Yet Lee, despite his disadvantages of both numbers and position, did not retreat. Instead, he
moved his troops into position to attack. Union soldiers who tried to warn Hooker that Lee was on the
offensive were dismissed as cowards. Having become convinced that Lee had no choice but to retreat,
Hooker began to ignore reality. When Lee’s army attacked the Union soldiers at 5:00 p.m., they were eating
supper, completely unprepared for battle. They abandoned their rifles and fled as Lee’s troops came
shrieking out of the brush, bayonets drawn. Against all odds, Lee won the Battle of Chancellorsville, and
Hooker’s forces withdrew in defeat.