Page 58 - All About History - Issue 18-14

10 Greatest Military Leaders

Was it genius?
Breaking with traditional
military wisdom by dividing
UNIONARMY CONFEDERATE 7 his already outnumbered
army, Lee’s audacious
ARMY
counter-attack ruined the
133,000 60,000 1 4 Union’s masterplan.
Innovation:
Boldness:
Prudence:
Planning:

5
THE UNION SWINGS IT SCYTHE 3
1As 10,000 cavalry under Major-General George 2
Stoneman swoop around to the Confederate’s
rear, cutting off their supply lines, Major-General 6
Joseph Hooker and 70,000 infantry cross the
Rappanhannock River and take up positions at
the small hamlet of Chancellorsville.
MARCH ON FREDERICKSBURG
2 After bridging the Rappanhannock south of
Fredericksburg with pontoons, Major-General
John Sedgwick and 40,000 men take up
positions outside the town. Lee decides to
confront the larger force head-on and leaves
11,000 men under Brigadier-General William
Barksdale and Major-General Jubal A Early to
hold the town. STONEWALL STRIKES FIRST THE FOREST SIEGE THE TIDE TURNS – SEDGWICK IS TRAPPED
4 Ordered to defend his position, 5Lee divides his army once 6 BRIEFLY 7 Robert Lee’s reinforcements
FOG OF WAR Jackson advances instead and hits the again, sending Jackson and Back at Fredericksburg, Sedgwick encircle Sedgwick, like Hooker
3 Taking advantage of the cover of heavy fog, Union forces hard in a clearing on the 28,000 men to attack the finally advances, quickly breaking before him and the general
Lee dispatches the bulk of the Confederate force edge of the forest. Hooker, surprised Union’s right flanks while Lee through the small number of retreats back across the
– a total of 40,000 men – west under Lieutenant- by the sudden assault, retreats to himself holds the road with defenders Lee has left behind. Rappanhannock over Banks’s
General Stonewall Jackson and Major-General Chancellorsville and takes up defensive 13,000 men. Only two cannons Despite their advance, they’re Ford. Hooker withdraws
Richard H Anderson, where they begin digging in positions around hastily constructed protect Hooker’s right and the eventually thrown back and too, back across the ford he
along the road to Chancellorsville. log barriers. Confederates come screaming unable to relieve Hooker’s originally came in by. The Union
from the forest as the Union besieged Union force. With had lost this battle.
troops are sitting down to dinner. Hooker no longer a threat, Lee
ROBERTELEE A series of Confederate assaults peels off some of his men to
push Hooker further back.
reinforce Major-General Early.
The Battle of Chancellorsville
30April-6May1863,USA
The Confederate general turns an ambush back on itself

eneral Robert E Lee had proved himself With the Union troops still in the dense
the greatest Confederate commander of the woodland around the river where their artillery
GAmerican Civil War, and so the Union, smarting could yet come to bear, Jackson launched his
from their recent defeats, devised a plan to defeat surprise attack on 2 May. Taking 4,000 prisoners,
their menace. Outnumbering the Confederates over Jackson’s daring assault forced the enemy back
two to one (the Union was fielding 133,868 men to three kilometres (two miles) toward the river, where
Weary Union troops rest
the rebels’ 60,892), the Union forces divided into they decided to form a defensive line around the at Chancellorsville
two, leaving 30,000 troops at Fredericksburg while small hamlet of Chancellorsville.
the bulk of the army – led by Major-General Hooker Back at Fredericksburg, Major-General Sedgewick
– crossed the Rappahannock fords on 30 April to disobeyed an order to advance on the 18,000-
attack Lee’s vulnerable left flank. odd Confederate troops still facing him, believing
With even the individual armies eclipsing his his force of 30,000 to be outnumbered. With
own entire force, Lee diminished his numbers even Sedgewick’s blunder buying them time, on 3 May
further by sending 30,000 men with Lieutenant- the Confederates hammered Hooker’s line, forcing
General ‘Stonewall’ Jackson on a three-kilometre them back past Chancellorsville and toward the
(two-mile) loop to attack the right flank of the new ford. Meanwhile, Sedgewick had finally begun to
force, while Lee himself led 12,000 men to hold advance, but it was far too late. Hooker was now
them head-on. The remainder of the force were to beaten, and Lee swung back toward Fredericksburg Confederate dead
remain within sight of Fredericksburg to hold off where the Union troops found themselves on the outskirts
of Fredericksburg
the enemy that was still stationed there. overwhelmed and defeated.

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