The Battle at Chancellorsville came about as a result of the Battle of Fredericksburg. General Hooker of the Union forces set a trap for the South and General Lee's army, however Lee made a correct decision as to Hooker's moves and sent most of the Confederate forces against Hooker's main advance. Generals Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jeb Stuart discovered and planned a successful frontal attack on a weak spot of Hooker's now defensive position.
The Battle of Chancellorsville and Hooker's retreat ended in what many consider to be Robert E Lee's greatest victory. However the South lost Jackson; while returning from a reconnaisance patrol at night, the colorful General Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded three times by Southern troops who had mistaken him and his party for a Union calvary patrol. The Union's General Hooker was removed from his command.