CHANCELLORSVILLE HOUSE AS IT APPEARED DURING THE WAR
It is due to the truth of history to say that not in all the annals of war, neither in the “charge of the six hundred” at Balaklava, nor in Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg was there ever displayed a more signal instance of dauntless courage than was exhibited by the men who made these hopeless attempts to carry Marye’s Heights.
Under the cover of darkness and storm the Federals withdrew across the river two days later and resumed their position on the Stafford heights.
SALEM CHURCH
“STONEWALL” JACKSON MONUMENT
Fredericksburg played an important part in the battle of Chancellorsville, on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th of May, 1863. When General Hooker marched ninety thousand men across the Rapidan at Germania and Ely’s Ford and entrenched them behind breast-works in the impenetrable jungle of stunted growth that screened and protected the plateau in front of the Chancellorsville House, he left thirty thousand men, under General Sedgwick, on the Stafford heights, opposite Fredericksburg. General Lee left Early with 8,500 muskets (a part of Jackson’s corps) to hold back Sedgwick, while he marched with the main body of Jackson’s corps and two divisions of Longstreet’s corps to confront Hooker at Chancellorsville. These two divisions of Longstreet’s corps were those of Anderson and McLaws. Longstreet, himself, with the other two divisions of his corps, was down on the Blackwater, below Richmond, and did not participate in the battle of Chancellorsville. Jackson was mortally wounded at nightfall on Saturday, the 2nd of May, after routing and driving back in wild panic, the right wing of Hooker’s army. The next morning (Sunday) a union was effected between Jackson’s divisions and the two divisions of Longstreet’s corps, and a combined, impetuous assault carried the Federal position in front of Chancellorsville, and the beaten enemy retreated to their second line of breastworks. Just as General Lee was preparing (on Sunday, at noon) to renew the assault, word reached him that Sedgwick had crossed the river and carried the Marye Heights, and was marching on Chancellorsville to join Hooker. The Confederate commander, in the exercise of what a great critic of the art of war, has characterized as the highest display of military genius, paused in his pursuit of Hooker, and, leaving Stuart in command of Jackson’s corps, in front of the disheartened Federal troops at Chancellorsville, led the two divisions of Longstreet down the Fredericksburg road, to unite with Early in frustrating the purpose of Sedgwick to join his forces with those of Hooker. This was accomplished on Monday, the 4th of May, when Sedgwick was driven across the Rappahannock, at Bank’s Ford. There was a severe engagement that raged around the “Salem Church,” four miles out from Fredericksburg, upon the old turnpike road. Captain Featherstone, who brought a splendid Alabama company to Virginia, at the outbreak of the war, occupied the church with his company, and did excellent work in holding back Sedgwick until Lee arrived.
