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It’s fascinating studying all of the Generals in the East before Grant took command of all Union forces. They had overwhelming numbers and equipment, but were overly cautious, outmaneuvered, and outsmarted by Confederate Generals for the most part until Meade at Gettysburg. You are 100% correct that Grant would have thrown everything he had at Chancellorsville. Mary Lincoln called him a butcher, but he did what others before him refused to do to ultimately win the war.

After reading the entire article, I do agree. They were reporting on the facts at the time, but there are Union slants to the story to make it seem like it was not the disaster it really was for the Army of the Potomac. I’m sure the same could be said about Confederate newspapers at the time. By the way, I lurk here daily and rather enjoy your updates on the Civil War. I really do appreciate it.

I agree that it was customary of whomever commander abandoned the battlefield is the one who admitted defeat. However, the battle was over by “this morning”. He would later state that he, “just lost confidence in Joe Hooker”,but he most likely suffered a concussion and was mentally unfit to make command decisions. General Meade begged him on May 3rd & 4th to send in the Union 1st and 5th Corps, 37,000 fresh troops, but Hooker wouldn’t allow it and instead ordered a retreat.

One of the great “what if’s” is if Stonewall Jackson had not been wounded at Chancellorsville. But what if Joe Hooker had not been rendered ineffective by that artillery shell?

I see the New York Times was just as good at propaganda back then as they are today. Chancellorsville was a humiliating Union defeat and Hooker spent most of the battle walking around in a daze from a Confederate artillery shell landing nearby.

Yes sir, that is correct. It’s funny how acoustic shadow works. There were times on deployments we couldn’t hear artillery firing from less than 5 – 10 kilometers away, but we could see their impact.

Nope, Pickett never did.

Several years later, Lee and Pickett met during a chance encounter at a hotel room in Richmond at the behest of former Confederate cavalry commander John Singleton Mosby. From his account, they were very cold to each other.

When leaving, Pickett told Mosby, “That old man had my division massacred at Gettysburg.”​

Mosby replied, “Well, it made you immortal,”

As a long time lurker of FR and Civil War buff, I had to post a reply. During that shad bake, Union Genereral Sheridan’s cavalry attacked at Five Forks and broke the long siege at Petersburg. All while Pickett and Fitzugh Lee abandoned their commands and enjoyed dinner.

Richmond fell soon after.

Robert E. Lee never forgave Pickett.

I've been a longtime loyal Republican voter and if the GOPe/RINO’s attempt to steal this nomination/possible election from Trump by ANY of the following I promise to never vote for Republican beyond local elections the rest of my life.

1) Leaving candidates in the race to force a split convention when it is obvious the vast majority clearly want Trump.

2) Run attack ads on Trump in the General Elections from any Republican PAC or Individual RINO.

3) En masse endorse or support Hillary Clinton during the GE.

4) Have Romney or any other GOPe candidate join the Primary race or General Election as a 3rd Party Independent (which would only elect Hillary).

I understand politics gets ugly when people are desperate, and most likely the DC gravy trains from the do nothing Donors/Lobbyists/Globalist/RINOs will become blunted, but to undermine and trash your own front-runner/potential nominee in this manner is insane, completely ridiculous, and deceitful to as to just who's their on (Uniparty, afterall?).

This is the United States of America. Let the PEOPLE decide!