Chancellorsville Hooker and Lee are interviewed

N

New Haven

Corporal
Joined
Aug 22, 2023
I was able to conduct a a pre/post battle interview with Hooker and Lee.

New Haven: So Fightin' Joe what is your prediction going into the battle at Chancellorsville?

Fightin Joe: "May God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none."

New Haven: That sounds a bit heavy on the hubris, Joe. Can you give us a little detail on the results of your "no mercy" tactics?

Fightin' Joe: Perhaps most eye-popping will be the regimental officer casualties. The Army of Northern Virginia is going into Chancellorsville with 130 regiments of infantry. Over the course of the battle, my Army of the Potomac, will destroy the ANV as follows: 56 field grade officers (major, lieutenant colonel, or colonel) heading these regiments will be killed, wounded, or captured. Some of those losses will be in the same regiment—the 55th Virginia, for example, will lose all three of its field grade officers. Across the whole Chancellorsville Campaign, a third of the army's infantry regiments will lose a commanding officer.

New Haven: General Lee, would you care to comment on Fightin' Joe's prediction here. What really happened?

Robert E. Lee: After this battle I was forced to reorganize the Army of Northern Virginia, breaking it from two corps into three, supposedly to remedy the loss of Jackson. I realized how deep the scars of Chancellorsville went. Look, I did not just lose one of my lieutenants. I lost priceless command experience at the regimental level that would never be replaced. Captains would have to be promoted to field grade and sergeants to company grade to backfill the catastrophic loss incurred by Hooker's "no mercy" attack. It is getting close to the "BIG ONE" –Gettysburg- and I have those new commanders, not just at the top, but equally important, at the bottom, too. Fightin' Joe's AOP will still be the one I have to face at G'BURG in a few months. I know Lincoln will throw Meade in as the Commander, but let's face facts, I will be fighting, as Hooker says, "the Greatest Army" ever. And he will have embarrassed JEB's cavalry at Brandy Station in a few weeks in early June. And the doggone Confederate papers will be making fun of me again.

New Haven: General Lee, would you like to summarize your feelings about the battle of Chancellorsville?

Robert E. Lee: At the conclusion of Chancellorsville, "We had really accomplished nothing; we had not gained a foot of ground, and I knew the enemy could easily replace the men he had lost. At Chancellorsville we gained another victory; our people were wild with delight—I, on the contrary, was more depressed." I would appreciate it if you would keep this comment off the record.

New Haven: Not sure I can do that, sir. I have an obligation to my readers.
 
Officers who lead in combat are often casualties. In the Civil War that meant every officer below a Division commander, unless they were part of staff or the medical team.

Same happened in WW1 except most general officers were behind the front trench lines and somewhat "safe".

What was the average "life" of a new 2nd Lieutenant in Vietnam? Two or three weeks...something like that.

That's one of the reasons war is or should be a last resort.
 
New Haven said:
I was able to conduct a a pre/post battle interview with Hooker and Lee.

New Haven: So Fightin' Joe what is your prediction going into the battle at Chancellorsville?

Fightin Joe: "May God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none."

New Haven: That sounds a bit heavy on the hubris, Joe. Can you give us a little detail on the results of your "no mercy" tactics?

Fightin' Joe: Perhaps most eye-popping will be the regimental officer casualties. The Army of Northern Virginia is going into Chancellorsville with 130 regiments of infantry. Over the course of the battle, my Army of the Potomac, will destroy the ANV as follows: 56 field grade officers (major, lieutenant colonel, or colonel) heading these regiments will be killed, wounded, or captured. Some of those losses will be in the same regiment—the 55th Virginia, for example, will lose all three of its field grade officers. Across the whole Chancellorsville Campaign, a third of the army's infantry regiments will lose a commanding officer.

New Haven: General Lee, would you care to comment on Fightin' Joe's prediction here. What really happened?

Robert E. Lee: After this battle I was forced to reorganize the Army of Northern Virginia, breaking it from two corps into three, supposedly to remedy the loss of Jackson. I realized how deep the scars of Chancellorsville went. Look, I did not just lose one of my lieutenants. I lost priceless command experience at the regimental level that would never be replaced. Captains would have to be promoted to field grade and sergeants to company grade to backfill the catastrophic loss incurred by Hooker's "no mercy" attack. It is getting close to the "BIG ONE" –Gettysburg- and I have those new commanders, not just at the top, but equally important, at the bottom, too. Fightin' Joe's AOP will still be the one I have to face at G'BURG in a few months. I know Lincoln will throw Meade in as the Commander, but let's face facts, I will be fighting, as Hooker says, "the Greatest Army" ever. And he will have embarrassed JEB's cavalry at Brandy Station in a few weeks in early June. And the doggone Confederate papers will be making fun of me again.

New Haven: General Lee, would you like to summarize your feelings about the battle of Chancellorsville?

Robert E. Lee: At the conclusion of Chancellorsville, "We had really accomplished nothing; we had not gained a foot of ground, and I knew the enemy could easily replace the men he had lost. At Chancellorsville we gained another victory; our people were wild with delight—I, on the contrary, was more depressed." I would appreciate it if you would keep this comment off the record.

New Haven: Not sure I can do that, sir. I have an obligation to my readers.
Click to expand...
You have to go to 4chan to find posts this unhinged.
Seriously man, I think you need to get off this site and get some help. Whatever this is, I can tell you, this is not healthy.
 
Luke Freet said:
You have to go to 4chan to find posts this unhinged.
Seriously man, I think you need to get off this site and get some help. Whatever this is, I can tell you, this is not healthy.
Click to expand...
Thank you, Luke Freet. Are there numbers in the narrative you disagree with? I thought it would be good to kinda set the record straight on Hooker's pre-battle prediction.
Lee took 28 brigades into Chancellorsville. Nine of those brigades lost their commanders during the battle, and of those nine, three brigades lost multiple commanders. Lee also lost 64 of 130 regimental commanders at Chancellorsville. As a result of those losses, many of Lee's brigades went into battle at Gettysburg with inexperienced unit commanders. Not to mention two new Corp commanders.
 
Jamieva said:
Fanfic? Is that what is being posted now?
Click to expand...
Thank you, Jamieva. Please tell me where is the fiction in this casualty list.

Are there numbers in the narrative you disagree with? I thought it would be good to kinda set the record straight on Hooker's pre-battle prediction.
Lee took 28 brigades into Chancellorsville. Nine of those brigades lost their commanders during the battle, and of those nine, three brigades lost multiple commanders. Lee also lost 64 of 130 regimental commanders at Chancellorsville. As a result of those losses, many of Lee's brigades went into battle at Gettysburg with inexperienced unit commanders. Not to mention two new Corp commanders.
 
Jamieva said:
So you're just a spammer. I love the internet.
Click to expand...
Thank you, Jamieva. Is this what you call "spam?" I really think there are some people on this site that have just accepted whatever anyone has told them in the past. The casualty list I gave you comes from this source. It is not spam.
https://civilwarintheeast.com/confederate-armies/csa-may-63/anv-may-63/2nd-corps-may-63/rodes-div-may-63/

The following Confederate States Army units and commanders fought in Virginia's Battle of Chancellorsville, which lasted from April 30 to May 6, 1863, during the American Civil War. The Union order of battle is listed separately. Order of battle has been compiled from the army organization[1] during the campaign,[2] the casualty returns[3] and the reports.[4]
 
New Haven said:
I was able to conduct a a pre/post battle interview with Hooker and Lee.

New Haven: So Fightin' Joe what is your prediction going into the battle at Chancellorsville?

Fightin Joe: "May God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none."

New Haven: That sounds a bit heavy on the hubris, Joe. Can you give us a little detail on the results of your "no mercy" tactics?

Fightin' Joe: Perhaps most eye-popping will be the regimental officer casualties. The Army of Northern Virginia is going into Chancellorsville with 130 regiments of infantry. Over the course of the battle, my Army of the Potomac, will destroy the ANV as follows: 56 field grade officers (major, lieutenant colonel, or colonel) heading these regiments will be killed, wounded, or captured. Some of those losses will be in the same regiment—the 55th Virginia, for example, will lose all three of its field grade officers. Across the whole Chancellorsville Campaign, a third of the army's infantry regiments will lose a commanding officer.

New Haven: General Lee, would you care to comment on Fightin' Joe's prediction here. What really happened?

Robert E. Lee: After this battle I was forced to reorganize the Army of Northern Virginia, breaking it from two corps into three, supposedly to remedy the loss of Jackson. I realized how deep the scars of Chancellorsville went. Look, I did not just lose one of my lieutenants. I lost priceless command experience at the regimental level that would never be replaced. Captains would have to be promoted to field grade and sergeants to company grade to backfill the catastrophic loss incurred by Hooker's "no mercy" attack. It is getting close to the "BIG ONE" –Gettysburg- and I have those new commanders, not just at the top, but equally important, at the bottom, too. Fightin' Joe's AOP will still be the one I have to face at G'BURG in a few months. I know Lincoln will throw Meade in as the Commander, but let's face facts, I will be fighting, as Hooker says, "the Greatest Army" ever. And he will have embarrassed JEB's cavalry at Brandy Station in a few weeks in early June. And the doggone Confederate papers will be making fun of me again.

New Haven: General Lee, would you like to summarize your feelings about the battle of Chancellorsville?

Robert E. Lee: At the conclusion of Chancellorsville, "We had really accomplished nothing; we had not gained a foot of ground, and I knew the enemy could easily replace the men he had lost. At Chancellorsville we gained another victory; our people were wild with delight—I, on the contrary, was more depressed." I would appreciate it if you would keep this comment off the record.

New Haven: Not sure I can do that, sir. I have an obligation to my readers.
Click to expand...
Joe Hooker: I allowed my Army, fighting mostly on the defensive, to lose badly to a rag tag bunch of rebels even though at the outset I had the initiative and outnumbered them more than 2:1. I lost my nerve but blamed it on my senior officers who almost mutinied because of my failure of command. I was forced to resign two months later and finally accepted a corps command in the western theater. I wish I had never said, "My plans are perfect, and when I start to carry them out may God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none.". :giggle:
 
RobertP said:
Joe Hooker: I allowed my Army, fighting mostly on the defensive, to lose badly to a rag tag bunch of rebels even though at the outset I had the initiative and outnumbered them more than 2:1. I lost my nerve but blamed it on my senior officers who almost mutinied because of my failure of command. I was forced to resign two months later and finally accepted a corps command in the western theater. I wish I had never said, "My plans are perfect, and when I start to carry them out may God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none.". :giggle:
Click to expand...
Thank you Robert. the AOP made a Brilliant , orderly withdrawal, (think Lee at Antietam) to save my Army for Gettysburg. I also needed my Cav to embarrass JEB in early June at Brandy Station. I do know that the ANV would suffer from Jackson's fiasco on the night of May 2.
At their bivouac the night before, Lee should have asked Jackson if he would continue the fight in the dark. I don't think Lee continued night attacks after Jackson's death.
Fratricide results in unacceptable losses and increases the risk of mission failure; it almost always affects the unit's ability to survive and function. Units experiencing fratricide suffer these consequences:
  • Loss of confidence in the unit's leadership.
  • Increasing self-doubt among leaders.
  • Hesitancy in the employment of supporting combat systems.
  • Over supervision of units.
  • Hesitancy in the conduct of night operations.
  • Loss of aggressiveness in maneuver.
  • Loss of initiative.
  • Disrupted operations.
  • General degradation of unit cohesiveness, morale, and combat power.
Two generals , Jackson and Hill. fired on by their own men. Hooker probably said if they are going to be having circular firing squads , I might as well go home and leave them to their own destruction.
Just what does it do to the troops when there has been a death by fratricide. The 18th North Carolina went into a tailspin after Chancellorsville. I am working on the full consequence of the so-called "brilliant" flank attack of Jackson's. His hubris and lack of caution resulted in the death of some of his good staff. There are monuments to Jackson, in the battlefield and even his arm, but few for his staff that were killed with him on May 2, 1863. Jackson never asked about the battle or his men after his wounding. I particularly enjoy the comments made by Confederate based films about Jackson. In their zeal to praise and deify him they fall over each other with contradictions. I would probably not have investigated this if they just left well enough alone and only lionized Lee and Jackson. But the Lost Cause school of thought had to go on and demonize Grant and Sherman. From my experience in business, those kinds of lies perpetuate even more lies.
 
New Haven said:
Thank you, Jamieva. Please tell me where is the fiction in this casualty list.

Are there numbers in the narrative you disagree with? I thought it would be good to kinda set the record straight on Hooker's pre-battle prediction.
Lee took 28 brigades into Chancellorsville. Nine of those brigades lost their commanders during the battle, and of those nine, three brigades lost multiple commanders. Lee also lost 64 of 130 regimental commanders at Chancellorsville. As a result of those losses, many of Lee's brigades went into battle at Gettysburg with inexperienced unit commanders. Not to mention two new Corp commanders.
Click to expand...
I have not been involved with these posts and I have started to become annoyed. I do agree with Luke about this not being healthy. But I also want to look at the claim that the officers at Gettysburg were less inexperienced than those at Chancellorsville. As you have only every posted this for Rodes and A.P. Hill's divisions but not the rest of the army. As some regiments and brigades would get more capable commanders. Lee's Army also had the divisions of Pickett (Garnett, Kemper, Armistead, Corse & M.Jenkins), Hood (Anderson, Benning, J.Robertson & Law) and the independent brigade of Cooke. Alongside the new brigades of Daniel, Davis, Pettigrew A.Jenkins, Imboden & B.Robertson.


Officers casualties in First Corps & their Replacements at Gettysburg:
- Col Young Lea Royston (wounded); Ltc Hilary Abner Herbert
- Col William H. Forney (wounded; At Gettysburg)
- Col Lucius Pinckard (wounded; At Gettysburg)
- Maj. John F. Jones (wounded); Col Edward J. Walker
- Ltc Reuben W. Carswell (lower rank); Col William Gibson
- Col David A. Weisiger (unknown); Ltc Everard M. Feild
- Col Joseph H. Ham (unknown); Ltc Richard O. Whitehead
- Ltc Merry B. Harris (lower rank); Col William H. Taylor
- Col Joseph M. Jayne (wounded; At Gettysburg)
- BG Edward A. Perry (Sick during Gettysburg); Col David Lang
- Maj. Walter R. Moore (wounded; At Gettysburg)
- Maj. Benjamin F. Davis (wounded); Cpt Richmond N. Gardner
- Col David Lang (Brigade Command); Ltc William Peter Baya
- Maj, Robert C. Maffett (lower rank); Col James Drayton Nance
- Ltc Elbert Bland (lower rank); Col David Wyatt Aiken
- Ltc Joseph F. Gist (lower rank); Col William Davie de Saussure
- Col Thomas M. Griffin (captured; At Gettysburg)
- Ltc Willis C. Holt (lower rank); Col John Baston Weems
- Ltc Francis Kearse (lower rank); Col William Richard Manning
- Col William M. Slaughter (mortally wounded); Col Edward Ball

Most of the officers who were replaced at Gettysburg were higher-ranking officers returning to command. Two are replaced for unknown reasons but with good officers. The only officers wounded and replaced by a lower officer are Cpt Richmond N. Gardner and Ltc Hilary Abner Herbert. In my opinion, the only officer who had a better commander at Chancellorsville than at Gettysburg was Col William Davie de Saussure replacing Ltc Joseph F. Gist. So the argument that the regimental commanders were inexperienced within the First Corps is bull. I will look at the Second Corps later today or tomorrow.
 
Last edited:
New Haven said:
The 18th North Carolina went into a tailspin after Chancellorsville.
Click to expand...
I also disagree with this point. The replacements for Colonel Purdie and Lieutenant Colonel George were good officers. Colonel Barry was promoted to acting Brigadier General while Major Thomas J. Wooten led the brigade's sharpshooters at the end of the war. So what reasons do you have for the 18th NC in a tailspin?
 
Here is the officer casualties for Second Corps.

Officers casualties in Second Corps & their Replacements at Gettysburg:
MG Ambrose P. Hill (wounded; At Gettysburg)
BG Henry Heth (wounded; Promoted & At Gettysburg)
BG William D. Pender (wounded; Promoted & At Gettysburg)
Col John M. Brockenbrough (Brigade Command); Cpt T. Edwin Betts
Col Francis Mallory (killed); Col William S. Christian
Cpt John Duke (lower rank); Col Bolling H. Holt
Ltc Washington L. Grice (lower rank); Col Thomas J. Simmons
Col Edward G. Haywood (wounded); Cpt J. McLeod Turner (Later promoted to Ltc)
Col Thomas J. Purdie (killed); Col John D. Barry (Later promoted to BG)
Col Clark M. Avery (wounded; At Gettysburg)
Col William M. Barbour (wounded; At Gettysburg)
BG Samuel McGowan (wounded); Col Abner M. Perrin (Later promoted to BG)
Col Daniel H. Hamilton (Unknown); Maj. Charles W. McCreary (Thank God for the replacement of Hamilton as he is not a good officer)
Col James M. Perrin (mortally wounded); Cpt William M. Hadden (No idea what happened to Ltc Harrison)
Maj. Edwin F. Bookter (lower rank); Col John L. Miller (Give command to Bookter at some point at Chancellorsville)
Col Oliver E. Edwards (mortally wounded); Col Benjamin T. Brockman
Abner M. Perrin (to brigade command); Ltc Joseph N. Brown
Cpt S. D. Stewart (killed); Maj. Albert S. Van de Graaff
Ltc John A. Fite (wounded; Promoted & At Gettysburg)
Col William McComb (wounded); Cpt Bruce L. Phillips
Col Alfred M. Scales (wounded; Promoted to BG & At Gettysburg); Col Joseph H. Hyman
Col John S. McElroy (wounded); Cpt Leroy W. Stowe
Ltc Christopher C. Cole (killed); Col James Conner
Ltc John Ashford (lower rank); Col William J. Hoke
Col Edward A. O'Neal (wounded; At Gettysburg)
Cpt Malachi F. Bonham (lower rank); Col Cullen A. Battle (Later promoted to BG & maybe MG)
Ltc John S. Garvin (wounded); Ltc John C. Goodgame
BG Stephen D. Ramseur (wounded; At Gettysburg, Later promoted to MG)
Col William Ruffin Cox (wounded, Later promoted to BG); Maj. Daniel W. Hurtt
Col Philip Cook (wounded, Later promoted to BG); Ltc David R. E. Winn
Col John B. Estes (Resigned due to prior injuries); Col Samuel P. Lumpkin
Col Thomas M. Garrett (wounded); Cpt Speight B. West
Maj. David P. Rowe (mortally wounded); Ltc William Davis
Col Thomas F. Toon (wounded, Later promoted to BG); Ltc Nelson Slough
Col Clement A. Evans (wounded; At Gettysburg, Later promoted to BG)
Col James D. Mathews (unknown); Ltc William L. McLeod
Col William H. Stiles (unknown); Cpt Walters B. Jones (Later promoted to Col)
Col Henry Forno (transferred to Alabama due to lack of Promotion); Maj. Alexander Hart
Col William Monaghan (unknown); Ltc Joseph Hanlon
Col Davidson B. Penn (captured; At Gettysburg)
Col Trevanian D. Lewis (captured; At Gettysburg)
Col Leroy A. Stafford (captured; At Gettysburg, Later promoted to BG)
BG Raleigh E. Colston (relieved of Duty); MG Edward Johnson
BG Elisha F. Paxton (killed); BG James A. Walker
Col John Q. A. Nadenbousch (wounded; At Gettysburg)
Col James K. Edmondson (wounded); Ltc Daniel M. Shriver
Ltc Abraham Spengler (unknown); Cpt Jacob B. Golladay
Col Edward T. H. Warren (wounded; At Gettysburg); BG George H. Steuart
Col John A. McDowell (wounded); Ltc Hamilton A. Brown
Ltc Stephen D. Thruston (wounded); Maj. William M. Parsley
Col Titus V. Williams (wounded); Maj. Henry C. Wood
BG Francis T. Nicholls (wounded); Col Jesse M. Williams
Cpt Edward D. Willett (lower rank); Ltc Michael Nolan
Col Jesse M. Williams (to brigade command); Ltc Ross E. Burke
Ltc John M. Legett (killed); Maj. Thomas N. Powell
Cpt William C. Michie (lower rank); Maj. Andrew Brady
BG John R. Jones (Relieved of Duty); BG John M. Jones
Maj. John B. Moseley (Resigned due to AWOL charges); Cpt William P. Moseley
Col John C. Higginbotham (Not at Chancellorsville)
Maj. Norvell P. Cobb (wounded; At Gettysburg)
Col Thomas S. Garnett (killed); Col Robert H. Dungan
Col Alexander S. Vandeventer (Unknown); Ltc Logan H. N. Salyer
Col James A. Walker (Not at Chancellorsville, Promoted to BG); Ltc James B. Terrill (Promoted to Col)
Col John S. Hoffman (Not at Chancellorsville)
Col Michael G. Harman (Resigned due to prior wounds); Col James H. Skinner
Col Francis H. Board (Not at Gettysburg)
BG Robert F. Hoke (wounded); Col Isaac E. Avery
Col Isaac E. Avery (To Brigade Command); Maj. Samuel M. Tate
Ltc William S. Rankin (lower rank); Col William W. Kirkland
Col James C. S. McDowell (mortally wounded); Col Kenneth M. Murchison
Col Kenneth M. Murchison (Not at Gettysburg)
Col Archibald C. Godwin (wounded; At Gettysburg)
 
Last edited:
By looking at these two lists of officer casualties within the Army of Northern Virginia at Chancellorsville. Many of the officers who were wounded or captured returned to lead their regiments at Gettysburg. Some were not even present at Chancellorsville. While many of the new regimental commanders were good replacements for the officers killed, wounded, captured or resigned at Chancellorsville and the time after.
 
John Wolf Smith said:
I also disagree with this point. The replacements for Colonel Purdie and Lieutenant Colonel George were good officers. Colonel Barry was promoted to acting Brigadier General while Major Thomas J. Wooten led the brigade's sharpshooters at the end of the war. So what reasons do you have for the 18th NC in a tailspin?
Click to expand...
If I had my way I would put a stop to this business that the 18th was "responsible" for the wounding of Jackson. It was clearly Jackson, and only Jackson, responsible for the massive fratricide of at least 20 Confederates on May 2 at Chancellorsville. Here are two Generals foolishly running around out in front of their own troops. The men of the 18th should have called for a courts marshal against Mr Courts Marshall Jackson himself. I will bet there were no more night attacks in the woods after this. ( see hesitancy in the conduct of night operations below)
A lot of the dead on May 2 were the direct result of Jackson. His flank attack was not brilliant, and was loaded with flaws.

It was a rough weekend for the 18th North Carolina Regiment. On Saturday, May 2, members of the Eighteenth accidentally shot Stonewall Jackson (a wound that was ultimately fatal). Then, on Sunday, May 3, the regiment's commander, Colonel Thomas J. Purdie, was killed. Also on Sunday, the color bearer, Corporal Owen Eakins, was killed and the regiment's flag was captured by the enemy. Moreover, the Eighteenth saw heavy losses during the Battle of Chancellorsville. According to one source, the regiment lost 30 men, another 95 were wounded, and 27 were reported missing.
Barry died within two years of the surrender of Confederate forces. Returning home in poor health, he edited a newspaper in Wilmington before dying on March 24, 1867. Some of his friends and family said that Barry "died of a broken heart" for his role in Jackson's death. He is buried in Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington.
"Broken heart" can be translated to survivor guilt, a consequence of fratricide.
Fratricide results in unacceptable losses and increases the risk of mission failure; it almost always affects the unit's ability to survive and function. Units experiencing fratricide suffer these consequences:
  • Loss of confidence in the unit's leadership.
  • Increasing self-doubt among leaders.
  • Hesitancy in the employment of supporting combat systems.
  • Over supervision of units.
  • Hesitancy in the conduct of night operations.
  • Loss of aggressiveness in maneuver.
  • Loss of initiative.
  • Disrupted operations.
  • General degradation of unit cohesiveness, morale, and combat power.
The more I read about General James Lane, I think he was the hero of the day. I am exploring that now. Thank you, John Wolfe Smith for your comments here.
 
dlofting said:
Officers who lead in combat are often casualties. In the Civil War that meant every officer below a Division commander, unless they were part of staff or the medical team.

Same happened in WW1 except most general officers were behind the front trench lines and somewhat "safe".

What was the average "life" of a new 2nd Lieutenant in Vietnam? Two or three weeks...something like that.

That's one of the reasons war is or should be a last resort.
Click to expand...
Yeah for Nam that sounds about right. Never got close to the new ones. I felt sorry for them.
 
John Wolf Smith said:
I have not been involved with these posts and I have started to become annoyed. I do agree with Luke about this not being healthy. But I also want to look at the claim that the officers at Gettysburg were less inexperienced than those at Chancellorsville. As you have only every posted this for Rodes and A.P. Hill's divisions but not the rest of the army. As some regiments and brigades would get more capable commanders. Lee's Army also had the divisions of Pickett (Garnett, Kemper, Armistead, Corse & M.Jenkins), Hood (Anderson, Benning, J.Robertson & Law) and the independent brigade of Cooke. Alongside the new brigades of Daniel, Davis, Pettigrew A.Jenkins, Imboden & B.Robertson.


Officers casualties in First Corps & their Replacements at Gettysburg:
- Col Young Lea Royston (wounded); Ltc Hilary Abner Herbert
- Col William H. Forney (wounded; At Gettysburg)
- Col Lucius Pinckard (wounded; At Gettysburg)
- Maj. John F. Jones (wounded); Col Edward J. Walker
- Ltc Reuben W. Carswell (lower rank); Col William Gibson
- Col David A. Weisiger (unknown); Ltc Everard M. Feild
- Col Joseph H. Ham (unknown); Ltc Richard O. Whitehead
- Ltc Merry B. Harris (lower rank); Col William H. Taylor
- Col Joseph M. Jayne (wounded; At Gettysburg)
- BG Edward A. Perry (Sick during Gettysburg); Col David Lang
- Maj. Walter R. Moore (wounded; At Gettysburg)
- Maj. Benjamin F. Davis (wounded); Cpt Richmond N. Gardner
- Col David Lang (Brigade Command); Ltc William Peter Baya
- Maj, Robert C. Maffett (lower rank); Col James Drayton Nance
- Ltc Elbert Bland (lower rank); Col David Wyatt Aiken
- Ltc Joseph F. Gist (lower rank); Col William Davie de Saussure
- Col Thomas M. Griffin (captured; At Gettysburg)
- Ltc Willis C. Holt (lower rank); Col John Baston Weems
- Ltc Francis Kearse (lower rank); Col William Richard Manning
- Col William M. Slaughter (mortally wounded); Col Edward Ball

Most of the officers who were replaced at Gettysburg were higher-ranking officers returning to command. Two are replaced for unknown reasons but with good officers. The only officers wounded and replaced by a lower officer are Cpt Richmond N. Gardner and Ltc Hilary Abner Herbert. In my opinion, the only officer who had a better commander at Chancellorsville than at Gettysburg was Col William Davie de Saussure replacing Ltc Joseph F. Gist. So the argument that the regimental commanders were inexperienced within the First Corps is bull. I will look at the Second Corps later today or tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Thank you for this post. I am asking if you have reviewed my casualty list at Chancellorsville as originally posted. Most of the posts about this battle indicate a completely routed 11th Corp. If the 11th was routed who did the shooting on May 2? My individual unit by unit list unit list of list of those Confederate units on May 2, show some incredible carnage. I am also annoyed by scenes from movies like Gods and Generals that does not give the true picture of the day. Perhaps we can learn to share more annoyance. Have you read or viewed any Edward Bonekemper's work on the Civil War. He is my idea of a ideal debate opponent for Shelby Foote. Neither of them are alive today, but Bonekemper's work has citations and footnotes that don't appear in Foote's. On a side note I am a volunteer working on a trail crew in Connecticut. I think I have met a match for the Wilderness.
1707653167200.png
I have also seen the remnants of charcoal pits that were part of the original land clearing a few hundred years ago. Good luck to you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Josh The Lighthouse Guy
Could/Should Hooker Have Reorganized The Army of the Potomac's Infantry?
2
Replies
30
Views
681
67th Tigers
Josh The Lighthouse Guy
Did Chancellorsville Enable The Gettysburg Campaign?
2
Replies
37
Views
754
Belfoured
Luke Freet
Better Options for Commander of the Army of Tennessee
2 3
Replies
50
Views
618
milhistbuff1
Elliot
Thoughts on Chancellorsville
2
Replies
31
Views
1K
Nathan Towne
Ethan S.
Collection CDV of an Excelsior: David C. De Zouche
Replies
1
Views
59
on again

Similar threads

M
Was the Loss of the Battle of Chancellorsville really the fault of Joe Hooker
2
Replies
27
Views
28
J. Stanley
Belfoured
Book Launch New Hooker Biography
2 3
Replies
48
Views
49
Cavalier
Krieger
Chattanooga Hooker at Chattanooga
2
Replies
39
Views
746
DanSBHawk

Learn About Us
►About CivilWarTalk
►Contact the Webmaster
►Meet the Staff
►Link to CivilWarTalk
Join Our Community
►Register
►Browse Forums
►View Today's Discussions
►Search the Forum
Get Help
►FAQ
►Student Guide
►Forum Rules & Etiquette
►Copyright / DMCA

      Contact Us CivilwarTalk on Facebook CivilWarTalk on YouTube CivilWarTalk on Twitter RSS Feed

Bringing the American Civil War and More to Life.
© 1999 - , CIVILWARTALK, LLC - Site Version 10.0

SlaveryTalk.com - SecessionTalk.com - CivilWarTalk.com - ReconstructionTalk.com
Back
Top