me. They lost 17,000 men here, but theyre able to replace their losses time and a time again though after this battle. Were gonna see a large number of officers wounded for the for the Union Army. Theyre not the focus of this study, but well see a number of their General Officers fall nine confederate officers. General officers were fall some will come back only to be killed and future campaigns. And then the Union Army will lose about 33,000 men between Chancellorsville And Gettysburg to enlistments expiring two years and nine months. This will finally start to put the unit and confederate armies back on an equal Ish Footing as lee. On may 7th of 1863 starts to reorganize his army. Thats at principal continuity. Keep the campaign going. And he wants to go north and he wants to keep the applying the pressure against the Union Army the problem that he has is that he is not Napoleon Bonaparte and i dont mean that as an insult. Napoleon bonapart according to Carl Von klausfits was the god of war and he was a god of war not because what he always does on the battlefield its because he was the epitome of the french state. He was in charge of its finance. He was in charge of its politics. He was in charge of its policies. Well of its army. Robert e. Lee is not in charge of confederate army until january of 1865. Thats too far too late for him to do this. So when lee wants to keep moving forward napoleon could do that lily has to go to richmond. He has to talk to Jefferson Davis jameson. To me inferiors you know let lee run with it if you want to win this war let Robert E Lee run with it, but they dont allow him to do that and by that time the union armies allowed to lick its wounds and to shadow him as it moves north. Lead looking at his loss of his his General Officers. Over the seven days to gettysburg. He loses 91 General Officers killed wounded captured in battle. And if you look from the seven days to gettysburg, he started the seven Days Battle with 92,500 men. And over a 13month plus period he lost almost that exact number of men. Lease Style Warfare will grind this army down he knew that he had to try to do something to win. By the end of the war, he will sustain 205,000 casualties a lot of people like to compare him and grant with with casualties numbers and always call grant a butcher, but when you compare it, its almost a onetoone ratio of what lee lost to the federals now some people say well theres a lot of surrenders in there. Yeah. Well, yeah, but those count as casualties as well. A chancellorsville to conclude we gained another victory. Our people were wild with the light eye on the contrary was more depressed than after fredericksburg. Our laws was severe and again we gain not an inch of ground and the enemy could not be pursued. The enemy got away what lee wanted to do was destroy his art his enemies army. Its work capacity. Its warmaking ability. What is going to stop him number one is his losses and Officers Number two is the fact that the Union Army still greatly outnumbers him. Number three the fact that the Union Army was allowed to slip away north of the rapid and Rappahannock Rivers and number four that lee had to go down to richmond and had to talk with Jefferson Davis and had to come up with that next plan now, thats how a democracy works. Thats how it should work. Where you have your officers talking to the politicians . Thats the way it should work. And unfortunately for robert e. Lee didnt have that autonomy until later in the war to keep things going forward. So lee is upset by this loss. So in a way, its its a its a its a defeat because you cant he does keep the momentum, but not that momentum he had right after the battle. To close here. Never quote from napoleon which kind of sums up Robert E Lee in 1863. If the art of war were nothing but the art of avoiding Risks Glory would become the prey of mediocre minds. I have made all the calculations and fate will do the rest. This is kind of the in a way that the ethos of Robert E Lee kind of let the chips fall where they would he took those risks. But unfortunately for Robert E Lee he was serving. For a confederacy that could not find another Robert E Lear to when you look at our map here, and you see whats going on in 1863, we have John Pemberton at vicksburg out of jackson, mississippi. We have Joseph Johnston. We have braxton. Bragg has one man. Put it Jefferson Davis tried to do what god himself could not do and that was make a general officer out of braxton bragg. So thats all you need to know about braxton braggs a general. Theres no one else in the confederacy who can apply the pressure and who can bring home the battlefield victories like Robert E Lee could. That string ends as we know had gettysburg. This will be his last major offensive victory on a battlefield of his career at chancellorsville. Hell win some minor battles, but this is the last major battle he will ever win. And this is whats going to put robert e. Lee and Stonewall Jackson up on those pedestals. Look at that perfect battle. Look at that perfect battle these guys. They were the best at what they did. Unfortunately for the confederacy, theres some guys out west to a really good too and theyll eventually make their way into the east. It will eventually meet. And robert e. Lees army by the time they meet so ground down by the attrition of warfare and by all those risks that he was forced to take to try to bring home that victory. That the army of northern, virginia will be a former shell of itself and see to close just say the while while Lee May have claimed that he thought his army was invincible. It took the battle to gettysburg. To convince general to convince general lee that general jackson was really dead. And at the best and the brightest brightest of his vaunted army of northern Virginia Land shallow graves across, maryland and virginia itself. Thank you for joining us. The end of World War ii was accompanied by the Arrest And Prosecution of the surviving leadership of the axis powers on september 11, 1945 american soldiers arrived at Hideki Tojos Home to arrest him