Henry Kyd Douglas

The year 1863 turned out to be the turning point of the Civil War. That spring, under General Lee, the Confederate forces were marching and maneuvering against a Union army commanded by General Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker. The Confederates scored an important victory at the Battle of Chancellorsville, which began on May 2nd. Among historians, the battle is best remembered for an astounding flanking maneuver ordered by General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, who had first gained renown in the South for his stand at Bull Run in 1861. Jackson's surprise appearance with his corps behind the federal lines turned the tide of the battle at Chancellorsville, but in the hours following the fight he came under "friendly fire" and was mortally wounded.

The last battle and the final hours of Stonewall Jackson are described by Henry Kyd Douglas, a member of Jackson's...