Battles & Leaders of the Civil War: The XI Corps at Chancellorsville

Oliver Otis Howard (November 8, 1830 – October 26, 1909) was a career United States Army officer who had a mostly successful career, but unfortunately for him, he is mostly remembered for suffering two of the most humiliating defeats of the Civil War. Despite effective service throughout much of the war in both the East and the West, Howard is mostly remembered as the commander of the XI Corps at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. At Chancellorsville, the XI Corps was on the receiving end of Stonewall Jackson’s march and turn, routing Howard’s Corps. Howard’s Corps was also badly beaten on Day 1 of Gettysburg and sent scurrying through the streets of the town in retreat. 

On June 1, 1862, while commanding a Union brigade in the Fair Oaks, Howard was wounded twice in his right arm, which was subsequently amputated. (He received the Medal of Honor in 1893 for his heroism at Fair Oaks.) Respected general Philip Kearny, who had lost his left arm, visited Howard and joked that they would be able to shop for gloves together. Howard recovered quickly enough to rejoin the army for the Battle of Antietam, in which he rose to division command in the II Corps. He was promoted to major general in November 1862 and assumed command of the XI Corps the following April.

The Battle of Chancellorsville is one of the most famous of the Civil War, and the most famous part of the battle was Stonewall Jackson’s daring march across the Army of the Potomac’s left flank, surprising the XI Corps with an attack on May 2, 1863. The XI Corps was quickly routed, bringing a great deal of shame to Howard. After the war, Howard wrote an article about the battle and the XI Corps’ role in it for the very well known Battles & Leaders of the Civil War series. 

This edition of The XI Corps at Chancellorsville is specially formatted with images of Howard and other generals at the battle.