A MAJOR GENERAL: CAMP LIFE AND THE SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS
1862
As a reward for his faithful and efficient services in the Peninsular
Campaign, Stuart received his commission as major general of cavalry on
July 25, 1862. His forces were now organized into two brigades, with
Brigadier-General Wade Hampton in command of the first and
Brigadier-General Fitzhugh Lee in command of the second. During the
month following the defeat of McClellan, these two brigades were placed
by turns on picket duty on the Charles City road to guard Richmond and
in the camp of instruction at Hanover Courthouse.
While conducting this camp of instruction where he drilled his men in
the cavalry tactics that were later to win them such honor, Stuart and
his staff were often pleasantly entertained at neighboring plantations.
Mrs. Stuart with her two little children, Flora, five years of age, and
“Jimmy,” aged two, was able to be near the general once more. The time
passed pleasantly, enlivened by cavalry drills, visits from the young
officers to the ladies of the vicinity, serenades and dances, and visits
from the ladies to the general’s headquarters.
One Sunday evening as the general and most of his staff were visiting at
Dundee, the plantation near which their camp was situated, a stable in
the yard caught fire and the visitors proved themselves as good firemen
as they were soldiers. The young Prussian officer, Von Borcke, an
unusually large and heavily-built man, was so energetic in his efforts,
that after the fire was out, the general, who was always fond of a joke,
insisted that he had seen the young officer rush from the burning
building with a mule under one arm and two little pigs under the other.
Stuart was soon called away from this pleasant life to make an
inspection of all the Confederate cavalry forces. It was evident that
General Lee’s army would soon be engaged against a new Federal
commander, General Pope, who was concentrating a large army on the
Rapidan river. General Jackson, who had been sent to hold General Pope
in check, had his headquarters at Gordonsville.
Major Von Borcke tells us that the cars carrying the Confederate troops
to Gordonsville were so crowded that General Stuart rode on the tender
of the engine, rather than take a seat away from one of the soldiers. It
was a hot night in July and there was a dense smoke from the engine, but
it was so dark that it was not until they reached Gordonsville that the
general discovered that both Von Borcke and himself were so black with
soot that their best friends would not have recognized them. Indeed, it
took a great deal of soap and water to make them presentable once more.
Stuart reached Jackson’s headquarters on August 10, the day after the
Federal advance guard had been defeated in the battle of Cedar Run. At
Jackson’s request, Stuart took command of a reconnaissance to find out
the position and strength of the enemy. Upon hearing his report, Jackson
decided to remain for the present on the defensive.
In the meantime, General Lee, who was watching General McClellan’s army
still encamped at Harrison’s Landing, received information that the
latter had been ordered to withdraw his forces and join General Pope at
Manassas.
Leaving a small force in front of Richmond, Lee hastened to join Jackson
so that they could engage Pope before his already large army was
reenforced by McClellan. The cavalry was kept very busy at this time as
it was necessary to defend the Central Road, now the Chesapeake and
Ohio, from Federal raids.
On the night of August 17, Stuart himself barely escaped capture. He
wrote an interesting account of this adventure to his wife, and Mrs.
Stuart has kindly allowed us to use the letter in this book. Here it is:
Rapidan Valley, August 19, 1862.
My Dear Wife—I had a very narrow escape yesterday morning. I had made
arrangement for Lee’s Brigade to move across from Davenport’s bridge
to Raccoon ford where I was to meet it, but Lee went by Louisa Court
House. His dispatch informing me of the fact did not reach me,
consequently I went down the Plank road to the place of rendezvous.
Hearing nothing of him, I stopped for the night and sent Major
Fitzhugh with a guide across to meet General Lee. At sunrise yesterday
a large body of cavalry from the very direction from which Lee was
expected, approached crossing the Plank road just below me and going
directly towards Raccoon ford. Of course I thought it was Lee—as no
Yankees had been seen about for a month, but as a measure of prudence
I sent down two men to ascertain. They had not gone 100 yards before
they were fired on and pursued rapidly by a squadron.
[Illustration: FACSIMILE OF PAGE OF LETTER FROM GENERAL STUART TO HIS
WIFE]
I was in the yard bareheaded, my hat being in the porch. I just had
time to mount my horse and clear the back fence, having no time to get
my hat or anything else. I lost my haversack, blanket, talma, cloak,
and _hat_, with that _palmetto star_—too bad, wasn’t it? I am all
right again, however, and I am greeted, on all sides with
congratulations and “_where’s your hat!_” I intend to make the Yankees
pay for that hat.
Poor Fitzhugh was not so fortunate. He was captured four miles off
under similar circumstances, with his fine grey. He will be exchanged
in ten days, however. Von Borcke and Dabney were with me (five
altogether) and their escape was equally miraculous. Dundee is the
best place for you at present. We will have hot work I think
to-morrow. My cavalry has an important part to play.
Love to all, my two sweethearts included.
God bless you.
J. E. B. Stuart.
A few days later, as you will hear, General Stuart collected payment for
his lost hat from General Pope himself. But before this took place, the
Confederate cavalry was engaged in several skirmishes with the Federals.
There was a severe encounter at Brandy Station on August 20 when
sixty-five prisoners were captured. The regiments which had fought under
Ashby, a gallant young officer who had been killed in the Valley, were
now added to Stuart’s division as Robertson’s Brigade. At Brandy
Station, these troopers fought under Stuart for the first time and he
was much pleased at their dash and bravery.
While Lee, who had now joined Jackson, was waiting a favorable
opportunity to attack the Federals, Stuart begged permission to pass to
the rear of Pope’s army and cut his line of communication at Catlett’s
Station where there was a large depot of supplies. General Lee gave his
consent, and on the morning of August 22, General Stuart crossed the
Rappahannock at Waterloo Bridge, to make a second raid to the rear of
the Federal army.
By nightfall the Confederates reached Auburn near Catlett’s Station,
where they captured the Federal pickets. Just as they reached the
station, however, a violent storm arose; and amid the wind and the rain
and the darkness, it seemed impossible to find their way. Fortunately,
they captured a negro who knew Stuart and who offered to show them the
way to Pope’s headquarters. They accepted his guidance and soon the
Confederate cavalry surprised the unsuspecting enemy, attacked the camp,
and captured a number of officers belonging to Pope’s staff, as well as
his horses, baggage, a large sum of money, and his dispatch book which
contained copies of the letters he had written to the government,
telling the location and plans of his army. But for the fact that
General Pope was out on a tour of inspection, he himself would have been
captured.
[Illustration: From a war-time sketch by
Harper’s Artist
CATLETT’S STATION
_Catlett’s Station where Stuart made a raid and captured Pope’s baggage,
Au-R. Ward_]
In the meantime, two of Stuart’s regiments had gained another part of
the camp, and an attempt was made to destroy the railroad bridge over
Cedar Run. But on account of the heavy rain it was impossible to fire
it, and, in the dense darkness, it was equally hard to cut asunder the
heavy timbers with the few axes which they found. Therefore, with more
than three hundred prisoners and valuable spoils, Stuart retired before
daybreak and regained in safety the Confederate lines.
Major Von Borcke gives an interesting incident of their return march. As
the troops—wet, cold, and hungry—passed through Warrenton, coffee was
served them by a number of young girls. One of the girls recognized
among the prisoners General Pope’s quartermaster. He had boasted several
days before, when at her father’s house, that he would enter Richmond
within a month. She had promptly bet him a bottle of wine that he would
not be able to do it, but as he was now a prisoner he would be obliged
to enter the city even earlier than he had hoped. She, therefore, asked
General Stuart’s permission to offer the quartermaster a bottle of wine
from his own captured supplies. The general readily granted her request,
and the Yankee prisoner entered good-naturedly into the jest, saying
that he would always be willing to drink the health of so charming a
person.
In retaliation for the loss of his hat and cloak, General Stuart sent
General Pope’s uniform to Richmond where for some days it hung in one of
the shop windows, to the delight of the populace who especially disliked
Pope on account of his bombast and cruelty. He had boasted that he had
come from the West where his soldiers always saw the backs of their
enemies, and he had authorized his soldiers to take whatever they wished
from the citizens of Virginia, whom he held responsible for damage done
by raiding parties of the Confederate army.
Two weeks later, General Stuart wrote his wife that Parson Landstreet, a
member of his staff who had been captured by the Federals, brought him a
message from General Pope. Pope said that he would send back Stuart’s
hat if Stuart would return his coat.
“But,” wrote Stuart, “I have got to see my hat first.”
It was against General Pope that the second Battle of Manassas was
fought, August 28, 29, and 30, 1862. General Stuart and his cavalry in
the maneuvers preceding the battle, screened the flank march of
Jackson’s troops to Grovetown, by which movement they placed themselves
between the Federal rear and Washington. It took two days for Jackson’s
“foot cavalry” to make this march, and so perfectly did Stuart do his
work that as late as August 28, Pope did not know to what place Jackson
had marched from Manassas.
In the three days’ battle that followed, the cavalry was ever on the
flank of the army, observing the Federals and guarding against attacks.
On the morning of August 29, after a sharp skirmish, Stuart met Lee and
Longstreet and opened the way for them to advance to the support of
Jackson whose forces on the right wing were engaged in unequal and
critical combat. Later on the same day, Stuart saw that the Federals
were massing in front of Jackson, and with a small detachment of cavalry
aided by Pelham and his guns, he gallantly held large forces in check
and protected Jackson’s captured wagon train of supplies. On the
afternoon of August 30, the cavalry did most effectual service,
following the retreating Federals and protecting the exposed Confederate
flank against heavy cavalry attacks. During the engagements, the
Confederate infantry could not have held its position but for the
assistance of the cavalry under the able direction of Stuart.
In these battles, Pope had forces largely superior in number and
equipment to Lee’s, but Pope’s losses in killed and wounded were much
the heavier. Finally he was forced to retreat toward Washington, leaving
in the hands of the Confederates many prisoners as well as captured
artillery, arms, and a large amount of stores. The North seemed
panic-stricken, as Washington was now directly exposed to the attacks of
the Confederates.