Commander's Intent of Major General Joseph Hooker During the Chancellorsville Campaign

Abstract

Did "Fighting Joe" Hooker of the Army of the Potomac lose his nerve during the Chancellorsville Campaign of 1863? Perhaps history has failed to recognize Major General Joseph Hooker's true commander's intent for this campaign. Hooker's intent was simple: maneuver forces to Lee's flank and rear in order to force a withdrawal of Confederate troops from Fredericksburg. Hooker had no intention of engaging in a "risky confrontation" with General Robert E. Lee and the army of northern Virginia. Hooker's plan would fail due to his own steadfast belief in the ability of his plan to force Lee to withdraw. To say that Lee defeated the army of the Potomac is misleading because Lee did not defeat the army, he defeated Hooker as he fought a very effective defensive battle that removed the federal threat from Virginia due to Hooker's failings as an army commander.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2001
Accession Number
ADA401857

Entities

People

  • William M. Jurney

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Battlefields
  • Civil War
  • Command And Control
  • Crossings
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Instructions
  • Management Personnel
  • Maneuvers
  • Marine Corps
  • New York
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Students
  • United States
  • Virginia
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • History

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Strategic Security Studies