Stonewall What Stonewall Jackson himself planned, at Chancellorsville

David Seals

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If he had not been wounded on the night of May 2, 1863, in the Wilderness darkness (although there was a clear full Moon), Lt. General Jackson planned to cut off Hooker's retreat at the United States Ford on the Rappanhannock River; and annihilate the Army of the Potomac! Then, like Wellington after Waterloo pursuing Napoleon all the way to Paris, Jackson planned to pursue the remnants of the Union Army all the way to Washington nearby, and destroy the U.S. Government, thus ending the War. Those were his intentions and he said so.
 
If he had not been wounded on the night of May 2, 1863, in the Wilderness darkness (although there was a clear full Moon), Lt. General Jackson planned to cut off Hooker's retreat at the United States Ford on the Rappanhannock River; and annihilate the Army of the Potomac! Then, like Wellington after Waterloo pursuing Napoleon all the way to Paris, Jackson planned to pursue the remnants of the Union Army all the way to Washington nearby, and destroy the U.S. Government, thus ending the War. Those were his intentions and he said so.
The best laid plans of mice and men...
 
If Confederate Lt. General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson would not have been wounded at Chancellorsville and died from pneumonia at Guinea Station, the Battle of Gettysburg would have had a different result.

:banghead:
 
Was wondering, did Lee trust Jackson more then the other Generals that Lee had?
 
IMO, yes because Jackson was more audacious - like Lee - and Stuart. Who else was there? Longstreet - slow, obstinate. Early - no thanks. Ewell - didn't learn enough from Jackson while he could. A P Hill - combat leader but not reliable enough to entrust half an army to.

Or as my friend Snooks put it (fictionally of course):
No, when Massa Robert fixed his eyes upon you and gently suggested you do a thing, well you just went ahead and did it.
Unless of course you were Dick Ewell, who said he would and didn’t. Or Longstreet who said he wouldn’t and eventually did, only far too late. I can’t say much for A. P. Hill because he was so worn down with potions and pox he could barely drag his shadow across the field, let alone his divisions. And those men were Lee’s three corps commanders at Gettysburg
 
Was wondering, did Lee trust Jackson more then the other Generals that Lee had?

Jackson was the only subordinate commander who Lee could give general directions and guidance to, and be assured that those guidelines would be faithfully carried out. None of the other corps commanders in the ANV could be depended upon to the extent to which Lee could depend on Jackson to execute battle plans. Lee's level of trust in Jackson can be illustrated by the famous story of the planning of the flank attack on the Union XI Corps at Chancellorsville, in which Lee simply asks Jackson, "General Jackson, what do you propose to make this movement with?" Jackson answered, "With my whole corps."
 
If he had not been wounded on the night of May 2, 1863, in the Wilderness darkness (although there was a clear full Moon), Lt. General Jackson planned to cut off Hooker's retreat at the United States Ford on the Rappanhannock River; and annihilate the Army of the Potomac! Then, like Wellington after Waterloo pursuing Napoleon all the way to Paris, Jackson planned to pursue the remnants of the Union Army all the way to Washington nearby, and destroy the U.S. Government, thus ending the War. Those were his intentions and he said so.
Welcome from East Texas.
 
Was wondering, did Lee trust Jackson more then the other Generals that Lee had?

The truth in the answer lies in two parts...

1) if the aspect in question is on an "operational" level, the answer is "Yes;" and

2) if the aspect in question is on a "grand-tactical" or "tactical" level, the answer is definitely "No," as Lee trusted Longstreet much more on those levels.

Regards,
 
The truth in the answer lies in two parts...

1) if the aspect in question is on an "operational" level, the answer is "Yes;" and

2) if the aspect in question is on a "grand-tactical" or "tactical" level, the answer is definitely "No," as Lee trusted Longstreet much more on those levels.

Regards,

Yes, I was thinking the same thing myself. Maybe phrasing it a different way-Longstreet was much more reliable as a subordinate while Jackson could be trusted as an independent commander without Lee's watching eye.
 
Jackson planned to cut the Feds lose from the ford as soon as his assault got underway. He didn't plan on getting shot.
 
Bevin Alexander in his book Lost Victories agrees with your statement:

stonewall-books-002-jpg.jpg


Welcome to the Stonewall Jackson Forum; I look forward to more of your posts in the future!
 
If he had not been wounded on the night of May 2, 1863, in the Wilderness darkness (although there was a clear full Moon), Lt. General Jackson planned to cut off Hooker's retreat at the United States Ford on the Rappanhannock River; and annihilate the Army of the Potomac! Then, like Wellington after Waterloo pursuing Napoleon all the way to Paris, Jackson planned to pursue the remnants of the Union Army all the way to Washington nearby, and destroy the U.S. Government, thus ending the War. Those were his intentions and he said so.
No plan survives first contact... With the enemy or your own troops.
 
Bevin Alexander in his book Lost Victories agrees with your statement:

stonewall-books-002-jpg.jpg


Welcome to the Stonewall Jackson Forum; I look forward to more of your posts in the future!
I haven't read this one (yet, but I will), but Henderson's 1898 biography is outstanding. He quotes soldiers in the battle on the Union side that they thought they would be destroyed or captured by Jackson.
 
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