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On May 1, 1863, the Battle of Chancellorsville commenced in Virginia. Earlier that year, General Joseph Hooker led the Army of the Potomac into Virginia to confront Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Hooker took command after Ambrose Burnside's disastrous campaign in December, known as the Battle of Fredericksburg, where the Union suffered heavy casualties.

After spending spring reorganizing his army and boosting morale, Hooker advanced towards the Confederate army with a significant numerical advantage. His force of around 115,000 men outnumbered Lee’s 60,000 troops. Additionally, two Confederate divisions under General James Longstreet were absent, engaged in other operations in southern Virginia.

Hooker devised a solid strategy, intending to bypass the Confederate defenses along the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg. He deployed two-thirds of his forces to feign a frontal assault while maneuvering the rest of his army up the river to flank Lee. This plan put the Army of Northern Virginia in a precarious position.

However, Lee's tactical brilliance and instinct saved him. He divided his forces, leaving 10,000 troops under Jubal Early to hold off the Union forces in Fredericksburg while he marched the remainder of his army west to face Hooker's main force. Conflict erupted on May 1 beyond the Wilderness, west of Chancellorsville.

Surprisingly, Hooker ordered his forces to retreat into defensive positions after limited combat, ceding the initiative to Lee. Despite outnumbering Lee and having the Confederates caught between two substantial forces, Hooker chose a defensive stance. Lee then executed a daring plan, splitting his army again and sending Stonewall Jackson around the Union's right flank. This decisive attack shattered the Union army, forcing Hooker into retreat towards Washington, D.C. This event solidified Lee's reputation for invincibility in the eyes of both sides during the Civil War.

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