Battle of Chancellorsville 150th

This week is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Chancellorsville. Chancellorsville was one of the most important battles of the entire Civil War. Stonewall Jackson launched one of the greatest attacks of the entire Civil War, routing an entire Union corps. But as he was preparing to launch a follow up attack to seal his victory, he was wounded by friendly fire. He died a few days later. Some say that this was the turning point of the Civil War.

But although the story normally ends with Jackson's fall, that was just the beginning of the battle. The armies continued to fight for several more days, and the Union still had a good chance for victory. But the hard fighting from the Confederates and the mistakes from the Union handed the Confederacy the victory, but at a terrible cost. It was the fourth bloodiest battle of the Civil War, and May 3rd was the second bloodiest day.

Make sure to follow my Civil War 150th Blog for "live" blogging of the battle throughout the week.

There will be a reenactment this weekend in Chancellorsville, Virginia. Thousands of reenactors will be there and it will certainly be an impressive sight. We hope to be there filming, so check back next week for pictures and videos from the event.