Battle of Trevilian Station The Battle of Trevilian Station ( also called Trevilians ) was fought on June 11 – 12 , 1864 , in Union Lt . Gen . Ulysses S . Grant ' s Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen . Robert E . Lee ' s Army of Northern Virginia . Union cavalry under Maj . Gen . Philip Sheridan fought against Confederate cavalry under Maj . Gens . Wade Hampton and Fitzhugh Lee in the bloodiest and largest all - cavalry battle of the war . Sheridan ' s objectives for his raid were to destroy stretches of the Virginia Central Railroad , provide a diversion that would occupy Confederate cavalry from understanding Grant ' s planned crossing of the James River , and to link up with the army of Maj . Gen . David Hunter at Charlottesville . Hampton ' s cavalry beat Sheridan to the railroad at Trevilian Station and on June 11 they fought to a standstill . Brig . Gen . George A . Custer entered the Confederate rear area and captured Hampton ' s supply train , but soon became surrounded and fought desperately to avoid destruction . On June 12 , the cavalry forces clashed again to the northwest of Trevilian Station , and seven assaults by Brig . Gen . Alfred T . A . Torbert ' s Union division were repulsed with heavy losses . Sheridan withdrew his force to rejoin Grant ' s army . The battle was a tactical victory for the Confederates and Sheridan failed to achieve his goal of permanently destroying the Virginia Central Railroad or of linking up with Hunter . Background . Following the bloody Union repulse at the Battle of Cold Harbor on June 3 , Grant decided on a new strategy . Since May 4 , his Overland Campaign had consisted of major battles against Robert E . Lee , each of which ( the Wilderness , Spotsylvania Court House , North Anna , Totopotomoy Creek , and Cold Harbor ) was followed by a period of stalemate and then a maneuver around Lee ' s right flank in an attempt to draw him away from his entrenchments and into the open . Each maneuver brought the armies closer to the Confederate capital of Richmond , but the city was not the main objective — the destruction of Lee ' s army was the goal established by Grant and President Abraham Lincoln , with the understanding that Richmond and the Confederacy would fall if Lee were defeated . Grant ' s new strategy was to march his 100 , 000 - man army to the south , cross the James River , and seize the rail hub of Petersburg . This would cut off the supply lines to both Richmond and Lee , forcing the evacuation of the capital , and probably inducing Lee to attack Grant ' s army in a manner favorable to Grant ' s superior numbers and firepower . His plan required secrecy because his army would be vulnerable if intercepted while crossing the river and he sought to reach Petersburg before the city ' s defenses could be enhanced beyond the token force that was currently there . Therefore , on June 5 Grant ordered a cavalry raid by the command of Maj . Gen . Philip Sheridan northwest toward Charlottesville . The raid had two initial objectives . First , Sheridan would draw the Confederate cavalry away from Grant ' s main army so his infantry corps could stealthily disengage from Lee ' s army at Cold Harbor and move toward the James . Second , the Union cavalrymen would tear up the Virginia Central towards Richmond , cutting off Lee ' s army from the much needed food supplies produced by the Shenandoah Valley . Sheridan was ordered to destroy the railroad bridge on the Rivanna River , just east of Charlottesville , and destroy the tracks from there to Gordonsville . Then , his men would turn back and destroy the track all the way to Hanover Junction , near Richmond . Just after Grant issued the orders to Sheridan he learned of Maj . Gen . David Hunter ' s Union victory at the Battle of Piedmont in the Shenandoah Valley against Brig . Gen . William E . " Grumble " Jones . He saw the opportunity that Hunter could travel east from Staunton to meet Sheridan at Charlottesville so that they could be a combined threat to Lee ' s army from the west . Grant modified his orders , telling Sheridan to wait for Hunter near Charlottesville , and then detach a brigade to cut the James River Canal . Opposing forces . Union . The Cavalry Corps of the Union Army of the Potomac , commanded by Maj . Gen . Philip H . Sheridan , began its raid with two of its three divisions , 9 , 286 men , organized as follows : Sheridan ' s Third Cavalry Division , commanded by Brig . Gen . James H . Wilson , remained at Cold Harbor with the Army of the Potomac , under the supervision of army commander Maj . Gen . George G . Meade . It accompanied the army on its march to Petersburg . Sheridan left behind with Wilson the men from his other two divisions who did not have mounts . Confederate . The Cavalry Corps of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia was without a formal commander , following the death of Maj . Gen . J . E . B . Stuart in May . The senior cavalry commander opposing Sheridan ' s force was Maj . Gen . Wade Hampton . ( Hampton was named the formal commander of the Cavalry Corps on August 11 , 1864 . ) Hampton ' s command consisted of 6 , 762 men , organized as follows : The rest of the Cavalry Corps — Rooney Lee ' s Division , commanded by Maj . Gen . W . H . F . " Rooney " Lee ( Robert E . Lee ' s son ) , an independent cavalry command under Brig . Gen . Martin Gary , and the bulk of the horse artillery — remained with the army during Sheridan ' s raid . Start of Sheridan ' s raid . Sheridan and his two cavalry divisions left their camps north of Cold Harbor at 5 a . m . on June 7 . They crossed a pontoon bridge at New Castle over the Pamunkey River and headed northwest , with Gregg ' s division in the lead , Torbert ' s following . The weather was hot and enormous clouds of dust billowed over the march . On the first day , the column was able to march only about 15 miles . Numerous horses collapsed under the strain , and following the convention Sheridan used in his May raid to Yellow Tavern and Richmond , they were shot and left at the side of the road . Although there were 125 wagons following Sheridan ' s column , the men were issued only three days ' rations and were expected to feed themselves and their horses along the way ; dismounted foraging parties spread out along the route . On the second day , with Torbert ' s division in the lead , the Federals made better progress , covering the 25 miles to Pole Cat Station on the Richmond , Fredericksburg , and Potomac Railroad . The Union column was plagued not only by the heat and humidity of the Virginia summer ; skirmishing with irregular mounted raiding parties delayed the advance . Confederate scouts passed word of Sheridan ' s movements to Hampton on the morning of June 8 . He correctly guessed that the Union targets were the railroad junctions at Gordonsville and Charlottesville , and knew that he would have to move quickly to block the threat . He ordered his own division to assemble at 2 a . m . on June 9 and directed Fitzhugh Lee to follow them as rapidly as possible . Although the Federals had a two - day head start , the Confederates had the advantage of a shorter route ( about 45 miles versus 65 ) and terrain that was more familiar to them . On June 9 , the first anniversary of the Battle of Brandy Station , they walked at a slow , deliberate pace , covering nearly 30 miles through Yellow Tavern , up the Telegraph Road , and then following the route of the Virginia Central Railroad to Bumpass and Fredericks Hall Stations . By the evening of June 10 , both forces had converged around Trevilian Station , named for Charles Goodall Trevilian , who owned a plantation house near the station . The Confederates camped in four locations immediately south of the Virginia Central on the Gordonsville Road , from just west of Trevilian Station east to Louisa Court House . The Federals had crossed over the North Anna River at Carpenters Ford and camped at locations around Clayton ' s Store . Battle . June 11 , 1864 . At dawn on June 11 , Hampton was awakened by Rosser and Butler to the sound of bugles stirring the enemy . The two Confederate brigade commanders had already roused their men . Rosser asked , " General , what do you propose to do today , if I may inquire ? " Hampton replied , " I propose to fight ! " Hampton surmised that Sheridan ' s force would approach the railroad from the direction of Clayton ' s Store and he knew that there were two roads leading south from that crossroads location , both through thick woods . One road led to Trevilian Station and the other to Louisa Court House . Hampton devised a plan in which he would split his divisions across the roads and converge on the enemy at the crossroads , pushing Sheridan back to the North Anna River . Hampton took two of his brigades ( Butler ' s and Wright ' s ) with him from Trevilian with his third ( Rosser ' s ) remaining on his left to prevent flanking . The other division under Fitzhugh Lee was ordered to advance from Louisa Court House , making up the right flank . While the Confederates began their advance , Sheridan started his . Torbert ' s brigades under Merritt and Devin moved down the road to Trevilian Station while his third , Custer ' s , advanced toward Louisa Court House . The first contact occurred on the Trevilian Road as the 4th South Carolina Cavalry of Butler ' s Brigade clashed with Merritt ' s skirmish line . Hampton dismounted his men and pushed the skirmishers back into the thick woods , expecting Fitzhugh Lee to arrive on his right at any minute . However , Hampton was severely outnumbered and soon he was forced back . Eventually Wright ' s Brigade joined in the close - quarter fighting in the thick brush , but after several hours they also were pushed back within sight of Trevilian Station . Some of Hampton ' s staff officers grumbled that Fitz Lee had not come to Hampton ' s aid as expected because of his unwillingness to support any superior officer other than J . E . B . Stuart . On the right flank , Fitzhugh Lee encountered the advancing brigade under Custer . Wickham ' s Brigade fought briefly with the 1st and 7th Michigan Cavalry and then withdrew . Lee led Lomax ' s Brigade directly toward Trevilian Station and Wickham came up through Louisa Court House on their rear . Meanwhile Custer led his brigade on a more direct road southwest to Trevilian Station . Custer found the station totally unguarded , occupied only by Hampton ' s trains — supply wagons , caissons containing ammunition and food , and hundreds of horses . He ordered the 5th Michigan Cavalry to charge and capture the lot , which they did with enthusiasm . The Michiganders captured 800 prisoners , 90 wagons , six artillery caissons , and 1 , 500 horses , but left Custer cut off from Sheridan , and in their pursuit of the fleeing wagons , lost a number of their own men and much of their bounty . One of Wright ' s regiments , the 7th Georgia , got between Custer ' s force and Trevilian Station . Custer ordered the 7th Michigan to charge , driving the Georgians back . Hampton now learned of the threat in his rear area and withdrew Rosser ' s Brigade from protecting his left flank and sent them to the station , converging with Lee ' s approach from Louisa Court House and with Wright ' s and Butler ' s brigades . Suddenly Custer found his luck had run out as he was pressured from three sides at the station . He pulled out and headed along the Gordonsville Road , taking his burdensome spoils with him . However , he failed to note a Confederate horse artillery battery on a hill north of the station , which opened fire as soon as his men were in range . At this point his right flank was further overwhelmed by Hampton ' s charging brigades . Custer was now virtually surrounded , his command in an ever shrinking circle , as every side was charged and hit with shells . Historian Eric J . Wittenberg described the general ' s predicament as " Custer ' s First Last Stand " , foreshadowing his famous demise at the Battle of Little Bighorn . Custer , suspecting that his command would soon be overrun and concerned that his flag would be captured , tore it from its staff when the flag - bearer was hit and hid it within his coat . Sheridan at this point heard the firing from Custer ' s direction and realized he needed help . He charged with Devin ' s and Merritt ' s brigades , pushing Hampton ' s men back all the way to the station , while Gregg ' s brigade was ordered to swing into Fitzhugh Lee ' s exposed right flank , thus pushing him back . Hampton fell back to the west , Lee to the east , and the battle ended for the day with the Federals in possession of Trevilian Station . Custer ' s brigade had suffered 361 casualties , including more than one half of the 5th Michigan . When Sheridan asked Custer if he had lost his colors , he pulled them from his coat and exclaimed , " Not by a damned sight ! " That night , Fitzhugh Lee maneuvered south to link up with Hampton to the west of Trevilian Station . Sheridan learned that General Hunter was not headed for Charlottesville as originally planned , but to Lynchburg . He also received intelligence that Confederate Maj . Gen . John C . Breckinridge ' s infantry had been sighted near Waynesboro , effectively blocking any chance for further advance , so he decided to abandon his raid and return to the main army at Cold Harbor . June 12 , 1864 . On June 12 , as the Union cavalry prepared to withdraw , Gregg ' s division destroyed Trevilian Station , several railcars , and about a mile of track to the east of the station , while Torbert ' s division tore up track to the west . Concerned about the Confederates hovering near his flank , at about 3 p . m . Sheridan sent Torbert ' s three brigades , supported by Davies ' s brigade of Gregg ' s division , on a reconnaissance west on the Gordonsville and Charlottesville roads . They found Hampton ' s entire force in an L - shaped line behind some log breastworks at the Ogg and Gentry farms , two miles northwest of Trevilian . Torbert launched seven assaults against the apex and shorter leg of the " L " , but his brigades were repulsed with heavy losses . Fitzhugh Lee detached his division from the line and his brigades under Wickham and Lomax swung around to hit the Union right flank with a strong counterattack . The battle ended about 10 p . m . , with both sides remaining in place . Late in the night , however , Torbert withdrew . Sheridan , burdened with many wounded men , disproportionately from Custer ' s brigade , about 500 prisoners , and a shortage of ammunition , decided to withdraw . He planned a leisurely march back to Cold Harbor , knowing that Hampton would be obliged to follow and would be kept occupied for days , unavailable in that time to Robert E . Lee . Aftermath . The results of the Battle of Trevilian Station were mixed . Union casualties were 1 , 007 ( 102 killed , 470 wounded , and 435 missing or captured ) . Confederate losses were reported as 612 , but this includes the losses from only Hampton ' s Division and 831 is a better total estimate . It was the bloodiest and largest all - cavalry engagement during the war . Sheridan maintained that the battle was a Union victory . In 1866 , he wrote , " The result was constant success and the almost total annihilation of the rebel cavalry . We marched when and where we pleased ; were always the attacking party , and always successful . " Ulysses S . Grant ' s personal memoirs agreed with the sentiment and many of Sheridan ' s biographers accept his claim . As a diversion , it can be considered a partial success for the Union ; it was not until Grant began attacking the weak forces at Petersburg that General Lee finally understood that the Union Army had maneuvered away from him and crossed the James River . However , Sheridan failed in two important objectives . He was unable to permanently disrupt the Virginia Central Railroad because within two weeks the track was repaired and supplies continued to flow to General Lee ' s army . The planned rendezvous between Sheridan and Hunter failed completely . Hunter was subsequently defeated at the Battle of Lynchburg ( June 17 – 18 ) by Lt . Gen . Jubal Early in the Valley and was soon pushed back far into Maryland . Eric J . Wittenberg , the author of the modern definitive study of the battle , asserts that if Sheridan had successfully destroyed the railroad , Hunter might have succeeded in capturing Lynchburg because Early would have been forced to deal with Sheridan instead . He called the battle an " unmitigated disaster " for the Federal cavalry and stated that " nothing about the Battle of Trevilian Station can be considered to be a Union victory . "