Jackson's night attack at Chancellorsville

[Ter61]

What if Jackson had not been wounded at Chancellorsville and could have made his night attack on the Union army? How much damage could he have done to Hooker's army? Could that have changed the outcome of the war? Could that have changed the way Lee invaded the North?

[ole]

What if Jackson had not been wounded at Chancellorsville and could have made his night attack on the Union army? How much damage could he have done to Hooker's army? Could that have changed the outcome of the war? Could that have changed the way Lee invaded the North?

Ter: Night attacks are notoriously risky and were seldom attempted.

True, the defender can't see you any better than you can see him. However, he is in an established area and, although disorganized, it's far easier for him to organize than it is for you to hold any unit cohesiveness through those tangled woods. You'd be attacking as individuals or in dribs and drabs against a group capable of firing a volley.

Jackson's desire to press the attack was simply Jackson's style. He may well have done more damage to the 11th Corps than he did, but he'd have still eventually run up against a large body of alert, prepared troops. I'd guess that pressing the night attack would have little effect on the battle or the war.

By the way, have I welcomed you yet?
Ole

[Ter61]

Ole, thanks for responding to my question. I joined this forum about 6 months ago and you welcomed me. It has just been a while since I have been on here.

[whitworth]

I believe Jackson was studying Union lines at dusk for an attack the following day.

As Ole said, night attacks were seldom attempted.

Besides, many of the Confederate soldiers suffered from night blindness, because of a vitamin deficiency. I've had some slight occurrences of night blindness, and used vitamins to correct the problem.
Some Confederate soldiers had a serious problem of just moving at night. One officer related that numbers of soldiers had to link arms, when moved from one area to another, during the night.

[ole]

I believe Jackson was studying Union lines at dusk for an attack the following day.

We seem to have a slight divide for which I can't be the arbiter: Was Jackson in fact scouting for an intended early morning attack? Or was he looking for a weak spot he could hit yet that night?

Anybody got a definitive answer?
Ole

[Blockaderunner]

It is possible that Jackson had not yet decided on when his next attack would take place. JEB Stuart sought out Jackson in the field hospital to ask how to procede. Although badly wounded, Jackson had not yet been operated on. Jackson is said to have thought for a moment, then replied to Stuart "I do not know".."you must do what you think is best". A badly wounded man may not have been thinking clearly, and he may have been drugged. Even so, had he decided on a course of action, then he would have made this clear to Stuart.

[Jamieva]

I think Jackson was scouting to see if there was a chance to exploit an obvious gap or flaw in the AOP lines at that time of night. Otherwise I think he was going back at them at first light.

A night attack probably would have been a disaster if tried due to the inability to guide troops etc. Much easier to defend then attack in the dark.

[ole]

I think Jackson was scouting to see if there was a chance to exploit an obvious gap or flaw in the AOP lines at that time of night. Otherwise I think he was going back at them at first light.

And I think you may have nailed the exact reason for his gallavant. No commander worth his salt is going to go to bed without a good handle on what he was going to do and when -- the next hour or the next day. The sorry part of the whole thing is that he did the reconnoitering in person.
Ole

[whitworth]

I question that Jackson would even consider a night attack. There were battles that started in daylight but continued into dusk and later.
But I know of no attack Lee's Army of Northern Virginia made on any large scale, that started after dusk?

[Jamieva]

I can't think of one either. I think Jackson was just seeing if the Feds were making preparation to stand or if they were totally in disarray and he could just make a run at them and get them to flee.

He really was scouting to see where he would strike at firsrt light the next morning.