Today marks the 154th anniversary of the bloodiest day of fighting during the Battle of Chancellorsville. It was the second deadliest day of the entire Civil War.
On May 2, 1863, Gen. Robert E. Lee had famously divided his army a second time, sending Lt. Gen. Stonewall Jackson on a flanking march to the west of the Union lines, catching the army by surprise. That night, however, Jackson was wounded by his own men when he went to scout the possibility of a night attack by the full moon.
On the 3rd, 76,000 Union men faced 43,000 Confederates at the Chancellorsville crossroads. During that fighting that day, Confederate Gen. A.P. Hill was wounded and Union Gen. Joseph Hooker was struck unconscious by a pillar of the Chancellorsville house.
Also on the 3rd, fighting erupted at Salem Church, and after three attacks the Union forces successfully took the Sunken Road that eluded them during the first Battle of Fredericksburg.
You can learn more about the battle at the National Park Service’s site.
