Chancellorsville, 1863: The Souls of the Brave (review)

book reviews159 Chancellorsville, 1863: The Souls of the Brave. By Ernest B. Furgurson. (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. Pp. xv, 405. $25.00.) In the first week of May 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia won perhaps its greatest victory and also suffered a severe and devastating loss. Following the Battle of Fredericksburg the Confederate forces established positions along the south side of the Rappahannock River and its tributary, the Rapidan , extending to Chancellorsville, approximately twelve miles west of Fredericksburg. The terrain in this area was hilly and interspersed with marsh land; much of it was uncultivated, was overgrown with brush and trees, and in places was a virtual wilderness to anyone unfamiliar with the region. After the Battle of Fredericksburg, Ambrose E. Burnside was replaced and now the Army of the Potomac was under the command of Joseph Hooker. This army had established itself on the north side of the Rappahannock from a few miles southeast of Fredericksburg to Kelly's Ford, about twenty miles northwest of the city. On April 27, Hooker's forces began to move toward those of Robert E. Lee, and for a week there was almost continuous fighting, with much of it occurring throughout the night and at times in rainstorms. On occasions and because of confusion, ignorance, and/or the lack of communications , each army was guilty of firing on its own men. After a week of slaughter and horror, with more than twenty thousand men killed and wounded, the guns became silent. The Army of Northern Virginia was still in position but had suffered an irreparable loss with the accidental death of "Stonewall" Jackson. The Army of the Potomac was torn with dissension, some officers defending Hooker and others denouncing him and his leadership . In Washington, President Lincoln was so dispirited by news of the battle that colleagues were concerned about his health. After a visit to the Army of the Potomac and after conferring with advisors and evaluating the situation, Lincoln replaced Hooker with George C. Meade. Ernest B. Furgurson, a former military officer, journalist, and biographer, has a passionate interest in military history of the Civil War. In this volume he has traced the activities of each corps, division, brigade, numerous regiments , and some companies throughout the days of the battle. He notes the technological developments in warfare by distinguishing various types of rifles used by the forces, the use of balloons for reconnaissance, and use of the rudimentary telegraph. Although there are vivid passages which describe the carnage associated with warfare, there are accounts of fraternization between men in blue and gray when they meet, talk, and exchange tobacco for coffee. The author has presented the complexities associated with describing and evaluating the activities of the various components of each army in a clear and straightforward manner. Throughout the volume he has provided brief summaries and evaluations of the major officers who were active at Chancellorsville . Especially revealing is the incompetency of J. E. B. Stuart as an infantry commander, a role he had to assume at one stage in the battle ?6?civil war history because of officer casualties. There is a more extended and sympathetic account of the accidental wounding, treatment, and death of Stonewall Jackson. Although this book is dedicated to the memory of several members of the author's family who served in the Confederate army, Furgurson has presented his material in an even-handed and nonpartisan manner. He, as other military historians, views Chancellorsville as demonstrating the military genius of Lee and as revealing Hooker as a self-promoting braggart who always blamed others for his failings, and who during the course of the battle made "at least one major mistake a day" (336). Placed throughout the volume are eighteen maps which assist the reader in understanding the course of the battle and the role of the different military units involved. There are also sixteen pages of illustrations, including pictures of various generals and battle scenes. At the conclusion of the narrative there is a fifteen-page appendix, which is divided into two parts. One is an outline of the various components and the commanders of the Army of the Potomac and of...