Catherine's Furnace

[riverratmess]

Does anyone know the significance of Catherine Furnace during the Battle of Chancellorsville? Also who is Matthew Maury?

[Dignann]

Re: Catherine's Furnace

Matt,

Catharine Furnace was an iron furnace located on the Chancellorsville Battlefield. The operation began in 1837 and was going strong during the Civil War, supplying iron to Confederate industries such as the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Va. The furnace was a prominent landmark along the route of "Stonewall" Jackson's May 2, 1863 flank march during the Battle of Chancellorsville. A Union effort to disrupt that movement caused the furnace to become the scene of some rather heavy fighting between elements of Jackson's Second Corps and Dan Sickle's Third Corps. Catharine Furnace was burned by George Custer's troopers during the 1864 Battle of the Wilderness. Today, the site and ruins are part of the National Park's Chancellorsville Battlefield.

Matthew Fontaine Maury was the author of what is considered the first textbook of modern oceanography. At various time he was also the first superintendent of the United States Naval Observatory, the founder of the science of meterology, an officer and technological specialist in the CS Navy, and a professor at VMI. Maury's (b. 1806) birthplace was a brick structure that stood on the Chancellorsville Battlefield and in 1860 was owned by the Fredericksburg Iron and Steel Manufacturing Company, which also owned Catharine Furnace, about one mile to west. Today, the site of Maury's birthplace is also part of the National Park's Chancellorsville Battlefield.

For more info on Maury, see:

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/monument/maurybio.html

For more detailed info on Catharine Furnace and Maury's birthplace, see Noel G. Harrison, Chancellorsville Battlefield Sites (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, Inc., 1990).

I hope this helps.

Eric

[billwatson]

Re: Catherine's Furnace

There's maybe an aftermath to the fight at Catharine Furnace.

Sickles wanted to pitch in to Jackson full bore, but got called off by Hooker, who thought, apparently, that the Confederates were falling back and conveniently moving away from his main path to Richmond. Since Hooker was wrong, and Sickles was right, Sickles was apparently emboldened to act more on his own two months later at Gettysburg, moving out into the Peach Orchard because it seemed to him to be the place to go. You really can see cause and effect here to some extent, although it has to be admitted that Sickles approach to most problems was to stick his chin out and dare someone to through a punch, after which he'd look for opportunities to exploit. He was, for a political general, a very combative kind of guy. (Third Corps units were extremely active the day after Jackson's big Chancellorsville flank attack, pitching into the renewed Confederate assault and capturing large quantities of prisoners and taking several stands of colors. They were among the more baffled units when the order was given to pull out, because although they'd had very hard fighting, they'd also given a very good account of themselves overall.)

[yipper]

Re: Catherine's Furnace

Gents,

Anderson’s Division of Longstreet’s Corps played an important role at Catherine’s Furnace, holding that position while Jackson marched to the left to make his flank attack. Posey’s Brigade of Mississippi troops received special notice in Anderson’s report for their activities.

Anderson’s report can be read here: http://www.civilwarhome.com/anderson...llorsville.htm
and Posey’s report can be read here: http://www.civilwarhome.com/posechancellorsville.htm

Anderson’s Division was quite active throughout the Chancellorsville battle, moving from the Rappahannock to Chancellorsville and back again nearly to Fredericksburg.

Regards,

geoffrey lehmann

[ley74]

Re: Catherine's Furnace

I just love questions like these. Eric and Bill, you guys are to be commended for your patience. Just an observation.