America’s Civil War: XI Corps Fight During the Chancellorsville Campaign

 | America's Civil War  | 0 comments  |  Print This Post  |  Email This Post

Sickles, meanwhile, joined Birney at Hazel Grove and concluded that the enemy was either retreating toward Gordonsville or preparing to attack the Federal right. Near 11 a.m. the ever-aggressive Sickles sent a dispatch to Hooker recommending that the entire III Corps attack the Confederate column. An hour later the army commander ordered Sickles to ‘advance cautiously…and harass the enemy’ with Birney’s and Brig. Gen. Amiel W. Whipple’s III Corps divisions. Birney’s two brigades left for Catherine Furnace at 12:30 p.m. Their departure inadvertently opened a gap between the XI and XII Corps.

Moving north on the Brock Road, Stonewall Jackson reached the Orange Plank Road before noon and halted his advance. Brigadier General Fitzhugh Lee took him to the crest of a hill near Burton’s Farm. From that vantage point, they observed Federal troops at Talley’s, Dowdall’s and Wilderness Church. Before 2 p.m., the flank march resumed. Brigadier General Robert Rodes’ leading division had orders to stop at the Orange Turnpike. Brigadier General E.F. Paxton’s Stonewall Brigade and two artillery batteries, meanwhile, left the column and headed east on the Orange Plank Road.

Skirmishers stationed south of the 1st Division’s 55th Ohio suddenly started firing, and Colonel John C. Lee ordered the regiment into line. A company officer scouted forward to investigate and reported to Lee that Southern infantry and artillery were crossing the Orange Plank Road and moving north. They may have seen Confederate cavalry guarding Jackson’s right. The justifiably concerned Lee made three trips to divisional headquarters at Talley’s to give the information to McLean and Devens.

Colonel Seraphim Meyer of the 107th Ohio reported the same thing from his picket line. Devens neither verified the sightings nor passed them on to Howard. Unconfirmed warnings had been arriving since the previous morning. Thirty-five Union cavalrymen were assigned to the 1st Division, but their attempts to reconnoiter west and south were driven back.

In the early afternoon, Colonel William P. Richardson of the 25th Ohio sent out scouts to the south and west. They returned and claimed that Confederate infantry and artillery were seen to the west, most likely Paxton’s flank guard. Richardson, accompanied by Lt. Col. Edward Culp, went to Talley’s and gave this information to both generals. Devens snapped back, ‘I know that Robert E. Lee is retreating.’ He turned to McLean and said, ‘I guess that Colonel Richardson is somewhat scared; you had better order him to his regiment.’ About this time, Rodes’ lead regiment reached the Orange Turnpike and turned east.

Something alerted Federal sharpshooters picketing the turnpike. From their skirmish line, Major Owen Rice, 153rd Pennsylvania, sent an urgent plea to Colonel von Gilsa at 2:45 p.m.: ‘A large body of the enemy is massing in my front. For God’s sake, make dispositions to receive him!’ Afterward, the colonel recorded that he carried the dispatch to Devens and then to Howard. The latter dismissed him with the airy taunt, ‘No force could penetrate the outlying thickets.’

It is unlikely that any of the warnings from Colonels Lee and Richardson reached Federal corps headquarters. Except for insulting other messengers, Devens took no action. McLean’s loyalty remained with his division commander, and most likely he never seriously considered challenging Devens’ orders that afternoon.

Birney’s men, meanwhile, had belatedly engaged Jackson’s rear guard near Catherine Furnace. Misreading the situation, Sickles concluded that heavy damage could still be inflicted on Lee’s retiring army. He sent a 3 p.m. request for reinforcements to Hooker, Howard and Maj. Gen. Henry W. Slocum, commanding the XII Corps. Hooker responded at 4 p.m. by sending Brig. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton and the only Union cavalry brigade near Chancellorsville to support III Corps. Howard, however, replied that he had no troops to spare.

Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to

Tags: 19th Century, America's Civil War, American Civil War, Historical Conflicts, Historical Figures

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.