Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-4, 1863: "Lee's Perfect Battle"

Civil War Sesquicentennial..150 years since 'The Battle of Channcellorsville".. General Robert E. Lees' perfect battle !

That's right !  Out of all the Civil War battles Confederate General Robert E. Lee fought against the Union from 1861 through 1865..The Battle of Chancellorsville will always be remembered by military historians and strategists ..as his perfect battle. Lees' tactics for the Battle of Chancellorsville have been taught at military colleges including our own valleys' West Point for many years.

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Lee with an army half the size ( approx. 60,000 confederates versus 130,000 Union ) will take the ultimate chance when he sees he can divide the southward advancing Union army ( divide + conquer..remember) and possibly defeat in pieces ( known as defeating "in detail"). But he must divide his own smaller army to do that. So he divides and takes the chance..and it pays off.

In fact, Lees' victory here at Chancellorsville is so clearcut ... and complete .. over an army twice his size.. that he will begin to possibly gain too much confidence in his rebel foot cavalry. This confidence will bring Lee to attack the north again in less than 6 weeks..when and where he is not so lucky.. at a small Pennsylvania crossroads town called Gettysburg. But that is another story I'll write in about 2 months during the 150th Anniversary of Battle of Gettysburg ( July 1-3, 2013).

Every general has a good day and May 1st through the 4th, 1863 were indeed good days for Lee. But Lee and the South will suffer a loss on May 2nd that will have an effect that could not be measured later when CSA General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson is shot by his own rebel troops while riding at night checking his lines.  A simple case of friendly fire. Maybe.

How much "Stonewall" Jacksons' aggressive nature and sound tactics might have aided Lee and the Confederate Army later had he not been killed, is on lifes' long list of "what ifs' ". Most historians agree that the South stood a much greater chance of winning the war.. outright and early .. possibly later in 1863.

Now let's go over to the "Battle of Chancellorsville" at our Civil War Website and read a bit more .. while remembering the sacrifice those Civil War vets and folks made..to keep the Union, these United States of America we love and cherish today. Our continued thanks to all our vets.

Thanks

Brian