Chancellorsville

This is another in the Time-Life series, "Voices of the Civil War." This series is typified by some essays and other data (maps, order of battle casualties, for example)--but at its heart is the observations and reflections of civilians, privates, and generals about the battle at issue. Here, we get an "up close and personal" view of Chancellorsville. Pages 6-7, an artist's rendering of the battlefield. Pages 9-13, a brief introductory essay to provide context for the struggle to follow. Page 14, the "order of battle," down to brigade level. For example: Couch's II Corps, Hancock's 1st Division, comprised of the brigades of Caldwell, Byrnes, Zook, and Brooke. Pages 39-41 describes Commanding General Joseph Hooker's (of the Army of the Potomac) effort to flank the Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee. Things began to go awry after Hooker's forces actually achieved a measure of strategic advantage. However, he withdrew his forces after a bit. Major General Darius Couch's comments on page 65 suggest that his subordinates were not altogether happy with this. Pages 70-71 outline Stonewall Jackson's audacious flanking movement (with a useful map to illustrate). There is a poignant [piece, written by Jackson's surgeon, Hunter McGuire, as he describes the would suffered by the General. Pages 100-101 outline the next days' battle. Then, pages 122-123 describe the Federal retreat. Hooker had had two whole corps--the Second and Fifth uninvolved. Someone like U. S. Grant would have deployed these and--perhaps--produced a victory instead of the dismal defeat by Union forces. The butcher's bill is outlines on page 142--with 12,826 Confederate casualties and 17,297 Union casualties (dead, wounded, and captured/missing). A good, first person examination of this great struggle.