"My plans are perfect," Union Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker told his staff as he prepared to move his 130,000 man Army of the Potomac at the end of April, 1863. "May God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none." Hooker came face to face with Robert E. Lee's 60,000 man Army of Northern Virginia, in the "Wilderness" area of Virginia, near the town of Chancellorsville, on May 1--and after four days fighting was roundly whipped.

Lee, in consultation with Stonewall Jackson, had made the daring decision to split his main force, sending Jackson around to flank Hooker. This Jackson accomplished on May 2, striking the unprepared Federal's at about 6P.M. Riding forward in a small party through the gloom of that evening, Jackson was mistaken for a Federal and wounded by one of his own soldiers. The battle continued, ending two days later in a victory for the Confederates due to Lee's daring and to Hooker's cautious movements and poor reconnaissance. But the victory was a bitter one, Jackson's wound proved mortal: his arm was amputated on the night of May 2, and he died of pneumonia May 10.

Caption written by Margaret Wagner, Publishing Office, Library of Congress

Medium : 1 print : lithograph, color

Created/Published : Between 1889-1890

Creator : Kurz & Allison

Housed in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress

Availability: Usually ships in one week

Product #: cph3g01760