Battle of Moorefield

McCausland

After defeating the Federal forces in the Shenandoah Valley at the Second Battle of Kersntown, Jubal Early sent his cavalry north again to raid the towns of Maryland. The troopers under the command of Brigadier General John McCausland crossed the Potomac river on July 29^th. After them was a force of Union cavalry under General William Averell. Averell positioned his men to block an attack towards Baltimore, but in the mean time the rebels captured and burned Chambersburg. McCausland then headed the other direction, into West Virginia. They attempted to cut the B&O Railroad, but were driven off by the Union garrison. When Averell received word of the Confederates' movements, he set off after them determined that they would not escape his grasp.

Averell

The Federals were badly outnumbered, with 1,760 troopers to about 3,000 Confederates, so they made a night attack. They charged into one of the two Confederate camps around 3 am. The Confederates were surprised to be awoken in the middle of the night, and those who did not flee were quickly taken prisoner. However, the commotion awakened the other camp, and they fell into line to meet the raid. Averell had already anticipated this, so at that moment they were struck on both flanks by parties of Federals. The Confederate line crumbled, and the Federals followed in hot pursuit. The Confederates lost 13 killed, 60 wounded and 415 captured. The Federals had 11 killed, 18 wounded and 13 captured.

Battle of Trevilian Station

After the defeat of the June 3 attack on the Confederate lines at Cold Harbor, Grant decided to change his plans. Through the Overland Campaign he had tried to crush Robert E. Lee, and after each failure he would move around the Confederate right, edging closer to Richmond. But unlike previous commanders of the Army of the Potomac, his end goal was not the capture of Richmond, but the destruction of Lee's army. He decided that he next step would be another move around Lee's right, but this one more drastic. He would cross the James River and aim to capture Petersburg, an important railroad junction south of Richmond.

To cover this movement, Grant sent his cavalry under Major General Philip Sheridan on a raid against the Virginia Central Railroad. Just as he was about to set out, news came of David Hunter's victory in the Shenandoah at the Battle of Piedmont. Grant ordered that Hunter join Sheridan near Charlottesville so that the united forces could pose a major threat to Lee's left.

Sheridan's men set out early on the morning of June 7. The weather was hot and the movement was slow. Many horses fell by the wayside, still not recovered from the hard riding the previous month that culminated in the Battle of Yellow Tavern. The Confederate cavalry, now under Wade Hampton, received of this movement the next day, and he assembled his division at 2 am on the morning of June 9^th to head after Sheridan. Fitzhugh Lee's division would follow not far behind. Although the Yankees had nearly a two day start, the Confederate troopers were more familiar with the country and had the shorter inside track.

Map of Day 1

Both Union and Confederate forces camped near Trevilian Station on the Virginia Central on the evening of June 10, and the next morning Hampton told his brigade commanders that he planned to fight. He devised a plan to surprise Sheridan's men. He placed one division on each side of the crossroads, hoping the surprise the enemy and crush them in between the two groups of Confederates. As the battle began, Fitzhugh Lee did not arrive where Hampton wanted him, and in heavy fighting in the thick brush he was forced back by Sheridan's larger numbers. The situation worsened for the Confederates when Union commander George Custer led his brigade right down the road to Trevilian Station, and found Hampton's baggage and many of his men's horses left complete unguarded. He joyfully secured these, but the situation turned sour. Hampton redirected his men to met this surprise threat from Custer, and the Union commander found his men attacked on three sides. As he retreated with his spoils he found a Confederate battery directly in his escape route. With his force surrounded, Custer believed he was about to be overrun, so he pulled his flag down from its staff, and hid it in his coat. Disaster was finally averted when Sheridan led two brigades in a charge, driving Hampton's men to the west. Another brigade hit Lee's flank and he fell back to the east. Custer had lost hundreds of men, but he had been saved from complete disaster. When Sheridan asked him if he had lost his colors he triumphantly pulled them out of his coat and proclaimed, “Not by a d--- sight!”

Map of Day 2

That night Lee moved his men to the south and joined Hampton. Sheridan received several pieces of news that caused him to order a retreat. He head that Confederate infantry were nearby and that David Hunter was not – he had marched to Lynchburg instead. The next day, while some of his men wrecked Trevilian Station, he sent Torbet's division west where they encountered Hampton and Lee in an L-shapped position, well dug in. The Federals attacked again and again, but they were unable to break through this line. Instead they were met with a heavy counter attack from Lee. That night Sheridan withdrew and began a leisurely march back towards Cold Harbor.

Sheridan

In this battle Sheridan had lost just over 1,000 – 102 killed, 470 wounded and 435 missing and captured. The Confederates lost about 830. It was the largest and bloodiest cavalry fight of the entire war. On the first day of battle the Federals had clearly successfully, but they were unable to continue this on the second day. The campaign was also not an unmitigated success. It may have done something to distract Lee from Grant's movement across the James and Sheridan did destroy a section of the Virginia Central, but the Confederates were able to get the railroad up and running again in short order, and since Hunter did not join Sheridan there was no serious threat to Lee's flank. All in all this battle did little for the Union cause.  

Battle of Brice's Crossroads

The Confederate cavalry under Nathan Bedford Forrest had long been a thorn in the side of the Federal forces in the west. He had caused much trouble with his daring and relentless raids on the Union supply line. William Tecunseh Sherman decided to put this to end once and for all. He ordered Samuel Sturgis to lead a force of 8,500 men to destroy Forrest, then in northern Mississippi or Alabama. This column set out on June 1. Forrest correctly guessed that they were first headed to Tupelo, Mississippi, and decided to try to strike them without waiting for reinforcements. He planned to hit the Union cavalry, which led the column, at a place called Brice's Crossroads. When some infantry arrived to reinforce them, he planned to drive them west on a creek and destroy the force he was facing.

The battle began around 10:30 on June 10, 150 years ago today. According to plan, the Confederate troopers pushed the Union cavalry hard, their their commander, Benjamin Grierson, called for infantry reinforcements. These around around 1:30, and the presence of these troops gave the Union the upper hand for a short time. But then Forrest sprang the trap. He launched heavy attacks on the Union right and left flanks, and the Union men were driven into a tight semi-circle around the crossroads. The 2^nd Tennessee cavalry attacked the bridge over which the Federal forces had crossed the creek. Although they were driven back, the Federal forces panicked and Sturgis ordered them to fall back. This retreat soon turned into a route with the Confederate troopers right on the heels of fleeing bluecoats. In this fight the Confederates lost 492 men, the Federals 2,240 – mostly captured. In Sturgis' attempt to capture Forrest he had been ambushed and whipped. The “Wizard of the Saddle” had won yet another victory.

Battle of Yellow Tavern

Sheridan

In Overland Campaign in Virginia the commander of the Federal cavalry was Major General Philip Sheridan. As the campaign advanced Sheridan became dissatisfied with his role in the campaign. Meade was using the troopers for reconnaissance and shielding the army. That's not what Sheridan wanted to do. He preferred large scale raids instead of the other duties of the cavalry. So on May 8^th he went directly to Grant and told him that he could go behind Lee's lines to crush JEB Stuart's cavalry, as well as cutting the Confederate supply line and threatening Richmond. Grant agreed, so the next day Sheridan took his 10,000 troopers around Lee's right.

Sheridan's Raid

Sheridan's over 10 mile long column quickly pressed south, destroying railroad equipment on the Virginia Central Railroad and cutting telegraph lines. Stuart hurried in pursuit with his 4,500, trying to out ride Sheridan and get between him and Richmond. He finally caught up and made a stand at Yellow Tavern, just 6 miles north of Richmond. The Confederates dismounted and occupied a low ridge along the road to Richmond. The battle was desperate, for the Federals not only greatly outnumbered Stuart's men, they also had many times the firepower. Most of the Union troopers carried repeating rifles which the south did not have in large quantities.

A critical moment in the battle occurred when the 1^st Virginia successfully counterattacked, driving back advancing Union forces. Stuart was on the front lines, encouraging his men as they drove back the fleeing Federals. As they retreated one of them, probably John Huff of the 5^th Michigan, aimed a pistol at Stuart and fired. The general was hit, and reeled in his saddle. Several subordinates, including Captain Gustavus Dorsey, ran to him. Stuart recognized how serious he had been hit, saying, “I'm afraid they've killed me, Dorsey.” However there was a battle still to be fought. The Confederate line was faltering, and Stuart ordered those around him, “Go back to your men and drive the enemy!”

Stuart

Stuart was escorted from the field and the battle continued until night. The Confederates were unable to halt Sheridan's advance toward Richmond. “Go back!” Stuart shouted to troopers who retreated past him, “Go back! and do your duty as I have done mine, and our country will be safe. Go back! go back! I had rather die than be whipped.” Stuart was taken in an ambulance to Richmond. Doctors came to him, but there was little they could do. He died the next day. His final words were, “I am resigned; God's will be done.” He may have been the south's best cavalry commander in the war. This was not just because of his grand raids. He was very skilled in what Sheridan was unwilling to do – shielding the army and gathering information. When Lee received the news of Stuart's death he said with great sorrow, “General Stuart has been mortally wounded: a most valuable and able officer. He never brought me a piece of false information.”

Stuart's grave

Although the Federals had won at Yellow Tavern, they made little more progress. They did not attempt an attack on Richmond's defenses, and returned to Grant on May 24. Other than killing Stuart the raid accomplished little. The Federals would have been better served to have their cavalry with the army during those two weeks of active campaigning.  

Battle of Spotsylvania Begins

Having decided to move to Spotsylvania, Grant's men continued to march in that direction on the night of May 7^th. At the front Sheridan's cavalry had to clear the road of Confederate cavalry. Lee was not certain where Grant was going, but ordered Richard Anderson, who had taken over Longstreet's corps, to move in the direction of Spotsylvania. He did not tell him the movement was urgent, but Anderson moved early, at 10 pm on May 7^th, to escape the stinking bodies and burning forest on the Wilderness battlefield.

Early on May 8^th, 150 years ago today, the Federal cavalry renewed their efforts to clear the road to Spotsylvania. Fitzhugh Lee's men, after a gallant stand, withdrew from their barricades and took up a new position on Laurel Hill, just northwest of Spotsylvania. He sent for Anderson to help, and at this point the Confederates' early movement paid off. Before long infantry were flying into the cavalry positions, just as Warren's V Corps arrived to attack. Warren did not know that the Confederates had infantry on the field, and ordered his troops to press forward. The men were tired and hungry from their long march, but Warren shouted, “Never mind the cannon! Never mind the bullets! Press on and clear this road! It’s the only way to get your rations!" The Federals charged, but at 60 yards the Confederates unleashed volley after volley. The bluecoats fell back and tried again, but again they were beaten back. Warren, seeing more Confederate infantry arriving, halted his attacks and told Meade of the situation.

Lines at Spotsylvania

Meade could not believe that the Confederates had arrived on the field so soon. He ordered John Sedgwick to join Warren and continue the attacks. Much time was spent in preparing the lines, and by the time they advanced at 6 pm, Ewell's Corps had joined Anderson's on the battlefield. The Federal assault was a disaster. Orders were confused, units lost their way, and only one division and one brigade ended up attacking. This weak force had no chance of breaking the Confederate line, and the Federals were soon broken.

They day had been a provident success for the Southerners. The Federal movement had been detected, and infantry was on hand to meet it. They had won the race for Spotsylvaia, and the attack which the Union had spent so long planning turned out to be an embarrassing failure.  

Battle of Fort Pillow

Nathan Bedford Forrest fought in many raids and battles in the Civil War, but his most controversial by far was his attack on Fort Pillow 150 years ago today. By this point he was nearly a month into a raid on the Union positions in Tennessee and Kentucky. He decided to attack Fort Pillow to capture the supplies that the fort held. Fort Pillow was built by Confederate general Gideon Pillow in 1862, but it was abandoned and garrisoned by the Federals. It was built on a bluff on the Mississppi River, its three walls protected by six cannon. When Forrest attacked the garrison was 500-600 men, half white and half black. The Confederates were at least three times as numerous.

Forrest arrived at the fort, which was already surrounded by Confederate troopers, at 10:00 on April 12. He deployed sharpshooters on hills that overlooked the fort, and they opened up a scattered fire. It was not long before they scored a hit – Major Lionel Booth, the forts commander, was killed. Confederates also occupied the barracks which the Federals had failed to destroy, putting them only 150 yards from the fort's parapet.

At 3:30, with his men in position to attack, Forrest sent the Union commander this ominous note:

The conduct of the officers and men garrisoning Fort Pillow has been such as to entitle them to being treated a prisoners of war. I demand the unconditional surrender of the entire garrison, promising that you shall be treated as prisoners of war. My men have just received a fresh supply of ammunition, and from their present position can easily assault and capture the fort. Should my demand be refused, I cannot be responsible for the fate of your command.

Major William Bradford, who had assumed command after Booth's death, asked for one hour to consider the situation, Forrest would only give him 20 minutes. Bradford send a final message, “We will not surrender.” A bugle sounded the charge, and the Confederates surged toward the walls.

Under covering fire from the sharpshooters, the rebels rushed toward the fort and into the ditch. The Federals were kept down by the sharpshooters' bullets, and were not able to stop the assailants. The Confederates climbed on each others shoulders, making their way on top of the 6 – 8 foot wall. As they reached the top of the embankment, their fired their weapons into the crowd of bluecoats below. A Union gunboat, USS New Era was on the river, and the Federals fell back in disorder, hoping to get picked up by the ship. They were unable to reach the ship, which did not even aid them with its fire. The gun ports remained sealed for fear of the southern sharpshooters.

When the Confederates had burst into the fort, the Federals had fled towards the gunboat without trying to surrender or hauling down the flag. Some still carried their weapons, and fired back at the attackers. Others threw down their arms and tried to surrender. The rebels, with adrenaline high after their dangerous advance, continued to kill indiscriminately. One Union naval officer on the scene wrote in his report:

All the wounded who had strength enough to speak agreed that after the fort was taken an indiscriminate slaughter of our troops was carried on by the enemy with a furious and vindictive savageness which was never equaled by the most merciless of the Indian tribes. Around on every side horrible testimony to the truth of this statement could be seen. Bodies with gaping wounds, some bayoneted through the eyes, some with skulls beaten through, others with hideous wounds as if their bowels had been ripped open with bowie-knives, plainly told that but little quarter was shown to out troops.

There is no doubt that a massacre of some kind did take place. The Federals had about 350 killed, 60 wounded and 164 captured. The Confederates lost only 14 killed and 86 wounded. It is also clear that the colored troops were especially targeted. Only 20% of the black troops survived the battle, as opposed to 60% of the white Federals. Confederates defended their actions by arguing that the Federals had been warned of the consequences of refusing to surrender, the fort had never been officially surrendered, and the officers attempted to stay the slaughter.

Whether or not the Confederates could justify the slaughter in any way, it was seen as a horrible massacre by the people of the north. Lincoln and his cabinet considered retaliation, but none was ever made. As the news spread through the country the northerners saw their foes as less civilized. They began to see the southern troops as murders, would would massacre the colored troops in cold blood. This perception would have an impact in future battles, and on reconstruction after the war.

Buckland Races

After an uninspiring showing in the first few years of the war, in 1863 the Federal Army of the Potomac's cavalry did a better job in resisting J.E.B. Stuart's famed troopers. But 150 years ago today they would meet another embarrassing disaster. As part of the Bristoe Campaign, Robert Lee had advanced to Manassas Junction, but was falling back, shielded by Stuart's cavalry. The Union cavalry division of Judson Kilpatrick (or “Kilcavalry” as he was known by disaffected troopers) advanced towards Buckland.

Kilpatrick

The lead brigade of Feerals encountered gray troopers at Buckland Mills. Deploying for battle, they pushed the Confederates about a mile back down the road. But unbeknownst to them, they were doing exactly what Stuart wanted. He had ordered the column of Fitzhugh Lee to come up and strike the Federals on the flank. The Union units became separated in their rapid advanced.

Fitzhugh Lee

The trap was sprung, and Lee surprised the Federal cavalry, attacking them from the flank. But some firm fighting by the Federal troopers prevented Lee from capturing a sizable portion of the Northerners. But panic spread through the Yankee column, and they were soon retreating at a gallop towards the main Union body, with Stuart's men hot on their heals. One Federal described it as a “deplorable spectacle of 7,000 cavalry dashing riderless, hatless, and panic stricken.” The flight was finally stopped when they reached the Union infantry. About 250 Union soldiers were captured, and the legend of the Buckland Races was born.

Battle of Chickamauga – Day 2

As the day dawned over the bloody field of Chickamauga on, Sunday, September 20th, William Rosecrans, commander of the Union army, was riding along his lines, encouraging the troops. They had been sorely tested the day before with several Confederate attacks nearly breaking their line, but Rosecrans urged them to fight on, saying, “Fight today as well as you did yesterday, and we shall whip them!”

Across the field, Confederate commander Braxton Bragg had planned to attack at daylight, but the orders he had sent to D. H. Hill had been lost. When morning came Hill was unprepared, still getting his troops into position. They would attack on their right, where the Federal right had formed into a semicircle around the Kelly House. The Yankees had spent their night profitably, building breastworks to better defend themselves. Finally, at about 9:45 am, the Confederate attack began.

On the Confederate far right was Breckinridge's division. It was in such a position that his two rightmost brigades extended beyond the left of George Thomas's breastworks. Thomas, seeing that he was flanked, requested reinforcements. He withdrew two brigades from his line and threw them in front of Breckinridge. They fought hard, and although they were driven back, they bought enough time for Van Cleve to bring his division up from the right. Thomas was able to hold back the Confederate attack with these troops, but he did not feel his line was secure. As the battle raged, he requested Rosecrans to send him more troops from the center and right. Breckinridge and Cleburne continued to press forward, meeting heavy resistance. Liddell's and Gist's men were brought up and the attack was renewed, but fresh Union troops were moved to that portion of the line and no progress could be made. Stewart's division gained some success, but they were driven back by a Federal counter attack. Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry were dismounted and fighting on foot. When Hill saw them, he asked what infantry they were. When he was told they were Forrest's cavalry, he said:

General Forrest, I wish to congratulate you and those brave men moving across that field like veteran infantry upon their magnificent behavior. In Virginia I made myself extremely unpopular with the cavalry because I said I had not seen a dead man with spurs on. No one could speak disparagingly of such troops as yours.

By noon, the attacks slowed down. Polk and Bragg had failed to break Thomas's line, protected as it was by breastworks. As on the previous day, Bragg had not concentrated enough strength on one point to crush the line, and instead dispersed the blow. But Rosecrans had a problem. Because of the heavy pressure on the left, he had sent Thomas many reinforcements, leaving only four divisions on the right.

It was Longstreet's turn to attack. Because of all the troops rushed to Thomas, a hole had developed in the center of the Union line. Rosecrans had received false information about a gap in his line, and in giving orders to correct it, actually created a gap. Longstreet got permission from Bragg to attack with his wing. Instead of the piecemeal attacks used in the battle so far, throwing in only one a division at a time, Longstreet marshaled four divisions with which to crush the Federals. He ordered his men forward at 11:15 am. Confederate Bushrod Johnson wrote:

The scene now presented was unspeakably grand. The resolute and impetuous charge, the rush of our heavy columns sweeping out from the shadow and gloom of the forest into the open fields flooded with sunlight, the glitter of arms, the onward dash of artillery and mounted men, the retreat of the foe, the shouts of the hosts of our army, the dust, the smoke, the noise of fire-arms—of whistling balls and grape-shot and of bursting shell—made up a battle scene of unsurpassed grandeur.

Longstreet's men went right through the hole in the Federal line, past the Brotherton Farm, crushing any resistance they encountered. By noon he was a mile deep in the Federal center, having capturing 17 cannon and over 1000 prisoners along the way. Soon the entire left and center of the Yankee line was one race to get away from Longstreet's advancing men. But the Texas Brigade was struck with a counterattack from a Union unit, and driven into retreat. Hood, seeing his old brigade in full retreat, rode to rally them. He was shot through the leg, and carried off the field. Although such woods were frequently fatal during, he had his leg amputated and survived. This left him with only two limbs, as he had lost the use of his arm in another battle.

Having crushed through the Union center, Longstreet ordered his men to execute a right wheel and turn on Thomas. This complicated maneuver took time to preform, and during the lull he ordered that his men be fed to prepare them for further fighting. Bragg was annoyed that his battle plan had was unsuccessful, and that Longstreet had developed his own plan, and it was winning the day. So he rode off the field and left the management of the battle to his subordinates.

Rosecrans

Bragg was not the only commander leaving the field. Rosecrans himself, joined by two of his corps commanders and thousands of men, was making off as fast as possible, believing further defense useless. Most officers completely lost their heads and tried to get away just like the common soldiers. But not all of the Federals were retreating. George Thomas remained on the field to organize the Union defense, and his firmness in stemming the Union rout would earn him the title the “Rock of Chickamauga.” He established a line of defense on Horseshoe Ridge, at right angles to the original position. Many Federals rallied there, still determined to resist the victorious southerners. They declared with resolution, “We will hold this ground or go to heaven from it.”

Through the afternoon waves of Confederates attacked Thomas's troops on Horseshoe Ridge. At 4:30 pm Longstreet's troops advanced. The fighting centered around Snodgrass Hill, upon which Longstreet made 25 attacks. The Federals were holding firm with hard fighting, but Thomas knew that this could not last forever. He was attacked on two sides by forces twice his number. He realized that at some point the position had to fold, and so he determined to conduct an orderly retreat. The gradual retreat began at 5:30 pm and continued over the next two hours. A rearguard of three regiments was left to defend the hill to the last. When they ran out of ammunition, they stood firm with bayonets. Refusing to abandon the position, they were finally surrounded and forced to surrender.

Horseshoe Ridge

The Federals retreated during the evening, routed but not destroyed. Thomas, the Rock of Chickamauga had been able to put up a last ditch defense so that the Union army was saved from complete destruction. This good defense would have important implications in the campaign, and it prevented a Union army from being nearly wiped off the map.

Thomas

The Confederates were elated at their victory, the first real victory won by Bragg's army. They let out cheers the like of which would be never heard again. They had captured 8000 prisoners, 51 cannon, over 23,000 rifles and much ammunition and other supplies. It was the largest quantity of supplies captured in one battle in the war. But it had been a costly battle. Rosecrans had lost 16,170 men, Bragg, 18,454. The total of almost 35,000 was a huge number. It was the second bloodiest battle of the war, only exceeded by Gettysburg. D. H. Hill wrote after the war,

There was no more splendid fighting in '61, when the flower of the Southern youth was in the field, than was displayed in those bloody days of September, '63. But it seems to me that the elan of the Southern soldier was never seen after Cickamauga .... He fought stoutly to the last, but, after Cickamauga, with the sullenness of despair and without the enthusiasm of hope.

Morgan's Raid

Morgan

On June 11th, 1863 famed Confederate cavalry commander John Hunt Morgan set off on one of his famous raids. With 2,460 picked cavalry and 4 cannon he rode north to try to distract the Federals from the Confederate armies. Riding through Tennessee, disrupting Rosecrans's communication lines, the rebels cross the Cumberland River and entered Kentucky on June 23rd. On July 4th he encountered five companies of Union infantry blocking his crossing of the Green River. In the Battle of Tebbs Bend he tried to overcome this small force for three hours, but the Federals were able to hold firm and beat back eight charges Finally Morgan acknowledged his defeat and kept riding, looking for another route.

Tebbs Bend Battlefield

The next day he surprised the Union garrison of Lebanon. A large part of the Federal forces were chased into the railroad depot where they were able to put up a good defense. Morgan had the building lit on fire, and with a final push was able to capture the building, though his brother, Lieutenant Thomas Morgan, fell in the charge.

Bragg had given Morgan permission to go wherever he wished as long has he did not cross the Ohio River, but Morgan however had no intention to obey these orders. He thought that the Federals would not be really concerned about the raid unless it struck their homeland. On July 8th he captured two steamboats and used them to cross the river into Indiana. The Union district commander, Ambrose Burnsides, send whatever troops he could to meet the rebel invaders, but Morgan brushed away his pursuers. Whenever he encountered telegraph lines he would have his telegrapher, George “Lightning” Ellsworth tap into the line and send disinformation out to the Union forces, highly exaggerating the number of the Confederate cavalry.

Riding east, Morgan's men entered Ohio on July 13th. Although he had not been caught, his raid began to fall apart. He had suffered 500 casualties and men and horses were falling by the wayside broken down in exhaustion. They headed for the Ohio river, where they planned to cross into West Virginia. He encountered militia at Buffington Island, and decided to attack the next morning. But by that time the Union forces had begun to close on the tired raiders. The Confederates now also had to face two brigades of Union troops and a fleet of gunboats. Morgan, soon realizing that the way was blocked, tried to leave a rearguard to hold of the numerous Federals and find another ford. But Union columns split up his force, and 750 Confederates were captured, Morgan escaping with only about 700.

His escape across the river cut off, so he headed north. The Ohio River was higher than normal and with the Federal cavalry close behind he could not find a place to cross the river. At one point his men began to cross, but midway through the Union gunboats and cavalry arrived. Morgan decided to remain with the half still on the Ohio side of the river while the rest made it to safety. He was finally caught near the West Virginia Pan Handle 150 years ago today with less than 400 men left. Realizing they were surrounded, the rebels tried to cut their way out. In 1 ½ hours the Confederate force was shattered, with only Morgan and a few men making it through the Federal lines. But even they wouldn't remain free for long. Knowing it was hopeless to try to head south, and seeing Union forces hot on his trail Morgan surrendered to one of his prisoners, an Ohio militia captain, who then immediately paroled his former captor. But when the Union cavalry arrived, they forced him to surrender again and refused to give him a parole.

His men had ridden 1000 miles, and achieved the furthest north reached by a Confederate force during the war. Because of incorrect rumors of what had been done to similar Northern prisoners, Morgan and his officers were sent to a prison instead of a POW camp. They were not given parole, were forced to wear convict clothes and had their hair and beards shaved. A few months later, Morgan would escape with six of his men and return to the Confederacy humiliated, having lost some of the South's best cavalry.

Gettysburg – End of the First Day

Meade

 In the afternoon of July 1st, Meade received more news of the developing fight at Gettysburg. Hancock, who had taken over the battle, told him that he thought he could hold Cemetery Hill until nightfall, and that it would be an excellent place to fight a battle. Meade therefore decided to abandon his Pipe Creek Plan and meet Lee at Gettysburg. He ordered all his troops in the area forward. Of his seven corps, four were already on the field or very close by, and only one was a long distance away. The Confederates also were planning their movements for the next days. Longstreet had arrived, and looking over the ground, told Lee:

If we could have chosen a point to meet our plan of operation, I do not think we could have found a better one than that upon which they are concentrating. All we have to do is throw our army around by their left, and we shall interpose between the Federal army and Washington. We can get a strong position and wait, and if they fail to attack us we will have everything in condition to move back tomorrow night in the direction of Washington, selecting beforehand a good position into which we can place our troops to receive battle next day. Finding our object is Washington and that army, the Federals will be sure to attack us. When they attack, we shall beat them ... and the probabilities are that the fruits of our success will be great.

Lee however fundamentally disagreed with Longstreet's defensive plan. Lee thought he had to keep control of the campaign. In the enemy's country, with Stuart gone, Lee knew little of the enemy's movements. If he tried a flanking maneuver he would be in real risk of being caught on the road and destroyed. He told Longstreet, “If the enemy is there tomorrow, we must attack him.”

Lee

Gettysburg – Union Retreat

As the Confederates deployed to prepare for another attack, across the field Doubleday was determined to hold his ground. He must have known that Reynolds had permission to fight on this ground. He was a West Pointer and had been an officer at Fort Sumter, and was said to have fired the first shot of the war. He worked to reinforce and expand the Union line. By now O. O. Howard's XI Corps was arriving. This corps was primarily composed of German immigrants, and they had been routed by Jackson's flank attack at Chancellorsville. The rest of the army disliked them for this debacle, and they disliked their commander, the "Christian General," because he had replaced their hero, Franz Sigel. When Howard arrived he was the senior officer on the field, so he took control of the battle. He placed his corps to the right of the I, curving to the right north of town.

Ewell arrives

More Confederates were arriving as well. Ewell's corps was joining Hill's at Gettysburg. He, like Hill, had been told to avoid a general engagement. He deployed his men opposite the right of the I Corps. When Ewell and Rodes, Ewell's division commander on the field, saw the XI Corps they thought they were about to be attack, so they decided to strike first. On their orders, the Confederate forces moved forward against the Federals with varying success. Alfred Inverson commanded one of Rodes' brigades. Inverson was a Georgian, but his troops were from North Carolina and they disliked him. The position Inverson had to attack proved to be difficult. There the Federal line curved inward, forming a V in which the Confederate brigade would be trapped. Also the Federals were under cover, so they could not be seen. Private John Vaultier of the 88th Pennsylvania wrote of the attack:

[T]he field in front was swarming with Confederates, who came sweeping on in magnificent order, with perfect alignment, guns at right shoulder and colors to the front. [We] waited quietly for the enemy to come within range, word being passed along to aim low, and at the command a sheet of flame and smoke burst from the wall with the simultaneous crash of the rifles, flaring full in the faces of the advancing troops, the ground being quickly covered with their killed and wounded as the balls hissed and cut through the exposed line.

The Confederate line was stopped in its tracks at 50 yards and the survivors hugged the ground. Then the Federal line charged forward. The North Carolinians were dismayed and did not put up a good resistance. Hundreds surrendered or were captured and two stands of colors were captured. Inverson was blamed for this disaster. He was already unpopular with his brigade, and he was arranging support for his men rather than leading them from the front. When the campaign was over he was removed from command and sent back to Georgia to organize the militia there.

The North Carolinians advance

While Inverson's brigade was being driven back, attacks were occurring on its right and left flanks. O'Neal on the left was unsuccessful, while advancing the left regiment was flanked and retreated, and the rest of the brigade followed. Rodes sent in two reserve brigades, Daniel on the right and Ramseur on the left. Daniel's brigade was very large, but was also inexperienced. It struck the Federals hard in the area of the railroad cut, but although they fought hard, they could make no progress. Ramseur too pressed the enemy. The Federals recognized the danger of their position. They were under heavy pressure. Four commanders of Paul's brigade were killed or wounded. Finally the Federals fell back with the 16th Maine as a rear guard. The Confederates closed in on the 16th, with Ramsuer himself leading the charge. The rear guard could not stand up for long. Many men fell and many prisoners were taken. The men tore up their flag and distributed it through the regiment so it would not be captured. 77% of the regiment was killed, wounded or captured.

The Railroad Cut

After Ramseur's success Daniel continued his attacks. He was fighting Stone's Pennsylvania Brigade. Several of the Union regiments carried the name Bucktails because they carried deer tails in their hats to boast of their marksmanship. Stone's men were able to drive back Daniel's brigade. But the Yankees suffered heavily from the Confederate artillery when they got stuck in the railroad cut. In the next attack the tables were turned. Daniel was again driven back, and the Confederates suffered many casualties in the railroad cut. After this Daniel avoided the dangerous area of the railroad cut and instead sent his men to aid in Ramseur's attack. But Stone had been wounded in the fighting, and his successor pulled back the brigade, leaving 850 men behind on the field.

Attacks on the I and XI Corps

As the I Corps was being forced back, the XI Corps was also under attack. Schimmelfenning's division was placed on the left and Barlow was on the right. The third division was not put into the fighting, it was in reserve on Cemetery Hill. Facing them was Early's division, which was almost on the right flank of the XI Corps. In front was John B. Gordon's Georgia brigade of 1,200 men, followed by a second line and a third reserve line. To meet this threat to the right Barlow moved forward to what is called Barlow's Knoll. It is the only high ground in the plains north of town. He thought if the Confederates occupied this hill it would be impossible for him to maintain his position. But the move forward formed a salient in the Union line, and overextended the XI Corps. Schurz, who had taken over the corps from Howard, was considering ordering a retreat, but before he made any move Early attacked.

Gordon

Gordon moved forward at the front of the line, mounted on a black horse, inspiring his men by his martial presence. Barlow's rightmost brigade put up a good resistance to Gordon, but it was useless. They were outnumbered and flanked. They soon broke and took the rest of the division with them. Gordon later wrote:

Moving forward under heavy fire over rail and plank fences, and crossing a creek whose banks were so abrupt as to prevent a passage excepting at certain points, this brigade rushed upon the enemy with a resolution and spirit, in my opinion, rarely excelled. The enemy made a most obstinate resistance until the colors on portions of the two lines were separated by a space of less than 50 paces, when his line was broken and driven back, leaving the flank which this line had protected exposed to the fire from my brigade. An effort was here made by the enemy to change his front and check our advance, but the effort failed, and this line, too, was driven back in the greatest confusion, and with immense loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners. Among the latter was a division commander (General [F. C] Barlow), who was severely wounded.

Early's men wrecked havoc on the XI Corps. Schurz tried to form a line on the outskirts of the town, but it was put in a bad position and soon broke. The rout of the XI Corps occurred at the same time as the retreat of the 1st. Heth had attacked again. Again the Federals made a firm resistance. When the 26th North Carolina's attack stalled, their officers grabbed the flag to lead the men forward. Officer after officer fell carrying the flag, but it was picked up again and the advance continued forward. Finally Lt. Colonel Lane, the commander, grabbed the flag and drove back the Federals. In this attack 13 flag bearers fell. Every one of the 3 officers and 88 men of company F were either killed or wounded.

The Federals could not stand up to these attacks and eventually fell back. Heth made little pursuit. His division had suffered badly and was completely worn out. Heth himself was temporarily disabled, when he had been struck with a mine ball in the head. He only survived because the bullet was mostly blocked by a paper stuffed in his new hat.

Gettysburg

The I and XI Union Corps retreated in a near rout through the town of Gettysburg. The streets were clogged as the Yankees struggled to get away from the pressing greybacks. Some Federals thought the battle was hopelessly lost. However, a provost guard formed on the other side of Cemetery Hill to stop the fleeing soldiers. It was there that a defense would be made. By this time Winfield Scott Hancock had arrived on the field. He was sent by Meade to take over after Reynold's death. He knew him better than Howard and had more confidence in him. Hancock worked with Howard to organize the remains of the two corps. They were down to around 7,000 men, but he still had 50 cannon and a strong position. More troops were on their way, and there would be plenty of reinforcements if they could hold out for the rest of the day.

Ewell

The Confederate high command considered an attack on Cemetery Hill. A. P. Hill said his men were too tired and the enemy was already routed. Lee gave Ewell permission to attack, but Ewell would not do it without an express order from Lee. Lee said in his report:

Without information as to its proximity, the strong position which the enemy had assumed could not be attacked without danger of exposing the four divisions present, already weakened and exhausted by a long and bloody struggle, to overwhelming numbers of fresh troops. General Ewell was, therefore, instructed to carry the hill occupied by the enemy, if he found it practicable, but to avoid a general engagement until the arrival of the other divisions of the army, which were to hasten forward.

Ultimately, Ewell did not make the attempt. Ewell did plan to occupy Culp's Hill, to the east of Cemetery Hill. A staff officer had found it unoccupied in the noon, but it was near dark before Johnson's division was sent to occupy it, and by that time the Federals had troops on that hill. There were many who, then and later, believed that if Jackson were there, he would have captured Cemetery Hill, and Ewell's indecision cost the Confederates the battle. However, the ultimate authority rested with Lee and if he believed it necessary to attack the hill, he could have ordered Ewell to do it. An attack probably should have been made, but it would not necessarily have been successful, as the defeated Federals might have been able to hold back the tired Southerners.

Gettysburg – McPherson's Ridge

The I Corps was deploying along McPherson Ridge with Cutler's brigade on the Union right and the Iron Brigade on the left. Facing Cutler was Joseph Davis's Mississippi Brigade. Davis was the nephew of president Jefferson Davis, and he advanced his men against Cutler. The Union troops were hard pressed, and eventually the three rightmost regiments were ordered to fall back. But the 147th New York did not get the order. The New Yorkers began to be surrounded by the Confederates, since the regiments next to them had retreated. However, General Wadsworth saw their plight and sent an officer to order them to retreat. With the order given they retreated at a run. The flagbearer was shot as he retreated and fell, and as the flag was a valuable symbol for the regiment, rather than leave it on the field a sergeant ripped the flag from the staff, rolled it up and carried it from the field. They had to pass through a railroad cut which went through the field, and many were shot by the Confederates as they stopped to climb the steep embankment.

The fight was also increasing in furry on the Union left. The Iron Brigade was sent into McPherson's woods against Archer's brigade. At first only the 2nd Wisconsin was sent in. The men had not been expecting a fight, so they had to load their rifles while running forward into battle. In the heavy fighting many men fell. The Yankees were soon reinforced by the rest of the Iron Brigade. They pushed through the woods and drove out the Confederates, taking those prisoner who did not retreat fast enough. Brigadier General James Archer himself was captured. His health had not been good and he did not have the strength to retreat. A private found him and brought him to the rear. He was the first general captured from the Army of Northern Virginia since Lee had taken command, a bad sign for Confederate victory in this battle.

On the right Davis's brigade pursued the rightmost regiments of Cutler's brigade. Wadsworth met this by sending in the 6th Wisconsin of the Iron Brigade, which had been held for such a need as this. The advance of the Wisconsin regiment was supported by several regiments from Cutler. Coming down on Davis's flank as they were advancing, they opened fire on the Confederates. Rufus Dawes, commanding the 6th Wisconsin, later wrote:

We were receiving a fearfully destructive fire from the hidden enemy. Men who had been shot were leaving the ranks in crowds. With the colors at the advance point, the regiment firmly and hurriedly moved forward, while the whole field behind streamed with men who had been shot,

Dawes

and who were struggling to the rear or sinking in death upon the ground. The only commands I gave, as we advanced, were, Align on the colors! Close up on the colors! Close up on the colors! The regiment was being so broken up that this order alone could hold the body together. Meanwhile the colors fell upon the ground several times but were raised again by the heroes of the color guard. Four hundred and twenty men started in the regiment from the turnpike fence, of whom about two hundred and forty reached the railroad cut. Years afterward I found the distance passed over to be one hundred and seventy-five paces. Every officer proved brave, true, and heroic in encouraging the men to breast the deadly storm, but the real impetus was the eager and determined valor of our men who carried muskets in the ranks.

There was hard fighting over the colors of the 2nd Mississippi, which had been placed out in front of the railroad cut which the Confederates occupied. The entire Confederate color guard was killed or wounded and the flag staff was splintered with many holes through the flag. Many Yankees were shot as they rushed for the flag. Finally Corporal Frank Waller killed the Confederate flag bearer and ripped it from his hands, and continued firing at the Confederates. For this action he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

When the Federals reached the Confederate line they found that the rebels had become disorganized and fled into the railroad cut. Dawes continued:

My notice that we were upon the enemy, was a general cry from our men of: Throw down your muskets! Down with your muskets! Running forward through our line of men, I found myself face to face with hundreds of rebels, whom I looked down upon in the railroad cut, which was, where I stood, four feet deep. Adjutant Brooks, equal to the emergency, quickly placed about twenty men across the cut in position to fire through it. ... I shouted: Where is the colonel of this regiment? An officer in gray, with stars on his collar, who stood among the men in the cut ... promptly handed me his sword, and his men, who still held them, threw down their muskets. ... It would have been the handsome thing to say, Keep your sword, sir, but I was new to such occasions, and when six other officers came up and handed me their swords, I took them also. I held this awkward bundle in my arms until relieved by Adjutant Brooks.

Around noon there was a lull in the fighting. Heth had expected to meet only light resistance on his move to Gettysburg, but instead he had gotten himself involved in a battle, and was loosing it. A. P. Hill and Lee had ridden to the sound of firing. Since the battle had already begun, Hill decided to deploy his entire corps. He placed them in a line which went along Herr ridge and then bent around on the left to Oak Hill. Artillery was deployed which opened fire on the Union line.

Union casualties

Gettysburg – The Battle Begins

As had been ordered by A. P. Hill the night before, the Confederate division under Harry Heth began advancing towards Gettysburg at 5:00 am. Approaching the town from the north, they encountered Union troopers from John Buford's command at 7:30 am. The rebel skirmishers pushed forward until they reached the main Union line, on McPherson's Ridge just north of town. It was clear the Confederates would need to deploy more than a few skirmishers to make it into Gettysburg. Heth deployed Archer's and Davis's brigades on Herr Ridge opposite the Union positions. They pushed towards McPherson Woods, supported by cannon fire. Their advance was slow. The Federal dismounted cavalry carried breechloading carbines which could be reloaded much faster than the rifles the infantry carried, but the Union line was much thinner. They grudgingly gave ground, slowly retiring. They held off the Confederate advance for two hours. As Archer's brigade crested the hill, thinking that they were finally really driving the Union cavalry, the sighted a line of Federal infantry. Reynold's I Corps had arrived.

John Reynolds of Pennsylvania was a gallant officer with battlefield experience and one of the most skilled generals in the army. His men had begun their march that morning. They didn't know they were going into a serious battle, they thought they were just there to support Buford in a cavalry skirmish. At the head of the First Corps were some of the best troops in the Army of the Potomac, including the Iron Brigade, known for their black Hardee Hats and hard fighting proven on many fields. When Reynolds arrived in Gettysburg ahead of his troops he was informed of the situation. Knowing that his friend Meade would be willing to fight Lee, he decided to hold the high ground north of Gettysburg. If necessary he could fall back to Cemetery Hill, a strong position just south of town. He told Buford to hold on until his infantry arrived to take over, and sent an order to O. O. Howard to move his 11th Corps to Gettysburg.

Reynolds

As the Iron Brigade was deploying between 10 and 11 am Reynolds sat on his horse near the front lines, encouraging his men to advance and drive the rebels out of the woods. As he looked behind him towards the seminary to look for more troops, he was struck in the back of the head by a Mine Ball. He fell to the ground, dead. The highest ranking Union general on the field had fallen. Abner Doubleday assumed command of the I Corps.

Battle of Brandy Station

In Virginia, 150 years ago, Robert E. Lee was maneuvering his Army of Northern Virginia in preparation for the invasion of the North that would culminate of Gettysburg. His infantry had broken contact with the Union forces on June 3^rd and moved northwest, leaving skirmishers from A. P. Hill and the cavalry under J. E. B. Stuart to cover the movement. Stuart's 9,000 troopers were in high spirits. They had amazed onlookers on June 5^th and 8^th at Grand Reviews, complete with mock charges against artillery.

General Pleasonton on horseback

But Lee wanted his cavalry to do more than please spectators. He ordered them to move across the Rappahannock River and raid the Federal lines to screen his movements. Stuart was not the only one with orders to move on June 9^th. Federal commander Joe Hooker ordered Alfred Pleasonton to take his 11,000 men across the river and foil any movements that Stuart might be planning.

Although both forces were scheduled to move in the morning of June 9^th, the Federals began much earlier. At 4:30 am they rode across the river, surprising the few Confederate pickets. Two Federal columns soon set off toward what they assumed was Stuart's position. The surprised Confederate cavalry gathered quickly and began fighting back one of the columns. The Union troopers were surprised at the sudden resistance, as they had not expected to meet any Confederate in that area. The southerners had advanced closer to the river the day before so they could make a quick start on their raid.

The Confederates holding back the Union advance were soon surprised by seeing Federal cavalry in their rear. The other Federal column had found an unguarded road and were able to ride right towards Fleetwood Hill, Stuart's headquarters for the previous night. It was directly in the rear of the Confederate lines, held only by one cannon which had been left behind for lack of ammunition. In this crisis, Major Henry McClellan of Stuart's staff ordered the gun crew into action and sent word of the developments to Stuart. This solitary cannon brought the Federals to a halt and delayed them until Confederate reinforcements could be brought up to strengthen the hill.

The battle continued to rage back and forth through the day with charges and counter charges across the fields. After ten hours the Federals finally called off the fight. The Battle of Brandy Station was the largest cavalry battle of the war. Although Stuart had maintained his position, he had been surprised and greatly embarrassed. The Federals claimed victory because they fulfilled the letter of their orders, although they did not hold the field. In the larger scheme of things the battle was very important for the Federal cavalry. For the first time during the war they had stood up to the rebel troopers and fought them, horse to horse. Up to this point Stuart had literally rode circles around them. Now they had proved to themselves that they were nearly equal to the famed rebel cavalry. As Major McClellan said:

[Brandy Station] made the Federal cavalry. Up to that time confessedly inferior to the Southern horsemen, they gained on this day that confidence in themselves and in their commanders which enable them to contest so fiercely the subsequent battle-fields ...

This confidence would serve them very well in the coming campaign.