Battle Of Chancellorsville 1863

[Marshal Lannes]

Battle of Chancellorsville 1863.

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4.00pm

Jackson meets with Brigade officers Lane and Archer. He tells them that it is still indeterminate where the union right flank ends; but positioning will be made to secure the confederate left flank nonethelesss. He therefore orders Lane to the Hazel Grove area with his larger brigade , while Archer will move to support Posey's flank. Two of Posey's lead regiments are already engaged with yankee infantry in the woods and will try to push them back. ( I suppose that the Victory point hex is located here because it intercepts the furnace road , so that the rebels can fire on anything using it for lateral movement; no quick way to move from east to west or vice versa in the big woods behind ).
Doles' brigade is meeting stiffening resistance. In the area north of the Orange Turnpike, the yankees are starting to withdraw their artillery. Unfortunately for O'Nea;'s men, yankee guns are still hitting them with increasing effectiveness. The rebel guns at the other end of the Turnpike will now focus their fire on the remaining federal batteries.
General Lee has been appraised of the situation to his west and is now fully aware that he cannot leave Wofford's brigade flank hanging , especially with a yankee force at the mine road , of unknown strength. He has already moved some of Wilcox's regiments forward, to save some movement time. He is interrupted in his thoughts by an adjutant from General Raleigh Colston, whose division head is just short of the Tabernacle church and is therefore desirous of his position on the battlefield. Lee's options are widening while Hooker's are becoming restricted.





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Battle Loss 4.00pm. A 2:1 loss rate for the first day is now possible ,:yummy:

 

[Marshal Lannes]

Battle of Chancellorsville 1863.

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Colston arrives......!

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4.20pm

Posey's Mississippians begin an intense firefight with federal infantry, who are being supported by a battery of guns to their right. The Vp hex will not fall easilly, as a large yankee regiment defends it. From the Alrich farm to the Decker house ; cannons are dominating the fighting; the rebel infantry reluctant to take them on without cover , for the moment.
One of Mahone's regiments has surprised a yankee gun battery and overrun it. In Lee's command area; cavalry pickets have managed to capture a yankee forager who has given the information that he is from Berry's 2nd division, and is uncertain as to whether the entire division is present at the mine road rise. Lee is about to issue orders for an advance by Perry's and Wilcox's brigade, waiting for a short while while General Colston is closing on his position. He asks a officer of Spotsylvania descent as to when nightfall occurs , and is given the reply of about 6.48pm this time of year, and possibly a half hour earlier in the thick woods. Three more hours of daylight could lead to the destruction of 2 federal corps and at least create an advantageous position for the morrow, for the attack on hooker's reserves , which he is husbanding so well. An aide from Jackson arrives and informs Lee of Jackson's intent to throw back the yankee line all the way to Chancellorsville before the day is out.

 

[Marshal Lannes]

Battle of Chancellorsville 1863.

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4.40pm.

The Yankees have launched a counter-attack to the left of Posey's position. This may be partially responsible for the sudden rout of two of Posey's regiments. Added with close gun fire; may be inevitable. A confederate battery is on it's way to change the situation around in this area.
Further along, the rebel situation is improving. The catalyst being the loss of 1 federal gun and one crew killed by a rebel battery on the Orange plank road to the strong two battery federal position on the road. This was followed by a spirited infantry charge by the 55th Virginia regiment aided by the 22nd Virginia battalion who managed to capture 7 yankee guns. Another melee assaukt by the 6th and 19th Georgia came in from the flank and took out 5 yankee guns. Altogether the federals have lost 14 guns in one turn. Their position before the Decker house is now less formidable. Jackson is moving to the Orange plank road to prepare a break of the centre of the union line.
General Lee is still awaiting Colston..........

 

[Marshal Lannes]

Battle of Chancellorsville 1863.

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5.00pm.

Wright's brigade is moving up to support Posey; who is also being aided on his right by Ramseur's regiments. The yankees are still not ready to give up their Victory point hex position. While the yankees are being held in front, Archer's brigade is moving to a good flanking position to break the union line, or tie up any reserves. A rider from Lane's brigade on his way to Jackson reports that the yankee cavalry have withdrawn; unwilling to tangle with infantry regiments supported by guns. Lane is moving to establish a battery position at the Hazel grove area.
Colquitt's men are pushing forward slowly amid the difficult underbrush which tears at their clothes. Colquitt received a thigh wound during a melee and is taken to the rear. Further along , fighting is rediced to firepower as both sides are fatigued and disordered to engage in effective melee assaults. Confederate guns blast away at the only viable target available to them, a lone yankee regiment. It was supporting two federal guns who had been destroyed only ten minutes earlier. Semmes' Brigade is now free to move forward without cost. Further north; the 3rd Virginia cavalry scout up a track near the mine road rise.



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5.20pm.

The yankees are taking severe loss but are still prepared to contest every metre of ground. The loss to their artillery is marked and this lack of support firepower will be telling before nightfall' Their only advantage now is the dense woodland. Picketts from the 4th Virginia cavalry have reported a large concentration of yankee troops to the north-west. Jackson will now have to be more wary of the area on his left flank. The 18th Georgia regiment of Wofford's brigade have rushed upon a yankee battery and taken 6 guns.
In Lee's command area, Perry's brigade are scouting the woods to the west of the mine road while Wilcox;s regiments are trying to make contact with federal forces on and east of the mine road rise. To their surprise , there is no sign of the enemy. However the 3rd Virginia cavalry moving slowly along a track heading south-west have spotted some movement in the tree to their left. Pickets are sent out in groups of three on 3 sides.
General Colston has arrived at Lee's headquarter tent and is given his orders of positioning for the moment, with movement orders to follow upon word from Wilcox.

 

[Marshal Lannes]

Battle of Chancellorsville 1863.

Colston's brigades, 5.30pm.

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Colston's Div (1)

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Colston's Div (2)

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[Marshal Lannes]

Battle of Chancellorsville 1863.

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5.40pm

The 7th Tennessee regiment of archer's brigade have surprised a federal battery whose sly positioning was intended to enfilade rebel infantry moving against the Maury house. Posey has personally led a melee assault which was costly to both sides. The federal position near the decker house is being pounded by rebel guns and musketry, but is holding firm for the moment. A regiment of Doles brigade has pushed through the union line which seems to be thin around the great meadow swamp. Mahone's brigade is still causing grievous loss to the yankees trying to hold the Orange Turnpike; the arrival of Kershaw's fresh regiments should break the yankee will to resist. Wofford's brigade is protecting the wide right flank; the federals do not seem to have anything to throw against the confederates here.
The 3rd Virginia cavalry, wary of continuing along the track to the mine road, have skirted to the east and are moving along clear ground , when they sight blue uniforms in the trees to their right; there is no doubt now that the woods to the right are thick with yankees.
General Lee looks to the far western horizon where the sun is just above the height of the tree canopy, beginning to stretch long shadows. There are only a couple of hours of fighting light left. More damage must be done to the enemy in quick time, even if reckless, for tomorrow Hooker will no doubt carry more weight in numbers.

 

[Marshal Lannes]

Battle of Chancellorsville 1863.

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6.00pm

The yankees have withdrawn from the rise before the Maury house. From this position, all the way to the Decker residence ; both sides are happy to engage in continuous fire to try and cause routing, which is less costly than direct melee assault. Doles' and Colquitt's men are creating a hole in the enemy line to the left of the Meadow swamp. Not being fooled by the yankee withdrawal to advance too quickly. One of Mahone's regiments has fled, while 2 others are under enemy battery fire. Wofford having to spread out to protect the rebel flank, cannot support in force any attempt to take on the federal guns arrayed in the fields to the east of the Chancellor House. Kershaw's and Semmes' brigades will have to make a new frontage here before dark, confederate batteries are moving forward to create a new firing line, once the Yankees are pushed back from the woods behind the swamp area.; With dwindling daylight; a direct assault in the open, may be too risky with unknown union force positioning.
Jackson has ordered Pender's brigade to the Hazel Grove area to support Lane and his own left flank from any threat from the yankee reserves.
In Lee's command area, Colston's division is moving forward to secure the Mine road rise. Lee is still wondering why the yankees did not fight for this ground. His answer may have come with the arrival of a breathless sub-Lieutenant of the 3rd Virginia cavalry ,who is barely able to breath , let alone talk. Lee offers him some water and then listens intently. Roughly 20 minutes ago, he and 2 others sent east along the River road came across , in the distance, a small battery of guns, which they assumed to be friendly, trotting towards them. They stopped to rest their horses ; whereupon the battery of guns turned south, which gave no sense of alarm, but after a few minutes , out of a dip in the road came a column of infantry which followed the gun battery and turned south. One of the younger confederate troopers climbed a nearby tree and shouted down. “ Yankees - a column stretching back fer a mile to see “ ! Lee dismisses the officer and strokes his beard , as he calls for General Colston and Brig. Gen. Warren to join him.
The 3rd Virginia cavalry are under fire and lose nearly 20 men, and so ride quickly to cover. Brig. Gen. Wilcox , made aware of yankee troops before him by his skirmish line, is starting to engage with the yankees in the woods.
[ Note: Although there are no separate skirmisher units; you can deploy skirmishers on your unit portrait, which help you to locate enemy units which are 2 hexes away in covering terrain, which you would not normally be able to see.]

 

[Marshal Lannes]

Battle of Chancellorsville 1863.

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6.20pm

It looks like the Union forces are starting to withdraw, as their remaining artillery has mostly limbered up and withdrawn. there is still heavy fighting around the Decker residence area, as the road has to be contested to stop a hasty rebel advance. Kershaw's brigade is moving up to start pushing the enemy back from the swamp area.( There is no doubt , that if the battle had started 3 or 4 hours earlier; then Chancellorsville would be taken and the Union lines would be in near complete disarray).
The 4th Virginia cavalry scouting on a trail off the furnace road have spotted enemy movement in the woods. There is no easy path this way.
In Lee's command area, Wilcox's men are becoming absorbed in a firefight with yankees in the woods before them. warren's brigade, being the largest has been ordered to veeer off to the right to counter any attempt by the yankees to flank the mine road rise position. One of Perry's regiments has made contact with more yankee infantry in the woods to the west, so it is clear that they mean to hold the road leading to the US.Ford. Lee cannot do a lot for the moment as darkness will increase soon, but he may be able to flush out the yankee force to the north-east, who will have to aid their troops beyond the rise if pressed heavily.