The Battle of Chancellorsville

Upon the start of the Civil War, there were several difficulties to overcome for both sides. For the South there was the obvious difficulty of separating from the Union. In separating, the South opened itself up to the difficulties of starting war with a new president, building national unity on the basis that states’ rights were superior, a lack of soldiers compared to the Union, preventing slaves from escaping, and overconfidence in cotton. The North faced its own difficulties upon the South’s secession such as starting war with a new president, maintaining national unity, preventing more southern states from joining the Confederate States of America, a lack of soldier experience in comparison to the South, and preventing Britain and France from siding with the Confederates. While the North had a higher population and therefore more soldiers, the South had more incentive. This fact became a very important factor in who would win the Civil War. Neither side could predict that the Civil War would become the bloodiest and deadliest war in the history of America with an average of 504 deaths per day.
By the beginning the year 1863 the Civil War had been going on for almost two years and several important battles like the First Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Shiloh, and the Seven Days Battle, had already been taking place. There was also a stalemate in the East and fighting in the West that was slow, but successful for the Union. On April 30, Major General Joseph Hooker crossed the Rappahannock River with 130,000 men to attack General Robert E. Lee at his most vulnerable flank. Lee would have to fight off the Union with half the amount of troops that Hooker had. While Hooker was still in the thick wilderness of Chancellorsville, Virginia, Lee ordered General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson to take 30,000 men and attack the Union on the right at its most exposed flank. Union troops were caught off guard when, on May 2, the Confederates snuck up on them and drove them back to a defensive line near the river. Although the Confederates won, causing the Union to lose 17,000 troops, they suffered a loss of 13,000 troops, more than 20% of Lee’s troops. In addition to the huge loss, Jackson was killed when one of his own men accidently shot him in the initial attack against Hooker.
Despite their losses, the Battle of Chancellorsville was greatly important to the South because it came to represent its highest hopes for military success and diplomatic recognition by Britain and/or France. When the war had begun, the Confederates believed that Britain and France would acknowledge them as independent due to the South’s mass production of cotton. Britain and France instead claimed neutrality since they had denounced slavery which was what the South was fighting to preserve. In order to force Britain and France to recognize them, the Confederates withheld their cotton, expecting the two nations to given in and recognize them in return for cotton. Confederate’s beloved cotton however, proved not to be so essential and they were forced to give in after Britain and France turned to others like Egypt. Although they didn’t recognize the Confederates as independent, they did allow them to maintain access to ports and built at least six ships for them. When the Confederates sent a request for two ironclad ships with pointed prows for ramming, President Lincoln and his Secretary of State William Seward threatened both nations with war. Another reason the Battle of Chancellorsville was important is because it ended up leading to the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. This summer battle would give the North the moment when they could finally begin to hope for victory.