Chancellorsville: The Campaign, Consequences, and Legacy of an Epic Battle
Set in the wilderness of central Virginia during the blooming spring of 1863, the Chancellorsville Campaign is widely considered to be Robert E. Lee’s masterpiece victory. Outnumbered nearly two-to-one, R. E. Lee immortalized his military legacy with his Army of Northern Virginia, by turning the tide of fortune against Joseph Hooker’s Army of the Potomac, in dramatic fashion, and carrying the Civil War into the North for a second time. The brilliance surrounding Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s attack against the Army of the Potomac’s right flank has been countlessly scrutinized in the annals of military history. The remarkable organization and initiative on display from Hooker’s officers, foreshadowed the maturation of Union leadership, and its relentless fighting spirit in the months to come. However, these facts only tell part of this extraordinary chapter of America’s Civil War; the Chancellorsville Campaign created heroes and villains, raised hopes, crushed reputations, and established a legacy that endures. The campaign, its leaders, soldiers and civilians, as well as post-war memorialization, and battlefield preservation efforts, will be discussed in-depth.

Austin Krause
Austin Krause has been a member of the Pasadena Civil War Round Table since 2015, and currently serves on the Board of Directors.  He is a member of the Ramona Parlor #109 of the Native Sons of the Golden West, and has been re-enacting the Civil War as a member of the 8th Louisiana Infantry Regiment for fifteen years. Austin earned his degree in Sociology, Criminology and Justice Studies from California State University, Northridge in 2018 and is a proud member of the International Sociology Honor Society, Alpha Kappa Delta. He also earned a certificate from Columbia University in 2020 for completing Dr. Eric Foner’s “The Civil War and Reconstruction 1850 - 1877” professorship course. He is currently researching the Lost Cause of the Confederacy in anticipation for a project to be published in the future.