General Lee's army was numerically not as strong as at the battle of Fredericksburg, Longstreet having been sent south of the James with the divisions of Hood and Pickett, and Hampton's cavalry brigade having been sent into the interior to recruit its horses. Lee's army confronting Hooker numbered of all arms, on the 1st of April, 53,303, with 170 pieces of artillery. McLaws and Anderson commanded the divisions of Longstreet's corps present, and Early, A. P. Hill, Rodes and Colston commanded Jackson's divisions; W. H. F. Lee and Fitzhugh Lee commanded the two brigades of cavalry under Stuart, and General Pendleton the artillery battalions of Alexander, Crutchfield, R. L. Walker, Brown, Carter, Andrews and McIntosh. McGowan's brigade, on April 29th, occupied the same position it held in the battle of December 13th.
By the 29th of April, three of Hooker's corps, the Fifth, Eleventh and Twelfth, had marched up the Rappahannock, crossed at Kelly's ford, and were marching for Germanna and Ely's fords on the Rapidan, on Lee's left flank. The Second corps crossed at the United States ford on the 30th, and at night Hooker was at Chancellorsville with four corps of his army, covering all approaches to that position. On the same day he ordered up the Third from in front of Fredericksburg, and by noon on May 1st he was in position around Chancellorsville with five army corps. General Sedgwick, with the remaining two corps, the First and Sixth, had crossed below Fredericksburg, and was demonstrating as if for attack. General Hooker was so much elated by the success of this concentration, that he published a field order congratulating his army on its "brilliant achievements," and declared that General Lee must "ingloriously fly" before such a combination, else "certain destruction awaits him, should he give us battle on our own ground." Nous verrons.
On the 29th of April, General Lee had decided that Hooker's main attack was to be expected from the troops marching on Chancellorsville, and that the operations in his front at Fredericksburg were only demonstrations in force to deceive him. He made his dispositions at once, and leaving Early and Barksdale and the reserve artillery for the defense of the position at Fredericksburg, with the main army marched to meet Hooker at Chancellorsville. The divisions of Anderson and McLaws were advanced on the main approaches, the plank road and old turnpike, and became engaged with Hooker's advance on both roads, early on the 1st of May, about 4 miles from General Hooker's headquarters. Jackson, with his three divisions, was in supporting distance, and in immediate charge of the advance. Pressing forward, on both roads, the Federals were driven back upon the line immediately around Chancellorsville, in which they were strongly protected by natural and prepared defenses.
On the evening and night of the 1st, General Lee put his troops in position across the plank road and fronting General Hooker's line. Lee's right extended as far as the mine road, and his left was in front of and beyond the Catherine furnace. General Hooker's line extended as far as the river on his left, and on his right along the road to Germanna's ferry (the old turnpike) for a distance of 3 miles. This line was covered from end to end by a vast forest, which hid its extent from observation, and was protected by abatis of fallen timber, rifle-pits, breastworks of logs, earthworks, etc. The forest also hid General Lee's line, and by the activity of the cavalry on his flanks, General Hooker was led to magnify both its strength and its length.
Hooker was so strong in front that General Lee determined to attack beyond his fortified line. On the night of the 1st he held a long conference with General Jackson, as a result of which General Jackson was ordered to lead his three divisions early in the morning to the extreme right and rear of General Hooker's line, and assault with vigor. Lee was to stand in Hooker's front with McLaws' and Anderson's divisions, and Early was to keep back Sedgwick. Jackson marched with 26,000 men, and left Lee in front of Hooker with 14,000. The wilderness was his defense. It hid his weakness and screened Jackson's march.
Kershaw's brigade, with McLaws—the Fifteenth, Lieut.-Col. Joseph F. Gist; Seventh, Col. Elbert Bland; Third, Maj. R. C. Maffett; Second, Col. J. D. Kennedy; James' battalion, Lieut.-Col. W. G. Rice, and Eighth, Col. John W. Henagan—was in the second line of battle at Zoar church on May 1st, and next day formed in the front line before Chancellorsville, with thirteen companies thrown forward in the dense woods, under Maj. D. B. Miller, James' battalion, engaged in continually pressing the enemy.
Jackson's three divisions were commanded by Gens. A. P. Hill, R. E. Rodes and R. E. Colston. His South Carolina brigade, in Hill's light division, was now commanded by Brig.-Gen. Samuel McGowan, who was colonel of the Fourteenth South Carolina under the lamented Gregg, and when that gallant and accomplished soldier fell at Fredericksburg, was promoted to take command of the brigade, thenceforth known in the army of Northern Virginia as McGowan's brigade. McGowan's brigade, after being engaged in skirmishing, and under artillery fire on the 1st, moved out with Hill's division early on the 2d. As soon as the First regiment left the cover of the woods, said Col. D. H. Hamilton, it was subjected to the "most trying ordeal to which any troops could be subjected. As soon as we reached the open ground, we were exposed in open and full view to the batteries of the enemy, and under a deliberate and annoying fire, we passed those batteries in review. My regiment stood the ordeal well. Projecting hills soon screened us from further annoyance, and our march was rapidly and successfully continued until we reached a position beyond Chancellorsville, in rear of the enemy's line of works."
By 4 p. m. on the 2d, General Jackson was on the Germanna Ford road, and in rear of the right flank of General Hooker. The forest enveloping him covered his deployments, and his three divisions were put in line of battle, one behind the other, and marched up the road, and actually began the attack from the rear and flank before General Hooker's troops knew that they were being approached by a Confederate force. The Eleventh corps, General Howard, held the Federal right. Jackson's front line was led by Rodes, and so impetuous was the attack, and so complete the surprise, that the divisions of Howard were at once thrown into confusion and soon into rout. Rodes pressed on up the road and through the forest, followed by Colston and then by Hill, the great Jackson directing the advance. It was known that the enemy had a fortified line at the Talley house, and a second at Melzi Chancellor's house. Jackson's order was to carry the position at Talley's, and to move right on against the second at Chancellor's. Both were carried, and the entire right of Hooker's line defeated and driven back to the heights of Chancellorsville. Now, late in the day, General Jackson ordered A. P. Hill's division to relieve the divisions of Rodes and Colston at the Chancellor house. It was at this juncture, while Hill's division was taking position, that General Jackson, he and his staff being mistaken in the darkness for Federal cavalry, was fired upon and mortally wounded. Gen. A. P. Hill was soon afterward wounded, and the command of Jackson's corps devolved upon General Rodes for a time. General Stuart was then summoned, and the night of the 2d was spent by that active soldier in arranging for the morning's attack.
At sunset, McGowan's brigade had reached that part of the field that had been cleared of the enemy by Rodes' division, leaving roads and fields strewn with the Federal dead. Colonel Hamilton's report continues: