Today, May 2nd, 1863 may have been "The High Tide" of the Confederate armies and the Southern War for Independence. On this day at the battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson would lead his corps in a flank attack against the Eleventh Corps (Howard) and Hooker's army of the Potomac. Outnumbered more than two to one and flanked in the rear on May 1st by a brilliant tactical move made by Hooker's army, General's Lee and Jackson met and devised the flank attack that would defeat Hooker.

On this same day, "Stonewall" would be wounded by his own men and die several days later from pneumonia. I am a great admirer of General Lee personally and of his skill as a general; however, Lee would never again "win" a battle against the Army of the Potomac, but would fight a series of bloody draws ending in the siege of Petersburg and the surrender at Appomattox. Without Jackson the ANV was never the same.

It was a great and terrible day for the Confederacy and marked "The High Point", but also the last strategic victory of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Jim

BTW, I just finished Stephen W. Sears "Chancellorsville", yesterday. It is a great book and helps to make sense of this large, lengthy and disjointed battle. I have read several books about Chancellorsville, biographies of the participants and still this book "finally" helped me to understand the battle and its participants more fully. I highly recommend the book.

I'm just starting Sears book "Gettysburg".