Chancellorsville "Chancellorsville" Who should have fallen on his sword for failure?

"Chancellorsville" One Must Fall on His sword But which?

  • General Hooker- assuming retreat

    Votes: 34 61.8%
  • General Sickles- poor recon..

    Votes: 1 1.8%
  • General Devens- ignoring reports

    Votes: 2 3.6%
  • General Von Gilsa- not securing the union flank

    Votes: 3 5.5%
  • Hooker Staff Officers for ignoring and not informing Hooker

    Votes: 6 10.9%
  • Other: There is always another opinion....

    Votes: 9 16.4%

  • Total voters
    55
Stonewall Jackson was to blame for the failure at Chancellorsville. The night Jackson was shot, he was out scouting the enemies position to finish his attack the next morning because he had failed to "crush the enemy" earlier in the day. The flanking attack upon the Union was late! Yes, the Union Army suffered a heavy loss on the battlefield, but the Army of the Potomac was not defeated...which would have happened if Jackson had not been late!

As far as Hooker's plan...it was brilliant, and was working well until Hooker ordered the advancing Union Forces to halt early in the campaign. Lee had no idea what was happening until the Union Army halted it's attack. Did Hooker fail to end the war in the east there? Yes.

Chancellorsville was the beginning of the end for the South in the east...Lee gets the credit for being a better General than Hooker,
but The Army of The Potomac gets the victory for surviving such a staggering blow.

Lee wielded a powerful "left hook" at Chancellorsville, but Jackson failed to "knockout" the Army of the Potomac.
 
Last edited:
To my mind, the AoP had not been defeated. but, Hooker was a beaten man as soon as he ordered a halt to the AoP advance, just as it was leaving the Wilderness.
 
Stonewall Jackson was to blame for the failure at Chancellorsville. The night Jackson was shot, he was out scouting the enemies position to finish his attack the next morning because he had failed to "crush the enemy" earlier in the day. The flanking attack upon the Union was late! Yes, the Union Army suffered a heavy loss on the battlefield, but the Army of the Potomac was not defeated...which would have happened if Jackson had not been late!

As far as Hooker's plan...it was brilliant, and was working well until Hooker ordered the advancing Union Forces to halt early in the campaign. Lee had no idea what was happening until the Union Army halted it's attack. Did Hooker fail to end the war in the east there? Yes.

Chancellorsville was the beginning of the end for the South in the east...Lee gets the credit for being a better General than Hooker,
but The Army of The Potomac gets the victory for surviving such a staggering blow.

Lee wielded a powerful "left hook" at Chancellorsville, but Jackson failed to "knockout" the Army of the Potomac.

Here is a thread about I did on this topic long ago Jackson Failure at Chancorviile ...

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/general-jackson-failed-at-c-ville-epically.16974/#post-201200
 
Back
Top