On April 30, 1863, Lee received information (that later was proven misguiding) form J.E.B. Stuart about our Confederate forces in the forest. There already forces before them. Lee instructed Major General Jubal Anderson Early and Lieutenant Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson to meet Major General Joseph Hooker and the Army of Northern Virginia.
Hooker drove his men by the river, and Lee took action. He performed his own plan for double envelopment. Jackson corps were so strong that Hooker's calvary couldn't impale through our forces. The devastating part about this battle was the loss of Lee's favorite general, Stonewall Jackson. A sentry had mistaken Jackson for a Union horsemen and shot him. Several days later, Jackson died of blood poisoning. The fatal part of this was that Jackson was the only general who understood Lee's plans and strategies. He was "Lee's right arm." Stuart took over Jackson's commands.
The Union lost 17,300 men in this battle, however, this was only 13% of the Army of Potomac. We lost 12,800 men, but it was 22% of Virginia's army. Even through the desperation of Lee's loss of Jackson, Lee managed to defeat the forces of Hooker.
