page_title: Ira W. Claflin
section_title: Battle of Fairfield
hierarchical_section_title: Ira W. Claflin / Military service / Peninsula Campaign / Gettysburg Campaign / Battle of Fairfield
caption_attribution_description: English: United States Crossed Cavalry Sabers, paint shop modified from hand drawn color sketch.
context_page_description: Ira Wallace Claflin was a United States Army West Point regular officer who took command of the 6th US Cavalry during the critical days of July 1863 during the Gettysburg Campaign. He was an instructor of Union cavalry tactics for West Virginia and later taught at West Point.
context_section_description: On July 3, 1863, reports of a slow moving Confederate wagon train in the vicinity of Fairfield, Pennsylvania, attracted the attention of newly commissioned Union Brigadier General Wesley Merritt of the Reserve Brigade, First Division, Cavalry Corps. He ordered the 6th U.S. Cavalry under Major Samuel H. Starr to scout Fairfield and locate the wagons, resulting in the Battle of Fairfield. Claflin was at the Cavalry headquarters as the regimental commissary officer at that time.  The following events would lead to his commanding of the regiment.
  Major Starr, the regimental commander, on July 3, 1863, was east of Fairfield when he made contact with the enemy. Starr had his 400 troopers dismount in a field and an orchard on both sides of the road. Union troopers directed by their officers took up hasty defensive positions on this slight ridge. Under the command of Major Starr Carpenter with H troop Nolan on a flanking move with Company C and the others threw back a mounted charge of the 7th Virginia Cavalry, just as the Confederate Chew's Battery unlimbered and opened fire on the Federal cavalrymen. Supported by the 6th Virginia Cavalry, the 7th Virginia charged again, clearing Starr's force off the ridge and inflicting heavy losses. General "Grumble" Jones, outnumbering the Union forces by more than 2 to 1, pursued the retreating Federals for three miles to the Fairfield Gap, but was unable to eliminate his quarry. Major Starr, who was wounded in the first attack, was unable to escape and was captured. Small groups of the 6th Cavalry "... reformed several miles from the field of action by Lt. Louis H. Carpenter", harassed the Virginia troopers, giving the impression of the vanguard of a much larger force. Carpenter then became the acting executive officer of the regiment, with Captain Claflin as commanding officer.
  The 6th Cavalry's stand at Fairfield stood against two of the crack brigades of Stuart's cavalry. was considered one of the most gallant in its history and helped influence the outcome the battles being fought around Gettysburg. While the 6th Cavalry regiment was cut to pieces, it fought so well that its squadrons were regarded as the advance of a large body of troops. The senior officer of those Confederate brigades was later criticized severely for being delayed by such an inferior force. Had the 6th Cavalry regiment not made their stand, the two brigades of Virginians could have caused serious problems to the Union rear areas. The decimated regiment of only about 200 troopers with only three officers was now commanded by Captain Claflin.
caption: United States Cavalry branch insignia
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