Today is the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Brandy Station, the largest cavalry battle of the ACW. Up until this time, the Southern cavalry had dominated their Northern counterparts. However, at this fight things were different. The Union cavalry demonstrated an ability not heretofore seen. It was a closely fought battle, the Confederates struggled and Jeb Stuart, the Army of Northern Virginia cavalry chief, was treated harshly by the Southern press. During the upcoming campaign, now known as the Gettysburg Campaign, Jeb Stuart decided on another ride around the Union Army. Although Lee authorized him to do it if possible, it has been suggested he decided on this course of action in order to restore his tarnished reputation. As a result of his circuitous ride, Stuart and his cavalry were separated from the Army of Northern Virginia and out of touch for several days.The cavalry arm acts as the eyes and ears of an army, scouting and providing vital intelligence so that important decisions may be made. With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, we now know it was the absence of Stuart and his cavalry during a crucial time that contributed to the opposing armies meeting at Gettysburg. The resulting clash of arms resulted in a major defeat for the Army of Northern Virginia and the battle is widely regarded as the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy." In a sense, the Battle of Brandy Station was a watershed event in American history!
Posted on: Sun, 09 Jun 2013 14:05:09 +0000
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