The Princeton union., 1896-08-27

! / ] ] J
ag EG}D ents The battle
# (f:Wa ~ of Brandy Sta
Z 1eags- ~ ss=-kSSSss tion, Va, called
Ssae7zzI-N Fleetwood by the
lcsyRLn& h Confe d ates,
5s'',.11t!ll ~ IlSA was the first and
HN GAS~IISS = at the same time
aa one of the great
/oX est cavalry COM
bats of the war.
q participan On the southern side, Colo
mel John Esten Cooke. described it as
5"stand up fight" between 30, 900 horse
men. Colonel Cooke was "a writer Of
ability. He served on the staff Of Gen
seral J. b. B. Stuart, the southern leader
on that field, and had peculiar oppor-
tuhities for observing the details of that
noted saber fight.
8 Stuart's forcewas something like s, 600 cav
airy, F" says Colonel Cooke, s'and was posted
IN front Of the fords up the Rappahannocls
above its junction with the Rapidan, opposite
the army Of General Hooker, occupying the
north bank of the stream. General W. H. F.
Lee was near. Welfords Ford on the left, and
General Hampton near Kelly's Ford, lower
down, with General Robertson little way
back toward Stevensburg and General Jones
at, Beverly Ford, directly in front. If any at
tempt was made by the enemy to cross at
these points, the intelligence would come
promptly, as the whole river was picaeted, a
fact well known to Stuart's opponents, who
rarely counted on finding him unprepared.
The only promise of success seemed to be a
direct attack by crossing in his front with a
sufficient force to drive him i1l and this plan
was adopted. If it succeeded, the end Of Gen
eral Hooker would be attained-ianely, to
discover what force Of Lees infantry was be-
hind, toward Culpepers Court House.
For this hard work the Federal command
er employed his whole cavalry corps under
General Pleasonton, consisting of two divisions
under Buford and Gregg. The successful cross
ing was made about daylight on the 9Th of
June, (1863) Buford commanding the col
umn at Beverly Ford, which was the center of
the Confederate line and General Gregg that
at Kelly's Ford below. Having been present
during this action in the capacity of a staff
officer, which is favorable to free movement,
I witnessed detached incidents of the day,
and some of these are here described as the
best Illustrations of this peculiar engagement.
1t impressed me as an excellent instance Of a
pure cavalry fight, saber to saber, all day long
between adyersaries left to themselves, with
the infantry on both sides looking on as spec
tators merely. The columns were also handled
with admirable ability and promptness. The
fortunes of the day were shifting, and some Of
the situations were novel, even to the old sol
dierS engaged.
"As soon as Stuart was notified that the
Federal cavalry were crossing the RaDpahan-
mock in force he hastened to the front in the
direction of Beverly Ford. His headquarters
at the time were a range of hills extending
nearly northward from the Rapidan, east of
Culpeper Court House, and the exact locality
was known as Fleetwood, from a neighboring
country seat. This range commanded a level
country toward the Rappahannocl1, and force
aG1C9 Eof tnifl
the position or turn it. General Jones' force
at Beverly Ford, in front, guarded against
direct attack, and the forces above and below,
it was supposed, would be able to prevent the
range from being turned. It will be seen that
the lower route was not sufficiently guarded
by Hampton, and a flank movement nearly to
Culpeper was accomplished by the enemy.
"The engagement at Beverly Ford, which
was in full progress when we arrived, struck
me as a very confused affair. The ground was
wooded and unfavorable for the movements of
cavalry, and General Buferd had not advanced
beyond the line Of woods, in front of which
was clear ground. General Jones nearly lost a
part of his artillery from the rapidity of the
Federals crossing, but the pieces had been
brought out safely and were posted in the
open field, firing steadily. The woods conceal
ed the fight going on between Jones and Bu-
ford, but as Buford'S column did not push on
it seemed either that it was not strong enough
OF that Pleasonton was waiting to hear from
Gregg's force, sent to cross at Kelly's Ford.
The action, at all events, remained stationary,
and Stuart sent the commands of ". II. r.
Lee and Hampton to the support of Jones.
These forces advanced in solid column across
| an open field toward the river, presenting a
martial appearance in the June sunshine, and
as soon as they became engaged the shouts,
cheers and ring of carbines redoubled.
t1sIt seemed as though the action was going
to consist, first to last, of an attempt to force
J77--
House, and that no embarrassing side issues
connected with Kelly's or other crossings
would be mixed up with it, This was soon
found to be delusive expectation. A strong
Federal column had already crossed at Kelly IS
Ford and was galloping on to get in Stuarts
rear. He was wholly unaware of the fact, and
as it came to my knowledge and / first report
ed 1t to him I will state the circumstances.
/ The threatened position was unoccupied except
by a battery or section of horse artillery
placed there as reserve, and was about to
return to Stuart when observed a cavalry col
| umn with artillery moving in the direction of
Brandy Station, point precisely in the Con-
federate rear. AS I was talking to an officer
at the moment I called his attention to this
force and asked what it belonged to, but he
was as much puzzled as myself. This puzzle
was soon decided. The strange column halted
on the edge Of the woods, a gun was run out,
white puff Of smoke followed, and a shell
lery. They are Yankees, exclaimed my COM
panion. AS that fact was plain, went to Stu
art to inform him of it. His reply was care
less and indicated that he attached no impor-
tance to the intelligence, probably from con-
viction that the real struggle was in front.
The fighting in the woods there was in full
progress, with carbine, saber and artillery.
ssWhen informed Stuart that the enemy
was in bis rear and advancing on Brandy Sta
tion, he said You must be mistaken. It must
be Wickham. AS the shell fred at the horse
artillery was conclusive, however, Stuart said,
with q careless air: We'll, reckon it is only a
Squadron. Go back and get the first regiment
you can, charge the artillery and bag it. This
struck me as rather a jocose way of treating
the subject of so heavy column having att
tanned his rear, but as a soldiers duty is to
obey Iwent back at once, and, finding on the
way a regiment moving to the front, turned
it back toward the hill. As there was no time
to lose, the regiment mounted the slope at a
trqt leaping the gullies Of red clay, and was
A. ~g