THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN
1863
Stuart did not attempt to follow Pleasanton, because Lee’s plan for the
invasion of the North would not allow the useless sacrifice of men and
horses. Indeed, all of the cavalry was needed to screen his army as it
marched through the Blue Ridge gaps into the Valley, from which point it
was to cross the Potomac into Maryland.
While Longstreet’s corps, which was the last to move from Culpeper, was
advancing to the Valley, Stuart and his cavalry had a hard time trying
to protect Ashby’s and Snicker’s gaps, through which Longstreet’s forces
would have to pass. The battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville,
severe cavalry engagements in which Stuart’s forces were slowly forced
back to the foot of the Blue Ridge, were all fought to protect these
gaps until Longstreet could pass through them on his northward march.
On June 22, General Pleasanton, who had forced General Stuart back from
Upperville to Ashby’s Gap, withdrew, and Stuart moved forward to
Rector’s Cross Roads, where he could better watch the Federal movements.
On that same day, General Ewell, who commanded the advance division of
General Lee’s army, crossed the Potomac. By June 27, Lee’s entire army
had reached Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
In the meantime, Stuart was in Virginia watching the Federals, in order
to report to Lee the moment that Hooker began to move. He wrote General
Lee that he thought he could move with some of his cavalry around
General Hooker’s rear into Maryland, thus throwing himself between the
Federals and Washington, and so probably delay Hooker’s northward
movement. General Lee wanted General Stuart and his cavalry to join
General Early and guard his flank as he marched toward York,
Pennsylvania; he thought that Stuart could reach him in this way just as
easily as by crossing at Shepherdstown where the rest of the army
crossed. Therefore, he gave Stuart permission to cross at one of the
lower fords, telling him to annoy the Federals in the rear and collect
all possible supplies for the army.
Major Von Borcke, the young Prussian officer, had been severely wounded
and Major McClellan was now Stuart’s adjutant general. He tells us that
on the night before General Stuart started, a cold drizzling rain was
falling, but the general insisted on sleeping on the ground under a
tree, because he said his men were exposed to the rain and he would not
fare better than they. He could have had more comfortable quarters on
the porch of a deserted house near by, where McClellan, by the light of
a tallow “dip,” was receiving and writing dispatches. When General Lee’s
letter, containing instructions for Stuart’s march, came, McClellan
carried it to the general, who quietly read it, and then turned to go to
sleep on his hard, cold bed.
It was by such an example as this, as well as by his bravery in battle,
that Stuart won the undying love of his soldiers. I am going to quote
for you a beautiful tribute paid him by Mosby, his chief scout, who
guided Stuart past the Federal lines on the first part of this
expedition.
Mosby says that when he went to the general for instructions before
starting, “he was in his usual gay humor. I never saw him at any time in
any other. Always buoyant in spirits, he inspired with his own high
hopes all who came in contact with him. I felt the deepest affection for
him. My chief ambition was to serve him. He was the rare combination of
the Puritan and the knight-errant,—he felt intensely the joy of battle
and he loved the praise of fair women and brave men.
“I served under him from the beginning of the war until he closed his
life, like Sidney, leading a squadron on the field of honor. Yet I do
not remember that he ever gave me an order. There was always so much
sympathy between us and I felt so much affection for him that he had
only to express a wish, that was an order for me.”
In making their plans, neither Lee nor Stuart had counted on an
immediate northward movement of the Federal army. Yet when Stuart with
three brigades passed eastward through a gap in Bull Run Mountain, he
found Hooker’s army already moving northward. He at once sent General
Lee a dispatch conveying this valuable information, but the courier
bearing it never reached headquarters, and so Lee did not know of this
important movement until Hooker’s whole army had crossed the Potomac and
moved toward Frederick, Maryland.
It was now impossible for Stuart to cross the river where he had
intended, and it would take too much time to retrace his steps and cross
at Shepherdstown, so he determined on the bold move of crossing at
Rowser’s Ford, or Seneca, only thirteen miles from Washington city. At
this point, the water was very deep and swift, and the artillery had
difficulty in crossing, but time was too precious for them to seek a
better ford.
The caissons and limber chests were emptied and dragged through the
water, and the ammunition was carried over in the hands of troopers. By
three o’clock on the morning of June 28, Stuart’s command was on the
Maryland side of the river, but the whole Federal army now lay between
the cavalry and General Lee. Stuart would have to march around this army
before he could obey Lee’s order to join Early at York.
But General Lee had also told Stuart to collect all the supplies that he
could get for the use of the army. He now had an opportunity to carry
out these instructions, for he met and captured a long line of Federal
supply wagons.
Fitz Lee’s brigade tore up the track of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,
burned the bridge, and cut the telegraph wires, thus destroying the line
of communication between Washington city and General Meade who had taken
Hooker’s place as commander of the Federal forces. At one time, Stuart’s
troopers were so near Washington that they could see the dome of the
Capitol, and the whole North was in a panic lest the dreaded Stuart
should attack the city. General Stuart, however, was hastening northward
in order to join General Early at York.
His long train of captured wagons seriously hindered the rapid movement
of his horsemen, but he was unwilling to abandon these supplies that he
knew were so greatly needed by Lee’s army.
If, however, he could have foreseen the events of the next few days he
would have burned the wagons and hurried by forced marches to join
General Lee who had to fight the first two days’ battle at Gettysburg
without the valuable aid of Stuart and his cavalry. But Stuart acted in
the light of what he knew and did what seemed best at the time, holding
on to his valuable prize in spite of the fact that it delayed his march
to York nearly two days.
On the morning of June 30, Stuart had a sharp encounter with cavalry, at
Hanover, Pennsylvania, and at one time it seemed that he would have to
give up his captured wagons. He already had them parked, so that they
could easily be burned if he was compelled to leave them, but Hampton’s
and Fitz Lee’s brigades, which had been guarding the wagons in the rear,
came up and the Federals were dislodged. Stuart remained at Hanover
until night, in order to hold the Federals in check, while the wagon
trains were sent toward York under the protection of Fitz Lee’s brigade.
[Illustration: A FEDERAL WAGON PARK
Wagons containing valuable supplies for which Stuart risked so much in
his daring raids]
Major McClellan tells us that this night’s march was terrible to both
the troopers and the drivers of the wagons. The men were hungry and
exhausted, and so were the mules. Every time a wagon stopped, it caused
a halt along the whole line, and as the drivers were constantly falling
asleep, these halts occurred very frequently. It required the utmost
vigilance on the part of every officer on Stuart’s staff to keep the
train in motion.
When Fitz Lee reached the road leading from York to Gettysburg, he
learned that Early had already marched westward. When Stuart arrived at
this point, he sent out couriers to find Early and locate the other
Confederate forces. He then pushed immediately on to Carlisle where he
hoped to obtain provisions for his weary and hungry troops, but when he
reached Carlisle, he found it already in possession of the Federals.
Smith, the Federal general in command, was summoned to surrender, but he
replied, “If you want the city, come and take it.”
Stuart was preparing to storm the city when he received orders from
General Lee to move at once toward Gettysburg.
For eight days and nights, Stuart’s men had been almost continually on
the march and had been surrounded by superior cavalry forces, but he
reached Gettysburg on the evening of the second of July, in time to take
part in the third day’s battle. He delivered to the quartermaster one
hundred and twenty-five captured wagons and teams. He would willingly
have sacrificed this valuable prize could he have been on hand two days
earlier to assist his beloved chief in the battle that had been
unexpectedly forced at this point, but in which he held his ground
during two days of stubborn fighting.
General Lee’s plan for the third day’s battle was to have General
Longstreet’s corps storm the Federal center in its strongly-fortified
position upon Cemetery Ridge. Stuart’s cavalry was to march unobserved
to the Federal rear. Here it was to attack, thus protecting the
Confederate left flank and drawing attention away from the forces which
were to storm Cemetery Ridge.
About noon on the third of July, Stuart led two brigades along the York
turnpike and took position on Cross Ridge in the rear of the Federal
line of battle. Hampton and Fitz Lee were ordered to follow as soon as
they were supplied with ammunition.
On the slope of Cross Ridge stood a stone dairy, and farther down in the
valley was a barn belonging to a farmer named Rummel. Concealing his men
in the woods on the top of the hill, Stuart pushed forward a gun and
fired a number of shots, probably to notify General Lee that he had
gained a good position on the left flank. He then sent word for Hampton
and Fitz Lee to hasten, as he wished to attack the Federal rear. While
waiting for them, he sent some dismounted cavalry to hold the Rummel
barn and a fence to the right of it.
[Illustration: From a war-time photograph
THE TOLL OF WAR
Dead Confederate sharpshooters on the battlefield of Gettysburg]
Before Fitz Lee and Hampton came up, Stuart saw that he had stirred up a
hornet’s nest. The Federal cavalry had discovered his movements and were
ready for him. A battery of six guns opened fire upon his gun and soon
disabled it. Then a strong line of sharpshooters advanced and a fierce
fight took place near the barn. On the left, the Confederate
sharpshooters drove the Federals for some distance across the field.
Just then a large force of Federal cavalry appeared and drove back the
Confederate dismounted men almost to the Rummel barn. There the Federals
were met and driven back by the Confederates, but the Federals were
reenforced and returned. Hampton advanced to the charge, and the battle
surged back and forth over the open field in a hand-to-hand fight with
pistols and sabers, until nearly all of Hampton’s and Fitz Lee’s
regiments were engaged.
At last the Federals retired to the line held at the beginning of the
fight and the Confederates held the Rummel barn. There followed an
artillery duel which lasted until night. Then Stuart withdrew to the
York turnpike, leaving a regiment of cavalry picketed around the barn
which was full of wounded Confederates.
Stuart encamped that night on the York road. Early the next morning, he
withdrew in the rain and rejoined the main army on the heights west of
Gettysburg. The Confederates under Pickett had stormed the Federal
heights opposite and had taken the guns, but as Hood, who was to support
the charge was detained by the Federal cavalry, they could not hold
their position, and finally had to retreat with the loss of many lives.
The Federals did not pursue the Confederates, but remained the whole of
the next day upon their entrenched heights.
Being now nearly out of ammunition and supplies for his men, General Lee
ordered a retreat on the night of July 4. He had a difficult task to
perform. But happily his army had not been routed nor had the men lost
confidence in him. As long as he was leading, they were willing to go
anywhere and to endure anything.
He had now before him a long march, and he was encumbered with four
thousand prisoners and a wagon train fifteen miles long. It would take
great skill and courage to conduct his army safely back into Virginia.
In this extremity, he relied on his cavalry for aid. Both men and horses
were by this time reduced in numbers and were worn out by hunger and
fatigue. They, however, took promptly the position assigned by General
Lee and guarded the army and its trains from the attacks of the Federal
cavalry. General Stuart’s command guarded both wings of the army,—Stuart
himself being on one side and Fitz Lee on the other. They, of course,
were pursued by the Federal cavalry, and before they reached the fords
of the Potomac, both Stuart and Fitz Lee had been engaged in several
skirmishes.
The wagon train reached Williamsport on July 6, and found the river too
much swollen to cross. The wagons were massed in a narrow space near the
river and were guarded by a small force. Here they were attacked by
General Buford. This engagement is called “the Teamsters’ Battle,”
because the teamsters assisted the troopers so well in holding the
Federals in check. Together they succeeded in resisting the attack of
Buford until the arrival of Stuart who had been engaged in driving the
Federal cavalry from Hagerstown. A little later, Fitz Lee came
thundering down the Greencastle road. Buford then retired without having
taken or destroyed the trains so important to Lee.
On July 7, when the infantry and artillery arrived at Hagerstown from
which Stuart had driven the Federal cavalry the day before, General Lee
was not able to cross the Potomac. He, therefore, selected a strong
position and fortified it while waiting for the waters to fall. From
July 8 to 12, Stuart protected the front of Lee’s army, fighting a
number of battles. Then, all the Federal forces having come up, Stuart
retired to the main body of the army and General Lee prepared for
battle. But Meade, who was very cautious, thought Lee’s position too
strong to attack.
Major McClellan, General Stuart’s adjutant general, says in his _Life of
Stuart_ that those days will be remembered by the cavalry leader’s staff
as days of great hardship. The country had been swept bare of provisions
and nothing could be purchased. Scanty rations had been issued to the
men, but none to the officers. For four or five days, they received all
the food that they had from a young lady in Hagerstown, whose father, a
Southerner, loved the Confederacy. After a day of incessant fighting,
Stuart and his officers reached the house of this friend about nine
o’clock at night. While food was being prepared, Stuart fell asleep on
the sofa in the parlor. When supper was announced, he refused to rise.
Knowing that he had eaten nothing for twenty-four hours, Major McClellan
took him by the arm and compelled him to take his place at the table. He
ate sparingly and without relish.
Thinking that the supper did not suit him, their kind hostess inquired:
“General, perhaps you would like to have a hard-boiled egg?”
“Yes,” he replied, “I’ll take four or five.”
This singular reply caused a good deal of astonishment, but nothing was
said at the time. The eggs were brought in; Stuart broke one and ate it,
and rose from the table.
When they returned to the parlor, Major McClellan sat down at the piano
and commenced singing,
“If you want to have a good time
Jine the cavalry.”
The circumstances hardly made the song appropriate, but the chorus
roused the general and he joined in it with a right good will. During
all that time, he had been unconscious of his surroundings, and when
told of his seeming rudeness to his hostess he hastened to make
apologies.
This little incident shows how greatly Stuart was exhausted by the
strain and fatigue of sleepless days and nights during this unfortunate
campaign. For more than two weeks, he had been almost constantly in the
saddle, using both mind and body in the effort to save his command and
to bring the Confederate army back to Virginia without serious disaster.
On July 13, the waters had subsided so much that General Lee gave orders
for the army to cross the river that night. By one o’clock the next
afternoon, the southern army was again in Virginia, General Stuart’s
command bringing up the rear.
The Federals, strange to say, offered little opposition and the crossing
was a complete success. The Federal government and the northern people
were much disappointed when they learned that General Lee had so
skillfully led his army out of its perilous position. They had expected
that General Meade would destroy it, hemmed in between the flooded
Potomac and the Federal army so superior in numbers. Lee now moved back
to Bunker Hill near Winchester. Stuart repelled an advance of the
Federal cavalry and drove it steadily back to within a mile of
Shepherdstown. Here a large number of the troopers were dismounted and
advanced in line of battle. The Federals retreated slowly until dark
when they withdrew from the contest in the direction of Harper’s Ferry,
having lost heavily in killed and wounded.