The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-16
BRANpY,s pLoopY BArrLE.
Scene OF Six Cavalry Contests, as
Told by a Brave Trooper.

. reveals IN panoramic scenes, eveutsof the
/ Late Unpleasantuess."
BY the way. was ever more stupen-
/ dous sarcasm perpetrated in the English
I language, than denominating the struggle
. that took 100000 of the best appointed
soldiers the world ever saw four years to
/ overcome 600, 600 less favorably equipped,
as "the Late Unpleasantness2"
/ From the Alleghenies to the Chesapeake,
/ from the North Carolina line TO the Po-
/ tomac, "Old Virginia is dotted with
/ historic spots. Here the old soldier comes
/ tOrevisit the scenes ofhis former cOmbats ;
| the widow to mourn over the grave Of
/ her loved ones the father to impress upon
| his boy the spirit of patriotism, and tell
] him how jackson fought and Stuart
! charged, how Lee as a skilled swordsman
| parTied the blows and thrusts of his gil
gantic antagonist while the army of
Northern Virginia was making imperish-
able fame
! The anniversary Of to-day, 9th June
! brings fOrcibly back to mind the stirring
scenes in the Old Dominion upon whose
SCARED bosom history has punctuated pc
rIods in blood.
OF the historic spots which illustrate
the mother OF states and statesmen, Bran
| dy stands out in conspicuous prOmi-
nince. Not of the distilled juice of the
grape, or of the condensed sap of the
! peach. apple, or plum do I write, but of
the plains of Brandy" that spot made
| historic above its neighbors by reason of
| having been the scene of seven caval-
! ny engagements within fourteen months.
Like a pendulum, the two armies Oscil-
! lated over Northern Virginia, first one,
then the other in occupation of this war
worn territory; and within its limits
Brandy was one of the strategic points
Of ono on. 4lA Il
made the operations of large bodies of
cavalry practicable.
! jackson had encountered his valley
! cOmmisary, Banks, on the slopes of
! Slaughter's mountain and forced him
! from the field. Lee followed this by an
| aggressive campaign, and compelled
| Pope's retirement north of the Rapidan.
| Stuart, with the two junior Lees, pressed
! Pope's rear guard and overlook his cav
! airy near Culpepper court house.
! Thence to the RdppahannOck, battle and
| sHirmish ensued. As the country at and
around Brandy was conducive to the use
| of mounted troops, the cavalry of the two
| armies measured strength and crossed
| saOres with greater stubbornnesS there
! than at any point between Culpepper and
| the Rappahannock
! The federal horse was worsted and the
| night of Goth August, 1862, found Brandy
| in possession of Stuart and the enemy on
| the other side of the river So ended the
! first battle of Brandy.
| The rigorous winter of 1862-'63 had
! reduced the electives in horses and men
! until brigades did not number more than
! regiments. Fitz Lee picketed the upper
! Rappahannock, his brigade reporting
! but 500 present for duty.
! The federal commander informed of the
! feeblenCss of Fitz Lee, ordered Gen. Az
erell to locate him and destroy or rout
! the enemy" He took 5000 troopers on
| this expedition, leaving 500 to guard his
! rear. On the 10th of March, 1868. after a
! stubborn resistance by the picl1ets, Az
| erell finally crossed p 100 troopers and six
! guns at Kclly's Ford and forthwith began
! the object Of his mission.
He did not proceed mile on the road
! to Brandy before he discovered the OBJ
| ject OF his search, and at once assailed
! F'itz Lees depleted line. Nearly all day
| long Averel, with his eight regiments
and six guns, fought Lees reduced com
mand. But he never got quite as far as
| Brandy Station With night he with
drew to his side of the river, but he had
| failed to destroy or rout the enemy
! The army of Northern Virginia was
! called upon to mourn the loss of brave
| comrades in this engagement but none
| Drawer or more sincerely mOurned than the
! gallant Pelham" the boy major of
| kDbldIJ > AOESG artillery. IulS Guutu
what may be called the second engage
ment at Brandy.
! Charlottesville had been fought, and
! Hooker beaten back to his fortified camp.
| Lees splendid victory electrified the
! south, and his army was rapidly recruit
! ed by returned furlOughs and new enlist
| ments; so that by the latter part of May
| the commander determined upon an ag-
| gressive campaign, and began moving his
] IN, 8, r,fr 1,,11
! LOngStreet centre and Hill the rear.
! Hooker was greatly puzzled; his spy SER
| vice was not satisfactory. Other agen-
cies must be employed to know what Lee
was doing.
Stuart's division of cavalry had shared
! with the army in increase and better
ments, and toward the last of May was
augmented by the arrival of Jones' bri-
| gade from tine valley, and Robertson s
| from North Carolina. These troops had
! been satisfactorily reviewed by their di-
| vision commander Their duty was to
curtain the movements of the infantry
| from any prying and hostile eyes,
On the arrival of Gen. Lee at Culpepper
| he expressed desire to review this arm
| of the service.
! The Sth of June dawned bright and beau
| tiful, and Stuart passed his troopers in
| column Of squadrons and his horse artil-
! lery by batteries before their great COM
mander 1t was most inspiring sight as
| 1908 troopers in martial array passed on
| the plains of Brandy. 1t was alike graft
| flying TO Lee and Stuart.
| The same evening (Sth) Stuart received
| orders to move his command further
north and under these instructions the
| two junior Lees bivOuacked with their
| trains near St. James church.
The review salutes reused up the feder-
al commander; all that noise must mean
something. His suspicious were stimulat-
| ed, SO before or by dark Gen. Pleasanton
| had moved his corps of horse and two bri-
gades of infantry with wonderful secrecy
and took position at Kelly's and Bever-
! ly's fOrds, about equally dividing his
/ forces at these two points.
/ Just at the first blush of dawn, with
an impetuous rush, these two commands
dashed at and seized the fords and be-
! before sun up PIeasanton had passed all
arms of the service, horse, foot and artil-
| lery across the river. The attack was a
surprise and it is a wonder that more eff
fec uaI and immediate fruits did not ac-
crue 10 PieasIu ION. The two columns of
attack took the roads from their respec
! tive tossings, with the intention of mass
las on brandy
II was battle from dawn until shutdown
| back and forth across the plains of
Brandy charging squa0rons clashed and
| hacked At each other, Over and through