SIGNIFICANT DATES IN LEE'S LIFE
MAIN DATE PAGE
PRIOR TO 1861
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
BACK HOME
1863
February 18th, 1863. Lee orders several divisons of The Army of Northern Virginia to leave their positions near Fredericksburg. These divisions are to be relocated nearer to the Confederate capital, Richmond.
March 8th, 1863. Lee promotes Lieutenant John S. Mosby (Whose nickname is 'The Grey Ghost') to major. Mosby was responsible for leading Confederate cavalry (29 men) into Fairfax, Virginia. His cavalry manage to sneak past six Union regiments and the 2nd Vermont Brigade. Mosby's target was Fairfax Court House, where he manages to captue Union General Edwin H. Stoughton along with over 90 Union troops - all without firing a shot! Mosby, incredibly, manages to get all of his men, along with the prisoners, back to Confederate lines safely. In granting the promotion, Lee claimed Mosby's act was, "..a feat unparalleled in the war.".
April 11th, 1863. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia is significantly reduced in strength when Longstreet begins his campaign to lay siege to Suffolk, Virginia (This siege will turn out to be a month in duration). The new Union commander of The Army of the Potomac, Hooker (Who replaced Burnside, after the former leader's defeat at Fredericksburg) becomes aware of this. Hooker anticipates a major victory over Lee is just around the corner.
April 29th, 1863. General Lee finds himself under constant pressure to send troops to smash the Union forces currently carrying out demonstrations near Fredericksburg. Jackson is perhaps the loudest of those applying pressure, he repeatedly asks to be allowed to lead an attack. Lee is reluctant, he has received numerous reports from Stuart's cavalry that a large Union force has crossed the Rappahannock River and is heading for his left flank. Lee concludes, rightly, that the maneuvering around Fredericksburg is nothing but a feint.
May 1st, 1863. The battle of Chancellorsville is soon to take place. As a prelude to the main battle, Jackson leads Confederate troops in an engagement that halts the Union advance in thick underbrush near the Chancellorsville farm house. The Union corps are now concentrated at the farmhouse, which is situated near some important crossroads. The Union commander, Hooker, has 90,000 men. Lee is now facing him with slightly less than half that number.
May 2nd, 1863. Lee makes his move at Chancellorsville. He sends Jackson to lead 25,000 men on a march to flank the Union army. This move leaves Lee facing The Army of the Potomac with a mere 15,000 men. It is perhaps the greatest gamble ever made in military history, but amazingly, it will pay major dividends in Lee's favour. It takes Jackson all day to move his corps around the six mile front of the Union army. Lee meanwhile, in a succesful ploy to distract Hooker - as well as convince him that the Confederates are actually on the retreat, shuttles empty trains along the Richmond-Fredericksburg railroad. As early evening approaches, Jackson reaches his position (at the rear of the Union army) and launches a surprise attack. Jackson manages to route XI Corps and drives the Union army back in confusion. The fighting continues well into the night. Jackson, largely due to his eagerness to continue to harass the Union force, is accidently shot. He had been scouting ahead and was in the process of heading back to his own lines, when one of his men, nervous in the dark and thinking they were under attack , shot him. The wound is fatal - Jackson will eventually die on May 10th. His last words are, "No, no, let us pass over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.".
May 3rd, 1863. Lee gains the upperhand in the Battle of Chancellorsville. His outnumbered Confederates (at least 2:1) are in the process of rolling up the Union positions early in the morning. Union leader Hooker orders his engineers to prepare an avenue of retreat over the Rappahannock River. Lee receives word that the situation at Fredricksburg is not so good however. The Union forces, under the command of Sedgwick, attacked Early's troops just before 6am. The Union force successfully drove Early's 10,000 strong force from the field. Lee leaves Stuart to harass Hooker with 25,000 men, whilst he makes preparations to annihilate Sedgwick's force at Fredericksburg.
May 4th, 1863. The Army of Northern Virginia launches a fresh assault on Sedgwick's corps. The Union force soon finds itself cut off from Fredericksburg, but Sedgwick holds his ground. Meanwhile ,another Union division, under the command of Howe, is busy protecting pontoon bridges (built during the night) below Bank's Ford. Night brings a thick fog with it, and VI Corps is able to retreat safely from the field under it's cover. Lee's timely re-enforcement of Early has been successful in driving the Union force back.
May 5th, 1863. Leaving Early's force to continue observation at Bank's Ford and Fredericksburg, Lee marches back to Chancellorsville. His intent is to assault the larger Union force there the next day. What Lee does not know is that Hooker has already evacuated most of his force from the field. Lee has already gained victory at Chancellorsville.
May 6th, 1863. Lee returns to Chancellorsville to discover the last of the Union rearguard departed the field at dawn. Lee has been successful once again. The victory at Chancellorsville is amongst the greatest victories in military history. Lee managed to attack and defeat a force that outnumbered him 2:1. The victory is not without cost however, 13,000 Confederates are casualties of the battle - and all the Confederates really have gained are five miles of empty trenches. The South cannot afford too many victories like this.
May 9th, 1863. General Lee reorganizes The Army of Northern Virginia from two corps into three.
May 24th, 1863. Lee is busy planning another invasion of the North.
June 2nd, 1863. Lee issues his marching orders to The Army of Northern Virginia and embarks on his latest invasion of the North. lee's plan is simple, by fighting a largely defensive battle, (Lee is confident he can out-maneuver Hooker's larger army - especially so after the Confederate success at Chancellorsville), he will force The Army of the Potomac to follow him, then he can inflict heavy losses amongs the Union soldiers in a series of fast, and short, engagements. Lee further hopes that another defeat of the Union force may shatter Northern views about Hooker's competence. If this can be made to occur, Lee should be able to buy the Confederacy another year.
June 3rd, 1863. The vanguard of Lee's army leaves Fredericksburg. The force consists of 70,000 men and 300 cannons. Lee's plans are betrayed to the enemy as well on this day. Two deserters from the Confederate force report to Union officers that their division has received orders to move.
June 4th, 1863. Lee advances his forces. Longstreet's I Corps and Ewell's II Corps are on the move, whilst A.P.Hill's III Corps remain at Fredericksburg. Hill's force, positioned in the trenches, has the task of blocking any Union attempt at invading Richmond. Stuart bases his cavalry at Brandy Station, 25 miles from Fredericksburg.
June 5th, 1863. Three Union regiments advance against Confederate trenches at Fredericksburg. The resulting engagement, known as the Battle of Franklin's Crossing, results in the Confederates easily driving back the Union advance. Lee will pause his force until he is sure the Union activity is only a test of defenses. If it had been the prelude to a major Union assault, Lee would have turned his forces around to defend Richmond.
June 8th, 1863. General Lee reviews J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry force.
June 9th, 1863. 11,000 Union cavalry, under the command of Pleasanton, cross the Rappahannock River and drive through Stuart's picket line. Stuart mounts a counter-attack with a similar number of Confederate cavalry. The battle, which ranks amongst one of the greatest cavalry engagements of the war, is a close call for the Confederates. The Union force is close to overrunning Stuart's HQ at one point, but Stuart's men hold their ground. Eventually, the Union force withdraws from the field in light of a report of Confederate infantry arriving on the battlefield.
June 10th, 1863. Ewell's II Corps sets off from Culpeper and embarks on his advance north along the Shenandoah Valley. His troops spend the day marching along the Rappahannock River.
June 12th, 1863. Ewell passes through Chester Gap. The passage takes 18 hours, his force consists of 23,000 men and 20 artillery batteries.
June 13th, 1863. Ewell initiates contact with a Union force. The Second Battle of Winchester has thus begun. The Union commander Milroy is completely caught off guard by Ewell's surprise attack. The Union force suffers badly in the skirmish but does not withdraw.
June 14th, 1863. Lee and Longstreet cross the Potomac River near Sharpsburg, whilst Ewell, in the Shenandoah Valley, surrounds Winchester during the night.
June 15th, 1863. Ewell launches another assault on Winchester just before dawn. The assault is a glorious victory for the Confederates. They capture roughly half of Milroy's 9000 troops - as well as capturing valuable rifle ammunition (200,000 rounds), horses and wagons. The Confederates also experience more success this day with Rode's division driving off Union forces at Berryville and Bunker Hill. Ewell's next move is to have his cavalry cross the Potomac and penetrate Pennsylvania - going as deep as Chambersburg.
June 16th, 1863. Hill and Longstreet advance their corps northwest along the Shenandoah Valley. They are heading via different routes however. Longstreet makes his way through the foothills near Blue Ridge, whilst Hill will follow the same path as Ewell.
June 19th, 1863. The three corps of The Army of Northern Virginia continue their advance north. There are numerous cavalry clahes between the Confederates and the Union.
June 21st, 1863. Lee orders Ewell to take Harrisburg (state capital of Pennyslvania). There is a vicious cavalry clash at Upperville, Stuart is forced to withdraw from the field through Ashby's Gap.
June 22nd, 1863. The majority of Lee's force rests up at Berryville in the Shenandoah Valley. Stuart provides a cavalry screen for the force, guarding both Ashby's and Snicker's Gaps.
June 23rd, 1863. Stuart receives new orders from Lee. The cavalry force (consisting of three brigades) is to harass Union lines of communication. Stuart is to carry out this action, and then rejoin Lee's army at York in four days time.
June 24th, 1863. Whilst Stuart assembles his force at Salem, Lee uses the remaining two cavalry brigades to cover the gaps and protect his main force as it crosses the Potomac.
June 25th, 1863. Stuart's cavalry runs into Hancock's II Corps. An attempt is made by messenger to warn Lee that The Army of the Potomac is on the move. The messenger never arrives, and Lee is still unaware of this latest development.
June 26th, 1863. Ewell's II Corps are on the move. Their orders are to proceed through York and Wrightsville. Upon reaching Wrightsville, they are to seize the bridge over the Susquehanna. One division of this force, under the command of Jubal Early, detours to Gettysburg along the route in an unsuccessful attempt to equip the men with new boots.
June 28th, 1863. General Lee learns that Hooker has been replaced by Meade.
June 29th, 1863. Lee has confirmation that the Union army is on the move. He sends messages to his corps to concentrate at Cashtown, Pennsylvania.
June 30th, 1863. The Army of Northern Virginia continues their advance on Cashtown. A division (commanded by Heth) of A.P. Hill's III Corps, sends a brigade down the road to Gettysburg. The brigade has been sent to take possession of a supposed cache of shoes in the town. The brigade encounters an Union cavalry division, under the command of Brigadier-General John Buford, and withdraws.
July 1st, 1863. Heth makes a critical error, mistaking the cavalry for militia, he advances on the town to secure the cache of badly needed shoes. The Battle of Gettysburg begins at 7am, when Heth's force runs into Buford's picket line. Buford's cavalry fights a defensive campaign in an effort to hold the Confederates - Buford knows he must hold until the promised infantry from Reynold's I Corps can arrive. The infantry arrives, just in time for Buford's defense is beginning to collapse, and launches a surprise assault. The attack overruns Archer's (Confederate) Brigade, and Brigadier-General Archer, along with 1,000 Confederate soldiers, is captured. A Confederate sniper is able to shoot Reynolds as he is supervising deployment of his men. Reynolds dies instantly from the fatal head wound. Reynolds is replaced by Major-General Doubleday, Reynolds' former second in command. Doubleday instantly mounts an inspired defensive action. This first day of action sees 22,000 Confederate and 16,500 Union soldiers engaged in a vicious battle. Come nightfall, both sides concentrate their armies around the town of Gettysburg. Also that night, Lee sends dispatch riders to locate Stuart's cavalry and hurry their arrival on the field.
July 2nd, 1863. General Lee is so confident of his troops' ability, that he switches from his original defensive strategy and plans to actively assault the Union army at Gettysburg. The full compliment of The Army of Northern Virginia is engaged in action by noon. Longstreet leads 15,000 men to attack Meade's left flank. His force comes extremely close to taking Little Round Top, from whose heights, Confederate cannon could have devastated The Army of the Potomac. Ewell assaults the Union's right later in the afternoon. This assault also comes extremely close to breaking through. Come nightfall, the Union army is confused and disorganized. Stuart's force arrives on the battlefield at 11pm, after racing from Carlisle.
July 3rd, 1863. This day bears witness to Lee's greatest error in his entire career as a soldier. Lee believes that the Union center will be weak as attempts will have been made to bolster the flanks. That afternoon, at 1pm, Confederate artillery begins to open fire on the Union center. The barrage continues for two hours, then Confederate ammunition begins to run low. Major-General Pickett then leads his division in the most famous charge of American history, his objective is the center of the Union line. On their way forward, the Confederates meet a wall of cannon and gunfire, this deadly rain of lead takes a huge toll. The force manages to close to bayonet range, but they are simply outnumbered and outgunned and driven back in disorder. The casualties are staggering. From the original 13,000 men who make the charge, 7,000 are either killed or wounded. General Lee rides amongst his troops, as they return from Seminary Ridge, saying, "This was all my fault.... It is I that have lost this fight, and you must help me out of it the best you can."
July 4th, 1863. Neither army attempts any action at gettysburg this day. Lee admits defeat and orders a withdrawal from the field. The overall situation is grim indeed for the Confederates, 22,000 casualties are sustained in the three days of engagement.
July 5th, 1863. The Army of Northern Virginia begins its retreat. They are uncontested by the Union army.
July 6th, 1863. The Army of Northern Virginia continues its retreat. The advance guard of the force is engaged in a clash with Buford's cavalry at Williamsport, Maryland.
July 7th, 1863. Faced with a swollen Potomac River, Lee is forced to dig in at Hagerstown.
July 10th, 1863. Lee concentrates his forces around Williamsport. There are minor skirmishes with Union forces, but Lee's main focus is getting his wounded shipped across the river.
July 13th, 1863. The main body of The Army of Northern Virginia crosses the Potomac during the night.
July 15th, 1863. Lee leads his army back along the Shenandoah Valley.
July 31st, 1863. The Army of Northern Virginia begins to reach its traditional lines.
August 8th, 1863. Claiming full responsibility for the defeat at Gettysburg, Lee hands in his resignation as commander of The Army of Northern Virginia. President Davis refuses to accept it.
August 24th, 1863. Lee's outposts are involved in minor skirmishes with Union forces at Barbee's Cross Roads and Coyle's Tavern.
September 13th, 1863. The Army of Northern Virginia, severely reduced in strength by Longstreet's departure with 12,000 troops to join Bragg's forces four days before, receives orders from Lee to withdraw across the Rapidan.
October 7th, 1863. Lee attempts to march around the Union forces flank. The Union force has been pursuing him ever since Gettysburg. Lee appears to turn to fight (He is in reality only demonstrating to gain their attention) and, surprisingly, the Union force withdraws.
October 10th, 1863. The Army of Northern Virginia becomes involved in a series of minor skirmishes. Lee continues his efforts to maneuver around Meade's flank. The Union force continues to fall back.
October 12th, 1863. Lee advances towards Manassas again.
October 14th, 1863. Lee attempts to cut off Meade's withdrawal. A.P. Hill launches an assault on Warren's V Corps at Bristoe Station. The day is largely indecisive however, and neither side gains any tactical advantage.
October 17th, 1863. Lee's resolve for a full-scale engagement wains. Lee withdraws and begins to head back toward the Rappahannock.
October 20th, 1863. The Army of Northern Virginia returns to its old lines along the Rappahannock. The cost to Lee during his two weeks maneuvering is 1,381 casualties.
November 7th, 1863. Lee is attacked by Meade's force. Artillery bombardment of the Confederate positions are largely inconclusive and Mead recommends an infantry assault on them. General David A. Russel leads his men in a rush towards Confederate positions towards dusk. The Union force overruns the Confederate positions and a minor Union victory is gained.
November 8th, 1863. The Army of The Potomac continues its probe of Confederate positions along the Rappahannock. Minor skirmishes occur at Warrenton and around the Culpepper Court House.
November 26th, 1863. Meade maneuvers against Lee along the Rapidan. Meade tries to turn Lee's right flank and threaten Richmond.
November 27th, 1863. General Lee and his men are well entrenched at Mine Run (stream that runs off the Rapidan River). Meade leads his force against their position.
November 28th - December 1st, 1863. The Army of Northern Virginia holds its position as the Union force attempts to move around their flanks. Freezing rain eventually forces the Union force to call off the engagement and withdraw.
MAIN DATE PAGE
PRIOR TO 1861
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
BACK HOME