The
Duke of Wellington is reported to have said that “a man of refined
Christian sensibilities is totally unfit for the profession of a
soldier,” though two devoted Christians, Lee and Jackson faithfully
performed their soldierly duties to near-perfection against tremendous
odds.
Bernhard Thuersam, Chairman
North Carolina War Between the States Sesquicentennial Commission
"Unsurpassed Valor, Courage and Devotion to Liberty"
"The Official Website of the North Carolina WBTS Sesquicentennial"
“On
the Confederate side, the force operating at Chancellorsville consisted
of McLaw’s and Anderson’s divisions of Longstreet’s corps (Hood’s and
Pickett’s divisions of that corps, under Longstreet, were in the
vicinity of Suffolk, on the south side of the James river), and
Jackson’s corps, of A.P. Hill’s, [Jubal] Early’s, D.H. Hill’s under
[General Robert] Rodes, and [General Isaac] Trimble’s under [Raleigh E.]
Colston, and two brigades of cavalry under W.H.F. Lee and Fitzhugh Lee.
Present,
then, we find six infantry divisions or twenty-eight brigades, and the
cavalry brigades of nine regiments. The official return of the Army of
Northern Virginia nearest to the battle extant – viz: 31st March 1863 . . . you have present at Chancellorsville a Confederate total on 53,303, with some 170 pieces of artillery.
Now let us see what 133,708 fighting men in blue did with 53,303 “boys in gray.”
It
will be demonstrated that “the finest army on the planet” as Hooker
termed it, “was like the waves of the ocean driven upon the beach by
some unseen force, and whose white crests we so soon broken into
glittering jewels on the sand.”
[Three
of Hooker’s] corps were to constitute the left wing of the army – were
to hold and amuse General Lee and prevent him from observing the great
flank movement of the right wing, and to pursue him, when maneuvered out
of his entrenchments, by the approaching hosts on his left-rear.
Hooker’s original left wing was about equal in numbers to General Lee’s
whole army, and his right wing, or marching column, of four infantry
corps and one cavalry corps [57,414], would represent his numerical
advantage in strength.
The
Confederate commander knew a movement was in progress. With the
serenity of almost superhuman intelligence he waited for it to be
developed before his plans were laid to counteract it, for he remembered
the maxim of the great Napoleon, that when your enemy is making a
mistake he must not be interrupted. 000 men in front of Hooker’s 73,124 while Jackson
moved around his right flank with 26,000. [Upon personally viewing the
exposed and undefended enemy flank, Jackson’s] eyes burned with a
brilliant glow, lighting up his sad face. His expression was one of
intense interest, his face was colored slightly with the paint of
approaching battle, and radiant at the success of his flanking movement.
From
what I have read and heard of Jackson since that day, I know now what
he was doing then. Oh! “beware of rashness,” General Hooker. Stonewall
Jackson is praying in full view of your right flank!”
(Chancellorsville – Address of General Fitzhugh Lee, Southern Historical Papers, Volume VII, 1879, pp. 558-560; 570-572)
