Armistead Family History #27
1863 - Armistead Family in the Civil War (Part Six)
Battle of Chancellorsville
In my last blog, I wrote about Lawrence Turner Armistead and the fact he was in the hospital at the end of 1863. I will now go back to the beginning of 1863 and bring you up to date on Thomas Stewart Armistead and Henry Hyer Baker. These two first cousins started out in 1863 still serving in the Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E Lee. It won't be long until they are in the thick of battle.
As I researched and wrote this post, there were times when I needed clarification about what year I was in. I soon realized I created my own confusion when I chose to take Lawrence’s story all the way through 1863 without carrying Thomas and Henry’s story through as well. So, the result is, we can all be lost together as I write about Thomas and Henry in 1863.
Joseph Hooker. (2024, May 9). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Hooker
After the devastating loss at Fredericksburg in late 1862, President Lincoln appointed a new general to lead the Union Army, “Fighting Joe” Hooker. Hooker spent the early part of 1863 replenishing the army with food and munitions. By April, the Union troops were rejuvenated and once again ready for battle. Hooker began relocating his troops from his position north of Fredericksburg in anticipation of renewing the continuing struggle with Robert E. Lee. Lee, meanwhile, had stayed in his highly fortified position at Fredericksburg.
Hooker ordered his generals to begin the forward movement in early April. Fate intervened, as it often does in war, and heavy rains descended on the region, delaying the crossing until April 26-28th. Lee’s army, meanwhile, as I mentioned, was well placed with its left flank stretched out to Chancellorsville and its right flank running all the way from Fredericksburg, along the Fredericksburg to Richmond railroad, and then along south of the Rappahannock River.
This map shows movements from April 27 to April 30, 1863.Battle of Chancellorsville. (2024, April 26). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chancellorsville
Battle of
Chancellorsville. (2024, April 26). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chancellorsville
Hooker's first step in his planned campaign against Lee, to turn his left flank, was to move his men across the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers above Fredericksburg. By crossing the Rapidan by way of Germanna and Ely's Fords he was able to concentrate his forces near Chancellorsville on April 30 and May 1. (2)
After the readjustment of part of his army, Lee put a different plan in motion to make a run around Hooker's right flank. As usual, when Lee had a major plan, he turned to General Jackson to implement the plan. Jackson's organization and subsequent rapid march by his men to get into position around Hooker's flank took up most of the day on May 2nd. Finally, at 5:30 pm, Jackson ordered an attack. Jackson's men made their usual all-out assault on the Union position, initially routing the Union force and causing it to fall back. However, the Union Generals were able to rally and ultimately mount a counterattack. No real progress was made by either side because it was so late in the day when the initial attack was made, and the attack was through the Wilderness. Jackson would have continued the attack in other battles, even though the night was falling. But the Wilderness was a different place altogether. It consisted of dense, thickly packed masses of trees and vines so concentrated that soldiers stated the Wilderness was nearly pitch black in some areas, even in the daytime, and was extremely difficult to maneuver through. So darkness settled the issue for the day, and both sides settled in for the night. (4)
The map below shows how the advance unfolded. You can see Jackson's movements, marked in red, on the far left of the map below. Notice the dotted red line where Jackson altered his direction of attack to make it more of a surprise on the end of Hooker's right flank. It was a great strategy, but the long distance Jackson's men had to travel contributed to an unsuccessful initial attack.
Battle of Chancellorsville. (2024, April 26). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_ChancellorsvilleMap by Hal Jespersen, www.cwmaps.com, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12164445
Jackson was intent on pressing the issue against these Union forces that stood between him and his mission to crush Hooker's flank. He sent orders to his commanders to be ready to take up the battle again on the 3rd, as soon as it was daylight. In preparation for the morning attack, Jackson traveled beyond his front lines and even the picket lines to search for a better location to attack the Union position. He rode into the dark night with his aides to scout out the best route possible that would enable him to flank the Union lines and deliver a crushing blow. He rode close enough to hear the Union axes hard at work on building a defensive position and located the route he wanted to take. He now had his plan firmly in mind. He turned back toward his own lines. As he approached his own picket lines, a North Carolina unit mistook his party for Union Cavalry. They opened fire. Before the pickets could be made to understand they were firing at their own men, and order could be restored, numerous dead horses and officers lay on the ground. Jackson himself was shot in the upper left arm and through his hand. Jackson stayed in the saddle but was losing blood from a severed artery and was in shock. His aides had to lift Jackson from the saddle. He was laid under a tree, and a surgeon was summoned. The surgeon determined Jackson's arm would have to be amputated and ordered Jackson to be removed from the field and carried by wagon to the rear. It was a long and torturous ride. Every time the wagon wheel fell into a hole, Jackson was jolted hard and felt great pain. (5) I can not imagine what terrible pain he must have suffered through.
Stonewall Jackson photo By Unknown author - Derivative (crop) of: File: Photograph of General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson - NARA - 526067.tif, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4949147
By Unknown author - Derivative (crop) of: File: Photograph of General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson - NARA - 526067.tif, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4949147 Battle of Chancellorsville. (2024, April 26). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chancellorsville
Finally arriving at the field hospital, a surgeon had time to evaluate Jackson's left arm. There was nothing he could do but amputate because that was all that could be done at this time in history to prevent infection and gangrene in the badly damaged arm.
Even after Jackson's terrible ride to the hospital in the rear and the amputation, the doctor's prognosis was good. Jackson seemed to be getting better for a while. But after a few days, he developed a fever and was restless. The attending doctor determined Jackson had developed pneumonia. In those days, that was a death sentence; nothing could be done but keep him comfortable. Jackson's second wife, Mary Anna (Morrison) Jackson, made it to Jackson's side soon after he reached the hospital. She was with him as he had gotten better. But now all she could do was be by his side, comfort him, and pray. (6)
A longer, more detailed account of Jackson's last days can be found in numerous books for all you military historians out there. Jackson's death would have a significant effect on Lee's ability to win going forward.
When Lee received the news of Jackson's wounding, he, as did the doctors, believed Jackson would recover. Many officers continued to serve with a missing arm or leg. Lee was, of course, worried about pressing the battle without Jackson, but not about Jackson dying. Lee ordered General Jeb Stuart to lead Jackson's men into battle the next morning. His order read: "The glorious victory thus far achieved must be prosecuted with the utmost vigor, and the enemy given no time to rally..." (7)
On May 3rd, the Confederates attacked on both flanks of Hooker's army. This broke the Union line at Chancellorsville. Hooker withdrew back to the river and set up in a defensive position. Hooker summoned his Generals to vote on pressing the issue. His generals voted to attack. Hooker decided to withdraw. On May 5-6, Hooker crossed back over the Rappahannock. Just a few days before, he had crossed the river with a glorious plan and much bluster to his officers that he would crush Lee. Now he had, for some reason, lost his optimism and retreated. He was no longer "Fighting Joe" Hooker.
By Map by Hal Jespersen, www.cwmaps.com, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12164455 Battle of
Chancellorsville. (2024, April 26). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chancellorsville
Map by Hal Jespersen, www.cwmaps.com, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12164462 Battle of Chancellorsville. (2024, April 26). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chancellorsville
Some historians proclaim this as Lee's greatest victory. Still, Lee knew he could not win the war with a continuation of Confederate losses like he suffered here and at Antietam/Sharpsburg. In addition, the loss of Jackson left him without his trusted General who had delivered many victories for the Confederate army.
Map by Hal Jespersen, www.cwmaps.com, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12164469 Battle of Chancellorsville. (2024, April 26). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/ Chancellorsville
I only included some of the descriptions of this battle and a short version of the death of General Stonewall Jackson. This battle raged for several days. Indeed, one day of the fighting was particularly brutal, with the number of casualties on that one day being second only to Antietam. The battle included numerous movements of troops, confrontations, clashes of hand-to-hand combat, and stories like that of Jackson. General Hooker himself has a story. At one point during the Confederate Army's routing of the Union on May 3rd, Hooker, leaning against a column at the Chancellor's home (Hooker's headquarters), gave his orders to an aide just as a Confederate shell hit and splintered the column next to him. The force of the blast not only knocked Hooker down but also knocked him unconscious. He was out for thirty minutes, and it took him hours to fully come to his senses again. (8)
The Battle of Chancellorsville had a huge impact on the war. With the loss of Jackson, Lee had lost what he termed "his right arm". Jackson was a key strategic general and had consistently put together superior plans of attack against the opposing forces. His men were known as being fierce and fearless in battle, and the loud whoop of their combined voices doing the Rebel yell when they were attacking was terrifying to many men on the other side. The Battle of Chancellorsville, fought over three days, had 13,460 casualties for the Confederates. This continued the huge loss of men in battle. Although the Union Army had 17,304 casualties, Lee knew he could not sustain a viable army with the continuing losses he was taking. The Union side had lost more men, but they had a much larger pool to draw from. These two happenings, the loss of Jackson and the continued loss of huge numbers of men, would have a debilitating impact on Lee and his ability to continue with his drive to take the battle to the Union on its own soil in the north. (9)
Lt. Thomas Stewart Armistead, my great-granduncle, was injured in the leg on May 3rd and was counted among the more than 13,000 casualties. I haven't been able to determine how long Thomas was out of action, but it looks like he was out until at least the end of August 1863. I do have the document showing he was moved to the hospital and that he was absent on May 12, the date of the document.
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Page 6 of a 24-page record for Thomas Stewart Armistead in Fold 3.
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Fold3, US,
Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations
from the State of Florida, 1861-1865 (https://www.fold3.com/publication/30/us-civil-war-service-records-cmsr-confederate-florida-1861-1865: accessed May 28, 2024), database and
images, https://www.fold3.com/publication/30/us-civil-war-service-records-cmsr-confederate-florida-1861-1865
References:
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