By dawn on the morning of the 3rd, Hooker had reestablished his line
in a V-shape with Reynolds deployed along Hunting Run, Meade at the
southern apex where the roads from Ely's and U.S. Fords came together,
and the fragments of Howard's Corps reassembled along Mineral Spring
Run so the flanks were anchored on the Rapidan and Rappahannok. Couch
and Slocum still held near Fairview. Hooker ordered Sickles to abandon
Hazeel Grove, which turned out to be the key to the rest of the battle.
Stuart advanced to Hazel Grove and placed 70 guns atop it's peak as
Sickles was leaving. 30 more guns raked the western flank and another
24 were on the plank road to the southeast. Sickles', Couch's, and
Slocum's troops broke under the fire.
While Stuart was pressing east, Lee was pressing northwest up the
Plank Road with Anderson's and McLaw's divisions. He hoped to rejoin
the two wings of his seperated army near Chancellorsville to combine
their attacks and destroy Hooker's Army. Shortly before 10:30 a.m. Lee
had his wish. Marse Robert rode into Chancellorsville on top of
Traveller with the welcome of a thunderous ovation from his Army. Soon
a courier arrived from Fredericksburg with news that Sedgwick had
pressed back Early's division. Jubal retreated south, while Sedgwick
pushed westward into Lee's rear. This threat had to be taken care of
immediately.
Postponing the assault against Hooker, Lee sent McLaw's division to
stall the 22,000 surging Yankees in his rear. At 4:30 p.m. Sedgwick met
further resistance and was unable to force a spearhead and soon set
up defensive positions for the night.
On Monday, May 4, Hooker had greatly improved his defenses above and
below U.S. Ford for an escape route. Lee shifted half of Heth's
division to take cover of Anderson's position on the right, whom he
sent east to join McLaws. Stuart had roughly 25,000 men to hold of
Hooker's 80,000 if the northern commander decided to retake the
offensive. Lee's remaining 22,000 Confederates were moving against
Sedgwick. He soon went to planning his destruction. Anderson was to
attack from the south, while McLaws assaulted from the west, and Early
from the east. It was 6 p.m. before all were in position for the
attack.
What followed was brief and not what Lee or anyone else had expected.
But when it was over, 4,600 Federals had fallen and by May 6, Sedgwick
crossed with his entire commanded over the Rappahannok. By now Hooker
had ordered a retreat.
Federal losses amounted to 17,287 while Lee lost 12,821. Meade and
Reynolds had less than 1,000 combined casualties, while Sedgwick and
Sickles had lost 4 times as many men. This shows how little "Fighting"
Joe Hooker actually fought.