CG 62 Chancellorsville
"Press On"
The shield's Dark blue and gold are the traditional Navy colors. The dark blue and gray refer to the colors of the Union and Confederate Armies that were engaged at the Civil War battle of Chancellorsville. The predominate gray refers to General Robert E. Lee's spectacular military strategies and his dominance in this battle. Lee's victory came at heavy cost, however, because General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson was mortally wounded. The inverted wreath commemorates General Jackson's death. The embattled division and separation of the Union and Confederate colors represent the country divided. The battlements, which resemble a stone wall, allude to both General Jackson and the fortress- like quality of an AEGIS ship. The border, red for valor and bloodshed, symbolizes the Union's attempt to keep the country together. The sword stands for combat readiness; its upright position emphasizes vertical launch capabilities of USS Chancellorsville. The bugle horn, adapted from Civil War insignia, echoes the favorite words of General Jackson in calling for soldiers to PRESS ON.
The crest's trident is symbolic of sea power. The three tines of the trident represent USS Chancellorsville's anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The AEGIS shape and Civil War cannon embody new and old weaponry.
USS Chancellorsville's primary mission is to operate with aircraft carrier battle groups or as part of surface action groups in extreme threat environments well into the 21st century. The purpose of the ship is to detect, classify and track hundreds of potential targets simultaneously in the air, on the surface, and under the sea. It can destroy targets using a variety of weapons: ship and helicopter launched torpedoes, deck guns, surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, rapid-fire close-in weapons, and electronic jammers and decoys.
The USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) was commissioned at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, MS, on 4 November 1989. She deployed from 1 March 1991 to 27 August 1991 to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation DESERT STORM.
The Chancellorsville deployed from 19 February 1993 to 19 August 1993 to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf as part of the Nimitz Battle Group. On 26 June 1993, the Chancellorsville launched strikes on the Iraqi Intelligence Center in Baghdad with nine Tomahawk missiles in retaliation for the aborted assassination attempt on former President Bush.
On 28 April 1995, and until 28 October 1995, the Chancellorsville deployed to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf.
From 6 November 1996 until 6 February 1997, the USS Chancellorsville deployed to the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific in support of joint counter-narcotics operations. During this deployment, the USS Chancellorsville rescued the crew of an Ecuadorian-flagged fishing vessel on December 18 in the Southern Caribbean Sea, which had reportedly been adrift for 10 days. Upon its return home, the USS Chancellorsville underwent its first major overhaul, from 24 March 1997 - 17 December 1997. Southwest Marine Incorporated, San Diego, CA was awarded a $10,361,269 firm-fixed-price contract for the Regular Overhaul (ROH) of USS Chancellorsville (CG 62). Work was performed in San Diego, CA.
On July, 7 1998, the USS Chancellorsville changed homeport, from San Diego, CA, to Yokosuka, Japan joining Battle Force Seventh Fleet as part of the U.S. Forward Deployed Naval Force. It arrived in Yokosuka on 11 August 1998. From 28 September to 13 November 1998, the Chancellorsville participated in multinational operations in the Sea of Japan, including the International Fleet Review.
From March 2, 1999 to April 5, 1999, the USS Chancellorsville deployed in the Western Pacific region with the USS Kitty Hawk Battle Group. Exercises it took part in included the Multinational Training Exercise (MTX) '99 and Tandem Thrust '99.
On April, 6 1999, the Chancellorsville deployed to the Arabian Gulf in company with USS Kitty Hawk and USS Curtis Wilbur in support of Operation Southern Watch. It took part in Exercise Cobra Gold with the military forces of the Republic of Thailand in May. It returned to Yokosuka, Japan, on January 5, 2000.
While on a regularly scheduled two-month deployment to the Western Pacific Ocean, the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, accompanied by the guided missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) and the destroyer USS O'Brien (DD 975), took part in Exercise Cobra Gold 2000. From May 9-23, Exercise Cobra Gold 2000 tested the U.S. and Thai military to ensure regional peace. It also strengthened the ability of the Royal Thai armed forces to defend themselves and respond to regional contingencies. This annual joint exercise was one of the largest military exercises involving U.S. forces in the Pacific Command this year, and it involved units from the Thai and U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines. Armed forces from Singapore also participated for the first time that year.
The Chancellorsville made a port call in Qingdao, People's Republic of China from August 2, 2000 to August 5, 2000. The USS Chancellorsville then took part, with the USS Kitty Hawk Battle Group, in the 39th Exercise Foal Eagle from October 24 to November 1, 2000. Following this, the ship took part in ANNUALEX 12G, a routine annual bilateral maritime exercise between the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) and the U.S. Navy, starting on November 8 and ending on November 17 in waters around Japan. The exercise was designed to improve both navies' capabilities for coordinated and bilateral operations in the defense of Japan, with ANNUALEX 12G, in particular, focused on enhancing military-to-military relationships improving command and control and air, undersea and surface warfare. The USS Chancellorsville then took part in Missile exercise (MISSILEX) 01-1 which was held November 17-18 as part of a coordinated task group operation. During the exercise, the Chancellorsville, fired SM-2 missiles, in addition to it guns. It later took part in Exercise Keen Sword.
The Chancellorsville left on March 2, 2001 for an extended Spring Cruise, visiting Singapore, Thailand, Saipan and Sydney, Australia. It returned to Yokosuka on June 11, 2001.
The Chancellorsville was scheduled to go into dry dock for an overhaul in the fall of 2001. Included among the upgrades was a quadrupling of the ship's Internet acccess bandwidth, to 128K, and with 75 more computer terminals to be installed onboard.
The USS Chancellorsville deployed with the Kitty Hawk (CV 63) from Yokosuka on September 30, 2001, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
LSV-8 - Major General Robert Smalls
Logistics Support Vehicle Major General Robert Smalls, was the largest ship in Army inventory. The logistics support vessel Major General Robert Smalls (LSV-8) - the first Army vessel named for an African American - was inducted into the Army's watercraft fleet 16 September 2007 during a commissioning ceremony at Baltimore's historic Inner Harbor. Built by VT Halter Marine in Moss Point, Miss., and christened in April 2004, LSV-8 is named in honor of Robert Smalls. As a 23-year-old slave during the Civil War he commandeered a Confederate transport steamer loaded with armaments and used the vessel to spirit his wife, children and 12 other slaves to freedom.
CG-62 - Robert Smalls
Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Carlos Del Toro announced 27 February 2023 that the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser formerly named USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) will be renamed USS Robert Smalls (CG 62). This renaming honors Robert Smalls, a skilled sailor and statesman born into slavery in South Carolina. Ticonderoga-class cruisers are named after famous American Battles (with the exception of USS THOMAS S. GATES).
The decision arrived after a congressionally mandated Naming Commission outlined several military assets across all branches of service that required renaming due to confederate ties. In September 2022, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin accepted all recommendations from the naming commission and gave each service until the end of 2023 to rename their assets.
“I am proud to rename CG 62 after Robert Smalls. He was an extraordinary American and I had the pleasure of learning more about him last year when I visited his home in South Carolina,” said Del Toro. “The renaming of these assets is not about rewriting history, but to remove the focus on the parts of our history that don’t align with the tenets of this country, and instead allows us to highlight the events and people in history who may have been overlooked. Robert Smalls is a man who deserves a namesake ship and with this renaming, his story will continue to be retold and highlighted.”
Robert Smalls (1839-1915) was born into slavery in South Carolina. He became a skilled sailor and was an expert navigator of southern coasts. Smalls was conscripted in 1862 to serve as pilot of the Confederate steamer Planter at Charleston. On 13 May 1862, he executed a daring escape out of the heavily fortified Charleston harbor with his family, other enslaved people, and valuable military cargo onboard, and successfully surrendered Planter to the U.S. Navy. Smalls continued as pilot of the ship, but also piloted ironclad Keokuk and other vessels. He ultimately became captain of Planter.
An ardent advocate for African Americans, Smalls led one of the first boycotts of segregated public transportation in 1864. This movement led to the city of Philadelphia integrating streetcars in 1867. After the Civil War, Smalls was appointed a brigadier general of the South Carolina militia, and from 1868 to 1874 he served in the South Carolina legislature. In 1874, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served for five terms, advocating for greater integration. After his time in Congress, Smalls was twice appointed collector of the Port of Beaufort, South Carolina. He died at Beaufort in 1915.
CG-62 - ex-Chancellorsville
Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Carlos Del Toro announced 27 February 2023 that the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser formerly named USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) will be renamed USS Robert Smalls (CG 62). Chancellorsville was named after a Confederate victory in the War of Northern Agression. General's Lee's shrewd tactics led the Confederates to victory over a much larger Union force led by the cautious, unaggressive General Hooker. Although technically a win for the Confederates, they suffered a terrible blow when Jackson was mortally wounded by friendly fire among his own troops.
Chancellorsville Battlefield is one component of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. This small area west of Fredericksburg witnessed the heaviest and most brutal fighting in American history. The casualties from these battles number in the thousands and many lie buried and unknown beneath these hills. Chancellorsville marked the beginning of these battles when Joseph Hooker and his Union soldiers crossed the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers to threaten Robert E. Lee’s troops camped on the highland defending Fredericksburg. Lee quickly caught on to Hooker’s maneuver and advanced to meet him. Hooker, surprised by Lee, assumed a defensive position near the crossroads of Chancellorsville but left his right flank vulnerable.
CG 62 was the first U.S. Navy ship to bear the name Chancellorsville in commemoration of the Civil War battle fought just south of the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers in Virginia. After the first shots at Fort Sumter, both the North and South rushed to mobilize for war. Few had any notion that this war would last four grueling years. Most northerners believed that their advantages in men and materiel would bring a quick victory; nevertheless, the first two years proved to be quite trying for the Union as the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia scored a number of spectacular victories in the Eastern theater of the war. It was only after the twin Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg that the tide of the war turned; thereafter the war became a slow grind that ultimately exhausted not only the Confederacy's army, but its economy and society as well.
The Battle of Chancellorsville was fought from 1-4 May 1863, between the Federal Army of the Potomac, General Joseph Hooker commanding, and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, General Robert E. Lee commanding. Both armies had wintered around Fredricksburg, Virgina, after the disastrous federal defeat near the town in December 1862. Frontal assault having failed under Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, Gen. Hooker would try a flank manuever. He would lead a sizeable portion of his 130,000 man army up the north side of the Rappahannock River to cross behind General Lee and jeopardize the positions of the Southerners near Fredricksburg.
On a decisive day of the Chancellorsville campaign, as Hooker stood on his headquarters porch, a cannonball struck the pillar against which he was leaning. He was hurled to the floor, stunned and senseless. Unconsciousness followed a lucid interval, requiring rest, when another cannonball struck near him. Half of the army was not thrust into battle, resulting in retreat, because Hooker was not capable of commanding. Hooker's army missed the opportune time to attack; the order was never received because Hooker suffered a traumatic brain injury.
This provided an opportunity to Stonewall Jackson and his troops to stage a spectacular surprise attack and force the Union troops to retreat back across the river. On May 1st the Battle flared into action west of Fredricksburg as Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson attacked toward Chancellorsville on two seperate roads. Gen. Hooker committed the fatal blunder of retreating under Gen. Jackson's pressure, thus losing the initiative and giving his opponents the chance to attack his weak spots. Early the next morning in a bold move to cut around the Union Army, general Jackson marched west with nearly 30,000 men, leaving General Lee with only 15,000 men to face General Hooker's main threat. By late afternoon Gen. Jackson had his entire force behind Gen. Hooker's army, and he was able to launch an overwhelming surprise attack which caved in the federal line for 2.5 miles.
When confusion and darkness finally brought the attack to a halt, General Jackson rode out in front of his lines to find a means of renewing the offensive and destroying Gen. Hooker's army. With total success at hand, tragic circumstances intervened. As the General rode back towards his own men, some of them fired a blind volley which badly wounded him. He died a week later at Guiney Station, Virginia, as a result of his wounds and the pnuemonia which subsequently developed. The loss of Gen. Jackson dealt a crushing and irreparable blow to the military fortunes of the Confederacy.
Very early on the morning of May 3rd, Southern troops charged against the fortified federal lines one mile west of Chancellorsville. Confederate forces captured the key to the battle at the outset, when they occupied the high clearing known as Hazel grove. The Federals abandoned this vital position with hardly a struggle. After several hours of violent and costly fighting in the woods, Confederate infantry joined hands with their comrades to the east and drove Gen. Hooker back to a new position a mile north of Chancellorsville.
Meanwhile the Union troops back at Fredricksburg, under Gen. John Sedgwick, had pushed through the thin confederate lines entrenched there. Gen. Lee was compelled to halt this victorious army near Chancellorsville and send substantial reinforcements east towards Fredricksburg. After extensive fighting near the Salem church on May 3rd and 4th, Gen. Sedgwick was thrown back across the Rappahannock River at Bank's Ford.
During the night of may 4th-5th, as Gen. Sedgwick was hastily crossing the river, Gen. Hooker, safe in a snug retreat north of Chancellorsville called a meeting of his corps commanders. In a feeble explanation of his actions, Gen. Hooker told them his main responsibilty was to protect Washington, and therefore he had no right to jeopardize the army. He then wanted to know if the corps commanders would vote to stay and fight or retreat across the river. Although a majority voted to stay and fight, Gen. Hooker took it upon himself the responsibility of withdrawing the army to the other side of the river.
Gen. Lee's great victory had one very strong noteworthy effect: it removed any lingering objection on the part of the Richmond administration to his proposed invasion of Pennsylvania. Thus the battle of Chancellorsville led directly to Gettysburg, the turning point of the War.
Fresh from his success at Chancellorsville, General Lee leads the Army of Northern Virginia into the second Confederate invasion of the North. General Lee hopes to provision his troops off of northern farms, and perhaps urge northern popular opinion toward peace. Meanwhile, President Lincoln once again changes his top military commander, to General George Meade. The two sides clash in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
