Lee responded to Hooker’s flanking maneuver by dividing his already outnumbered army. Leaving 10,000 men to defend Fredericksburg, he sent Jackson and the remainder of his troops to oppose the Union forces advancing from the west. On May 1 the two sides fought at the edge of the Wilderness three miles east of Chancellorsville. When Hooker withdrew his men to defensive positions around the Chancellorsville clearing, Lee and Jackson decided to again divide their forces and seize the initiative. While Lee kept 14,000 men to face the 70,000 Union troops at Chancellorsville, Jackson marched 33,000 troops twelve miles through the Wilderness on May 2 and struck at Hooker’s exposed right flank. Private Samuel Pickens had joined the 5th Alabama Infantry in the fall of 1862 and served in Jackson’s corps in the division led by Brigadier General Robert E. Rodes. After writing his diary entry for May 3, Pickens was taken prisoner in the fighting around Chancellorsville.
May 1, Friday
It was Bob Price & myself who were sent fr. our Co. as guards to brstwks last eveng. at dark. We were divid. to 3 reliefs & B & I stood 1st—fr. 8 till 11. Had fire in Ditch where a place was cut out for cannon. In eveng. Yanks. threw shell over it & 1 burst just in front of it & piece passd. very near Knowland’s head & struck in bank wh. K. got & showed us. We could see our signal lights on eminences on our right & faraway to left—waving occasionally. Bob & I then spread our blankets & lay front of fire expecting to sleep 6 hrs—; but just after lying a little over 3 hrs. we were waked & all the guard orderd to join Regt. wh. we found in line of battle in edge of woods, & then (’bout 2½ or 3 A.M.) movd by left flank & marchd. up the river. Roads were very wet & slippery & bad for mchg. At Hamilton’s Crossing we were detained some time by a continuous & it seemed to me then an endless line of troops passing on up river by road into wh. we were then coming. There was the densest fog this morng I ever saw. We made very slow time during the morng. on acct. of the wagons in front stopping frequently. Passed many deserted camps wh. had been occup. during Winter by parts of our army. Halted between 11 & 12 near a house intended for hospital & rested, ate something & filled Canteens. I was very much exhausted & felt sick & faint fr. mching so hard thro’ hot sun. Then fell in & loaded & Regts of Brig. moved on. As Col. Sam. B. Pickens of 12 Ala. passed we shook hands—& wished each other a safe passage thro’ the impending battle. We then moved on down the road & came into the plank road leading fr. Culpeper C.H.? to Frdksbg. The cannon could be heard all the time firing slowly. Today for 1st time noticed trees budding & putting out new leaves. Stopped on Plank R. & piled up knap sacks & at same time our noble old Genl Robt. E. Lee passed followed by a troop of aids & couriers. He is a well set venerable looking man with white hair & beard. He passed so rapidly that I had not a good chance to see his countenance. Whether it was that he was not generally known by the troops or our silent advance towds scene of action that caused it I dont know, but he passed in silence—no cheering. All who knew him was inspired with the utmost confidence & gazed attentively upon him. We then went on further & stopped little while [ ] right flank in line of battle thro a very thick piece woods [ ] confusion not possible to preserve any thing of a line in such a thick [ ] & soon came to another road nearby [ ] with plank—as hot as could be & nearly broken down. Went by left flank along the road, passed house where there were some of 12 Va who told us they had opened the fight on Wed. & there were some wounded men on litters in yard [ ] Were orderd back a little distance & stopped—I then turned round & went still further up road [ ] wounded & prisoners. In eveng. we made a large circuit thro’ woods (Brig.) passg several lines of battle lying in woods & then stopped on brstwks at edge of woods—where we washed & lay down an hour or so & [ ] mch. refreshed. Afterwds stacked arms & went bak for knap-sax—troops & artillery passing fast—men who went bak said saw 1000 troops moving. Jackson we began to see was about makg one of his favorite flank movements. We marchd on up Plank road till betwen. 9 & 10 & halted in field & orchrd. completely broke down. Had eaten very little but as had only a biscuit left & no prospect of getg. more concluded to keep it for Brkfst. Carey brot us biscuits Thurs. morng. at day light & we had a little smoked beef wh. we had lived on 2 days.
May 2, Saturday
Put down blankets. Jack, Bill Lenier & I slept together Sat 2nd [ ] had on the go 18 hrs. yesterday. Allowed to sleep later than expected after day light. went to branch & took good wash & made feel fresh. Resumed the march passing good many troops lying along the road. Stopped to rest a few min. & gave Matt. Jones ½ biscuit & ate the other & scrap meat & afterwds 2 or 3 little butter crackers—whole not more than 1 biscuit. We heard Commiss. wagons had been orderd up & hoped wd. overtake us but in this we were disappointed. We heard Yanks. cheering in their formal stiff way & some boys wished Jackson would come along that we might raise a cheer. In a little while the word was passed up lines to give way to left—& there came Glorious old Stonewall at a sweeping gallop—hat in hand on his sorrel horse followed by aids & couriers. All long line troops waved hats & cheered long & loud. I cant describe my feelings at thus seeing him suddenly for 1st time—but my breast swelled with emotions of pride & gratification, & all must have felt confident of success when we shd. meet enemy. Could only see he was a younger lookg man than I expected to see & not so stout but apparently well made—blk hair & beard & a little bald spot on back head that showed plainly after passing. But saw him again when we had passed enemy’s right flank & were getting round in their rear—he gave some directions in remark. mild & cool manner as to where he wished our Divis. to go. His hair curls round edges of his military cap—regular features & very good looking & pleasant countenance.
(Sat. 2nd Cont) We moved on down Plank Road towds river I think then to the right & were in the rear of Yankees Right, & from being on Right of our lines—below Fredbg. on Thurs. we had moved to extreme Left-flanked Yankees & got in rear of Right of their lines. We formd line battle in woods as front line & lay down to rest (betwn 3 & 4 P.M.) while 2 other lines formed in rear of us to support us. When everything was ready about 6 P.M. wh. was so late that some began to think we might not make the attack till mornig, but we were ordered forwd & had very rough time getting thro’ the thick woods. By & by we heard the sharp shooters firing & we started double quick—& most terrific volleys of musketry opened on our right & such was the excitement & the desire to be doing something too, that they commencd firing in our Co. & Regt. & as they were firing around me—altho’ I could not see anything & still I thought the Yanks must be there & imagined I saw blue line on opposite hillside in pines & blazed away too. Capt. Williams immediately orderd firing to be stopped that there was nothing to shoot at, & I determd not to be guilty of such folly again & did not shoot unless I had a fair mark. We loaded & started in run yelling & soon saw the blue rascals running like turkeys & our men—shooting, cheering, & pursuing as fast as they could. When Yanks got behind hill or breastwk they would stop & shoot & minute or two—but as our men would come charging upon them they’d be off again. Saw a Y. shot down & as we approached, he jumped up & started again when he was again shot down. One fell standing by tree with but of gun up to signify he surrendered. Col. Hobson called to him to drop his gun & lie down or he’d be killed—he did so & Col. H. told him to go to rear. I soon got separated from entire Co. & looking round could not see one I knew but Col. Hob. & I kept with him—he was waving sword and gallantly leading the men on. Never saw such confusion in my life—men scattered & mixed up every way. It was a running fight & difficulty was to keep near enough to Y. to shoot them. They shot at us very little—only when they’d half a little behind breast wks. (redoubts) Our men from marching all day before & that day & having nothing to eat scarcely—were so much exhausted that great many were scattered along behind a long distance & some excited fellows were firing wildly over the heads of us who were ahead & really there seemed at times as great danger of being killed by our men as by Yks. & several times we’d stop & wait for them to get up in line with us. Some fired without takg. sight up in air & I notices ball strike grd. just in front of us. Some of our men were wounded by our own side. Grt. pity theres so much confusion & men get scattered so badly—several times men were stopped from firing into friends & I recollect joining in & screaming to them not to do it—several times I knockd up gun 1ce of fellow in act of doing it. 1st redoubt we advanced on the artillery stuck out pretty well & threw grape & canister like hail—a good many of us in edge of pine thicket lay down a minute or 2 but on went our men & a shout told Yanks. were driven on. Parts of 3 Batteries were captured that eveng. Noticed a large N. Foundland dog—in agonies of death with a ball hole thro’ him. Some of Y. officers on horsebk. rode along lines & tried to rally troops but all in vain. we drove them a mile & ½ or 2—till night closed in on the scene. At one time noticed flags of 2 Regts. close together & mass of men around & fired 1ce or 2ce into them. Passed on down slope & rose another & in edge of pines there was a horse standing. Hobson started to it—calling to some men to catch it for him & learned afterwds he was shot down before getting to it—he was struck in leg above the knee—fortun. only a flesh wound. I kept on & a wounded Yank. beckoned & called to me—shook canteen & offered water, wh. he drank—& askd name & Regt & said he would be ever mindful of me or somethg of sort—he was a Lieut, & said wanted to see a Surg. that imposs. & I passed on keeping as near Thomson with our Colors as could. He had become separated fr. Regt. or greater part of it. Finally fell in with Ed. Hutchinson & afterwds with Ch. Hafner & John Cowin & Jim Arrington. We kept together & went on till near dark when so exhausted we sat down in pines. Pretty soon Yanks. opened with battery & shelled woods, & threw grape everywhere. We could not go forwd or back without greatest risk & so lay close to ground. It was terrific cannonading—shell burst & grape cut trees all around & above us. When it ceased a squad of men came by with some Prisoners & we started on back to go over field & get some rations as were very hungry. I had one crack. that had taken fr. Yank. Havresak, going on & divided it with J. Arrington. As we went on men fr. various Regts. of diff. states were calling the name of Regt. trying to get together. Never saw such confus. & scattering. Occas. 1 or 2 & sometimes small squad of 5th Ala. fell in with us, & went on but did n’t find any plunder or rations—the troops behind had swept them. Saw one fellow who. had 3 watches. finally we found out where Col. O’Neal was collecting the Brigade & joined them. Everyone felt so grateful at coming out safely that he would shake each acquaintance warmly by hand & express delight at seeing him come out safely. 5 of our Co. were wounded—Matt Jones, Hausman, Youngblood Sr, S. Jackson & B. Price, also Col. Hobson. Stacked arms, made fires & ate supper wh. was taken fr. Yanks. the best had some time. Crackers, ham & Coffee. Yanks had 8 da. rations with them 5 in kn.sk. & 3 in Haver sk. It seems Rodes Brig. was halted late in eveng. & tried to collect & form it, but I with others had gotten separated way to right & kept on till dark—Met. Col. Pickens of 12th safe. All the boys had trophys fr. Bat. field & well supplied with oil cloths, Blankets, canteens & havresacks &c. Gave me 2 or 3 Yank. letters. Aft. sup. movd up road & to line brst wks, near Hospital. Good deal our artil going fowd. (Cannonading in front & heavy volleys musketry bright pretty night. fightg kept up as men on guard said till 12 or 1 o’clk)
May 3, Sunday
Sprd. blankts & lay on edge entrenchmts with gun & accoutremts. ready to don at moments warng. didn’t even pull off boots. Up pretty early & went to spring & washd. wh. refreshg. We were waiting for Cop. Hutchinson to come up with Provision wh. he soon did but bef. could give out enemy began to shell us pretty severely & all took to trench as it wd slacken some fellows wd go up & draw for 2 or 3 around him. Then moved front in piece pines & lay few minutes when orderd forwd.