Battle of Chancellorsville

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Lincoln's initial reaction to Hooker's defeat at Chancellorsville was "What will the country say?" Later he noted that since Lee lost 21% of his troops in this battle to 15% of Hooker's, the Union could eventually win the war if every battle were like this one.

Meanwhile, Robert E. Lee mourned the loss of his greatest general, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, who was wounded by friendly fire and died eight days later.

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Lecture at Salem Church	Church walls with holes from artillery fire	Dr. Poland teaches history
Salem Church is west of Fredericksburg just off Route 3	Entrance to site at Guinea Station near Thornburg, Virginia	Picture of Fairfield, the plantation where Stonewall Jackson died on May 10, 1863.
The house where Jackson died of pneumonia, which he contracted after being shot at Chancellorsville and losing an arm.	View from the house looking toward the railroad.	Jackson's wife came up by train and was at his side when he passed away.

Although several sites at Chancellorsville were closed due to downed trees and high water, we had a successful tour as usual. We were able to see some interesting places. My personal favorite is Guinea Station, a lovely spot with a sad but spiritual story. Jackson's last words were "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees."

More photos of Guinea Station

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Photos of Guinea Station taken in 2005