Chancellorsville

Civil war buffs would probably be in hog heaven watching this tedious, though massively staged, re-enactment of the May 2-5, 1863 battle at Chancellorsville, Virginia. After establishing the major players: General Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker, commander of the Union Army; and Generals Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall Jackson" of the Confederate Army; the program proceeds to spin off into every little skirmish that occurred during that first week in May. The central action, which has Lee attacking Hooker from two sides, and emerging victorious (at the cost of losing Jackson, who was shot by one of his own men, and later died), is relatively straightforward-but many of the bits and pieces of the campaign are poorly sketched on an animated map that will confuse more people than it enlightens. Credit must go to the massive "cast", who for the 125th Anniversary of the Civil War, are staging re-enactments of events (begun in 1986 and continuing through 1990). If you have a large Civil War collection, this ongoing series-with seven titles presently available-would probably be appreciated; otherwise not a necessary purchase. (Available from: Classic Images Productions, Inc., P.O. Box 2399, Columbia, MD 21045.)