On May 1st, 1863, the 55th Ohio, along with the rest of the 11th Corps, halted for the night along the Orange Plank road in the middle of "the wilderness" near the small crossroads village of Chancellorsville, Virginia. The 55th numbered at this time 471 officers and men.On May 2nd, the 55th was posted with the rest of McClean's brigade on the far right flank of the Union army with only Von Gilsa's brigade being farther right with their right flank being unanchored to any point. All during the day, pickets from the 55th and other regiments reported enemy troops moving across their front towards their right. Union generals were confident that the Confederates were retreating. In reality, this was "Stonewall" Jackson's 30,000 men massing upon the 11th Corps right flank. By the afternoon, with so many reports of massing troops, Colonel John C. Lee of the 55th, with the colonels of the 25th and 75th Ohio regiments, along with brigade commander General McLean, tried in vain to warn the Division commander General Devens of the impending danger and asked to change their front to meet the attack. However, since the official intelligence was that the rebels were retreating, Devens paid little attention and refused a change of front. Reports were sent to General Hooker's headquarters where they were simply laughed off.
At about 6:00 p.m. a tremendous volley of musketry crashed into the right flank of the 11th Corps and the dreaded "rebel yell" was heard. Jackson, with 30,000 men attacked the exposed right. Von Gilsa's brigade only managed a couple of volleys before becoming overwhelmed and they quickly broke and ran. Col. Lee immediately rode to Devens and pleaded for permission to change front. For some bizarre reason, Devens said "not yet." Stunned, Col. Lee rode back to his command and upon seeing the dire condition that his men were in, changed front on his own. Unfortunately, the refugees from Von Gilsa's brigade were swamping McLean's men making defense near impossible. The 55th and 25th Ohio regiments held their position, pouring fire into the rebels who were only yards away. But the attack was too much and both regiments finally broke and ran. Col. Lee tried several times to get troops to rally but only had marginal success. Luther Mesnard of Company D, 55th Ohio described the fight as "...a perfect hail storm of lead flying, a perfect mass of rebs not 20 feet away. Paul Jones of Company D ran with the regimental colors in one hand and the wounded General Devens in the other". One bright side in that dark day was that three entire Confederate brigades were held up and kept out of the fight by the skimpy picket company of the 55th Ohio commanded by a newly promoted Lieutenant John Lowe. As evening darkness fell , Confederate disorganization and Union resistance finally halted the rebel attack. The 55th Ohio's casualties were 35 killed or mortally wounded, 61 wounded and 57 captured making 153 out of the 471 present.
Due to the illness of his wife, Col. Lee resigned his commission on May 8th (in 1864 he would command the 164th Ohio and by war's end would become a Brevet Brigadier General). Charles Gambee was promoted to Colonel and James Stevens to Lt. Col.
On May 24th, the 11th Corps was reorganized. The 55th Ohio was transferred to the 2nd Brigade under Col. Orland Smith (73rd Ohio) of the 2nd Division (Von Steinwehr's), 11th Corps. The brigade was composed of the 33rd Massachusetts, 73rd Ohio and the 136th New York.
Sources:
Trials and Triumphs: A Record of the Fifty-Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry by Hartwell Osborne, 1904, A.C. Clurg & Co., Chicago.
All Brave And True by Dan Munson, 1987.
Chancellorsville 1863: The Souls Of The Brave by Ernest B. Ferguson, 1992