The Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville was the location of what may be one Generals greatest accomplishment, and also one generals last accomplishment. General Hooker, a Union General, had been drilling and reorganizing his force of 130 thousand men all winter. Gen. Hooker decided it would be best to drill all winter because he was aptly supplied and the roads were in no condition to be maneuvering men. General Robert E. Lee on the other hand was on the opposite side of the Rappahannock river and occupying the territory that Gen. Hooker was trying to take. Gen. Lee was in the company of another famous general by the name of General Thomas Jonathan Jackson. Nicknamed “Stonewall” Jackson for his actions at the first Battle …show more content…
Gen. Lee originally was in command of sixty thousand, but over the winter, his troops dispersed because they, unlike Gen. Hooker’s men, did not have the ample supplies to drill over the winter, and they were forced to disperse throughout the area to scavenge for food. When spring came around, Gen. Hooker decided that he and his men were ready to launch an offensive and cross the Rappahannock river, which would place them on Gen. Lee’s exposed flank. The crossing was successful and Gen. Hooker hoped that Gen. Lee would be frazzled and retreat so he could regroup. Instead Gen. Lee and Gen. Jackson met and devised a plan. The plan was that Gen. Jackson and 30 thousand men would cut directly in front of the enemy in order to position themselves on Gen. Hooker’s exposed flank and rear. The vital part of the plan was the fact that as soon as Gen. Hooker made it across the river, his forces had to make it through the thick wilderness. Gen. Lee quickly marshalled all his troops he could find in the surrounding area, which amounted up to 45 thousand. Gen. Longstreet and 15 thousand men were scavenging in the Suffolk area when Gen. Lee sent out the order for the troops to amass, and was not able to make it back to Gen. Lee