The Chancellorsville Campaign

On January 25, 1863, Union general Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker replaced Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside as the fifth commander of the demoralized eastern armies in less than two years. On taking charge of the Army of the Potomac, Hooker implemented organizational reforms to ensure that his soldiers stayed healthy, warm, and busy. Morale improved quickly, as did the army's offensive spirit.

The dramatic reorganization of the cavalry was one of Hooker's initial priorities and signal accomplishments. Before Hooker assumed command, small squadrons of horsemen were scattered among the infantry, carelessly armed and consistently outmatched by their Confederate counterparts.

Hooker reassembled his mounted forces into the single cavalry corps under one commander, Gen. George Stoneman, and equipped the majority of the troopers with carbines - short rifles that were easy to load and fire on horseback. With the Army of the Potomac recovering its fighting spirit, Hooker planned a new campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia.

The Rappahannock River, situated to your left, separated the two forces. Although the Federals outnumbered the Confederates by more than two to one, the river was a formidable equalizer. The Union army had lost 12,000 men on its southern banks following a disastrous crossing at Fredericksburg in December. Angered by a Southern cavalry raid at Hartwood Church in February, Hooker ordered his mounted command to test the defenses at the river fords above Fredericksburg. This probe resulted first in the Battle of Kelly's ford, a step toward the decisive showdown at Chancellorsville.

"My plans are perfect... May God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none." - Gen. Joe Hooker, USA

"We must make this campaign an exceedingly active one... A defensive campaign can only be made successful by taking the aggressive at the proper time." - Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, CSA

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Show me all markers in:  Remington, VA  |  Culpeper County  |  22734  |  Virginia  |  United States of America

Battle of Kelly's Ford
Fauquier County / Culpeper County
Francis Hume
Rappahannock Station
Where Pelham Fell
Major John Pelham, C.S.A.
The Battle of Brandy Station
Battle of Brandy Station
The Battle of Brandy Station
The 1863-64 Winter Encampment

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