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]

Night attacks

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]

Night Attack

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.

 

[brett4733]

Jackson's Night Assualt...

"But I know of no attack Lee's Army of Northern Virginia made on any large scale, that started after dusk?"

True, there are probably no planned night attacks that actually stepped off, on purpose; however, thinking back to December 13th, 1862, I am not so sure Jackson wasn't thinking of pushing his men forward after the sun set on May 2nd.
With the easy repulse of Burnside's effort at Fredericksburg, Stonewall had gone to Lee with the idea of pitching in to the Army of the Potomac, after dark, in order to negate the huge advantage the Yank artillery enjoyed from across the river on Stafford Heights. After thoroughly scouting the position of the AoP, it was deemed impractical. A couple of days later, the Federals were safely back across the Rappahannock.
I have no doubt, Old Jack was out in front of his corps on May 2nd looking for the same sort of opening he sought out six months before. If there was ANY chance to keep the AoP off balance, he wanted to exploit it. If resistance had stiffened in the final minutes of his charge that afternoon, whatever it was out front was, by necessity, still a patchwork affair. The Cornfeds were within a few hundred yards of the rear of the entire enemy line. Hill's Division was relatively unbloodied, and for the most part, had passed to the front, ready to go. All in all, I am fairly certain, from everything I've read, T.J. Jackson would have ordered a charge if he thought it had ANY chance.
Would it have worked? I doubt it. The men were skitish, on both sides. A snapping twig would ignite a massive, blind, firefight. The officers could only have relied upon a compass and a road entirely commanded by the Yanks for guidance when sent forward.
With that said, it probably wasn't the worst tactical choice. From reports, the Union I Corps had disappeared from Fredericksburg, and for all anyone in the Reb ranks knew, they could be squarely across their path in the morning. If the chopping of trees out front was any indication, the Feds would have a stout line of fieldworks, facing the correct direction, waiting with dawn.
Anyway...I digress...
As I stated earlier, I have no doubt that Stonewall was out there trying to figure out which way to send in A.P. Hill's Division, that night, if it seemed practicable.
Was it? Probably not...
Just my two cents worth...
Cheers and Fairwinds,
Brett Silver