Andy's Articles Written On The Civil War

Lee to the Rescue

by Andy Mateja

The battle of Malvern hill on July 1st 1862 was the last of the famous Seven Days Battles. It began under new Confederate commander Gen Robt E Lee to remove the pressure on Richmond by Union forces under Mar Gen George B. McClellan and included the arrival of Maj Gen Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson from the Shenandoah Valley and forced the Union commander to alter his strategy and change his base of supply from the Pamunkey River to the James River. In doing so, the Union army was susceptible to attacks which the aggressive Lee repeatedly took advantage of during the preceding six days
To protect the movement of his army to the new supply base, McClellan concentrated his artillery on Malvern Hill under cover of Federal gunboats on the James River and nearly 90,000 Infantry. Lee’s army arrived to confront McClellan without the usual organization and cooperation it became famous for shortly afterward. Lee had around 80,000 men which his commanders did not want to decimate with frontal attacks against the extremely strong Federal position. Maj Get James Longstreet instead believed 60 pieces of Rebel artillery in conjunction with Maj Gen Stonewall Jackson could create an effective crossfire so allow for a favorable Confederate infantry assault. Malvern Hill’s topography would not allow it. Had the ground been reconnoitered before the attack, The Confederates would have realized the lack of favorable ground for their attack plans.
The Confederate artillery designated to lead off the attack ultimately was mostly disabled by their Union counterpart’s right at the start, but Lee’s stalwart infantry advanced anyway. Unfortunately without the expected artillery support, the confederates were driven back with heavy losses. Their reinforcements did not arrive in time to support the attack to be of any assistance. The concentration of the Union artillery was very effective in stopping Lee’s forces in its tracks before it fell back ……unsuccessful in breaking the Union line, Rebel losses were over 5000 men, whereas the Union losses were about 3000.
Lee seeing his men cut to pieces by the Federal artillery and realizing his attack had failed, wanted to change his strategy. But being already late in the afternoon the opportunity had passed. The triumphant Union troops were actually better commanded by corp commanders fighting separate battles than by the guidance and directions of their own commanding general ….. George B McClellan. V Corp commander Maj Gen Fitz-John Porter felt the Union position was a good one and recommended to McClellan that they hold this position which McClellan rejected.
The Union artily mutilated many if the bodies of the attackers. The next morning after their clear cut victory at Malvern Hill, the Union army nevertheless continued their week long retrograde movement in the rain away from Richmond instead of toward it. While most of the Union troops were willing to continue the fight and to go forward, they were now exhausted and low on supplies and munitions.
McClellan fell back to Harrison’s Landing under the protection of Federal gunboats. Lee’s forces , ordered to pursuit the withdrawing Union army, were led by Brig Gen JEB Stuart’s Confederate cavalry followed by Maj Gen James Longstreet and Maj Gen AP Hill’s men, which had been held in reserve during the battle.
Some of the retreating Union commanders became convinced under the mistaken impression that the pursuing Confederate cavalry was the spearhead of a much larger flanking force, which turned out to be wrong. Lee gambled and lost at Malvern Hill – McClellan was already retreating and he did not need to be prodding at the cost of 3000 additional Confederate casualties……. Nevertheless, the Rebel capitol of Richmond Virginia was safe…… for now!!!!!

Diversion at Trevilian Station

By Andy Mateja

During Lt Gen Ulysses S Grants' 1864 Spring Offensive to confront and defeat Gen Robt E Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, Petersburg Virginia was put at the top of the list of desirable Union “objectives”.
After suffering a stinging defeat at Cold Harbor, Grant swung the Army of the Potomac to the south of the Chickahominy and James Rivers to capture Petersburg while Lee’s army was still concentrated around Richmond. Grant however needed a diversion. By dispatching his cavalry westward toward the Shenandoah Valley, Grant surmised that he would draw Confederate cavalry after it, and perhaps do further damage to the Confederate supply lines being sent to Lee’s Army from the valley which was widely considered the “Breadbasket of the Confederacy”.
The man Grant put in charge of this venture was none other than Maj Gen Phillip H Sheridan, who was always spoiling for a fight with the Confederate Cavalry. Since JEB Stuart was a casualty of the previous time he battled the Rebels (at Yellow Tavern in May), Sheridan was confident of success against the newly appointed Confederate Cavalry Leader: Wade Hampton.
Dividing the cavalry into two parts, Sheridan left the smaller amount for cover Maj Gen George Meade’s Army of the Potomac while he proceeded with 2/3rd of it about 70 miles west of Cold Harbor to destroy as much of the Virginia Central Railroad in the area, including at Trevilian Station.
Sheridan began his move on June 7 with Confederates in mild pursuit and continued every day thereafter to inflict damage on the railroad, reaching the area around Trevilian Station around June 10th, only to be halted by the Confederate quick response and determination.
Confederate Cavalry Commander Wade Hampton was just like Phil Sheridan – eager for a fight with the opposing enemy. He was planning to box Sheridan in between Rebel cavalry forces but Sheridan struck first. When the fighting erupted the coordination between the Confederate forces was slow in occurring, which caused Hampton to slowly withdraw, thereby opening elements of the Virginia Central Railroad to further Union destruction.
The Michigan Brigade under Brig Gen George A. Custer led the attack only to be caught in a trap when the “absent” Confederate forces arrived on the field. It appeared that Custer’s four regiments were about to be captured in total. Despite being personally wounded, Custer fought his men tenaciously out of the trap.
Unfortunately, Sheridan could not unite with Union forces in the valley that he intended to and his cavalry just continued to tear up lots of Virginia Central track. For the next few days Sheridan continued to demolish the train tracks while he attempted to move forward…… which regrettably for him, Hampton’s Confederate troopers were not willing to allow. Sheridan’s cavalry ultimately returned to their original starting point by backtracking across the North Anna River while leaving 113 wounded Union troopers and many Confederate prisoners behind.
Phillip Sheridan fulfilled his objective of providing a diversion for Grant for his move on Petersburg. However it wasn’t until June 20th (6 days later) when his cavalry finally reached the Union army’s partially abandoned supply line at White House Landing on the Pamunkey River.
The Union forces suffered about 600 casualties, which were quickly replaced….. whereas the Confederate cavalry losses were not. Sheridan DID however prevent Lee with a sufficient amount of rebel troops from blocking Grant’s advance from Cold Harbor to Petersburg in time.

The New York Draft Riots Of 1863

by Andy Mateja

This is a disgraceful chapter in the annals of the American Civil War
About one week after the Union victory fought at Gettysburg, a riot of major proportions broke out in New York City in an attempt to quell the recently enacted National Conscription Act of July 1863.
Nearly one thousand protestors (many drunk) gathered in front of NY City Hall….cursing and attacking with bats, crowbars its’ affluent and well to do citizens, along with black free men and former slaves in addition to the Lincoln Administration as a result of this unpopular law. The rioting lasted 4 days and resulted in almost 1200 dead and injured along with $$ millions of wanton destruction in a Northern city whose population at the time was nearly 814,000 men, women and children !!!
Many New Yorkers supported the Lincoln Administration and many were also “Copperheads” who were opposed to what they called “Mr Lincoln’s War”. A provision of the new law allowed for a $300 FEE to be paid in order to “hire” a substitute a replacement for someone who was “drafted”.
Many of New York City’s “poor” Irish immigrants did not have $300 and also who feared recently freed Blacks slaves would come and take their jobs away. Buildings were set on fire and firemen prevented from dousing flames while telegraph wires cut downtown. The NY City police force (about 800) were assigned to protect downtown businesses from destruction along with the initial 300 Union troops assigned there (including a few invalid soldiers of which two were beaten to death)
New York Governor Seymour tried to break up the riot with the 11th NY Volunteers opening fire on NY civilian protestors (men AND women) and have Washington put an end to the new Draft…
Thousands of additional Federal troops that had just fought at Gettysburg finally arrived in NYC (13 regiments in all) to disband the rioting protestors which were now estimated at between 20, 000 to 50,000 participants. Ten thousand troops remained in NYC in order for the draft to proceed…..
There were some who believed that there was “fingerprints” of Richmond’s involvement in the New York City Draft Riots but that fact was never proven.
By late summer in 1863 a semblance of order returned to New York City. While most would prefer to reflect on the epic Union Victory at Gettysburg, some will NEVER forget the unspeakable tragedy of a “crowd gone wild” in America’s largest city at the ZENITH of the Civil War……..!!!!!

Maryland and the Confederacy

by Andy Mateja

After the results of the 1860 Presidential Election were revealed to the fragile nation, it was believed by some that Washington City may have to be abandoned if Maryland seceded and joined the other eleven states that became the Confederacy
Candidate Abraham Lincoln received about 1087 out of 31150 votes in Baltimore and only 2298 out of 92719 in the entire state of Maryland. However the majority of Marylanders did not favor disunion……. only held a fervent disdain for Abolitionists.
Baltimore itself became a hotbed for secessionists and an imminent danger for the new President–Elect Abraham Lincoln. Rumors began to circulate that Lincoln would be assassinated when he traveled through the city on his way to the Nation’s Capitol in Washington. Secessionists wanted to block the passage of federal troops arriving by rail to reinforce Washington, which would then become a city that was isolated and helpless. The mayor and the local police force in Baltimore were thought to be sympathetic to the South and would not interfere…..
On April 19th, one week after the fall of Ft Sumter, new trouble erupted toward the train arriving in Baltimore from Philadelphia with the 6th Massachusetts Infantry. The local citizens were encouraged to stop these troops by force if possible. Federal troops were only supposed to transfer over to the B&O Railroad to continue onto the city of Washington. TEN full rail cars were supposed to be moved intact (with all troops still loaded on board) to the B&O rail yard. One car was blocked by the rebellious citizens and had to be unloaded and then the soldiers were attacked by these citizens as they attempted to march to the B&O. The situation was soon out of control as large rocks and brickbats were thrown at the soldiers. The dead and wounded, including three dead and thirty-nine wounded were left behind to hurry the regiment out of town. Twelve civilians were also killed in this tragic melee.
Additional Federal troops were dispatched from Harrisburg and Philadelphia and were on their way to Baltimore expecting to shoot their way through town. Railroad bridges leading into Baltimore were burnt by the secessionists to the point that the Lincoln administration agreed the situation was too “hot” to send any more troops into Baltimore. Ben Butler, assigned the command of these troops by Lt Gen Winfield Scott, attempted to try to bypass the city with his remaining troops by water via Annapolis and the rest by rail. Butler set up his temporary headquarters in Annapolis to coordinate the approaching troops sent to protect Washington. Harpers Ferry had already fallen to the Rebel recruits, many of which had originated in Baltimore. The local civil authorities had refused to display the United States Flag in Baltimore during this period which also caused increased anger with the loyal Unionists still residing in the city.
Ben Butler gained early notoriety at this time by being the FIRST Union military leader to raise the “stars and stripes” of the United States once again over Baltimore…….

The Day History Changed Forever
by Andy Mateja

It was on this day May 2nd........ 153 Years ago that Southern Fortunes for a favorable outcome of their quest for independence was dashed forever with the upcoming untimely death of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson........
Chancellorsville, arguably Lee’s greatest battlefield victory, is a prime example of positive results when battlefield generals are on the same page with their army commander and are willing to support him unconditionally to achieve VICTORY.
In April 1863, Maj Gen Joseph Ho**er, the new commander of the Union Army of the Potomac, developed a daring plan to flank Gen Robert E Lee out of his impregnable position on Mayre’s Heights at Fredericksburg and to destroy his Army of Northern Virginia once and for all.
Ho**er has amassed 130,000 troops to undertake this bold move. Lee on the other had had reduced his forces to about 60,000 men after detaching Gen Longstreet with two of his divisions to ward off a Union encroachment in Southeastern Virginia and while there, to forage for food and other supplies. Lee in essence was out numbered more than two-to-one at the start of this campaign.
Ho**er initially dispatched his huge cavalry corps on a raid toward Richmond to divert Lee’s attention. Ho**er then divided his forces, leaving 40,000 in front of Fredericksburg while he moved with the rest around Lee’s left flank in an attempt to attack him from behind. Ho**er was attempting a pincer movement on Lee’s forces with the goal of crushing his entire army.
Ho**er’s flanking movement almost went unnoticed. He we discovered when crossing at the river fords. Lee now had to determine if the main Union threat was from the front at Fredericksburg or from the flanking movement….. Consulting with his trusted subordinate – Gen Stonewall Jackson, Jackson suggested Lee should attack and destroy the Union forces in from of them at Fredericksburg. Lee disagreed and felt the move would be too dangerous, particularly from the Union artillery atop Stafford Heights. Jackson, unlike Longstreet who sulked at Gettysburg when overruled by Lee, decided to examine the ground for himself to see if Lee’s assessment was correct. After review Jackson DID concur with Lee and joined his commander in planning a counter-move to Ho**er’s flanking endeavor.
Lee began his movement by ordering Longstreet’s remaining two divisions – Anderson’s & McLaw’s, to move west and concentrate around the small group of buildings called “Chancellorsville”. Jack would follow with his divisions, except for Jubal Early’s, who would remain on Marye’s Heights to observe and hold back if possible the Union forces remaining there.
When Jackson reached Anderson’s & McLaws divisions digging in at Chancellorsville, he took the initiative and ordered them to move further west into the wilderness to halt the anticipated approach of the Union forces. Jackson felt that moving forward with these and this other three divisions would be a more effective strategy than digging in waiting to be attacked.
He was right. Ho**er, who thought he pulled a fast one over Lee was caught off guard by the aggressive nature of the Confederate movement and immediately moved to a defensive posture as he did not expect Lee’s forces to be where they were. When Lee arrived on the scene, he approved of Jacksons proactive modification of his original orders to Anderson & McLaws and supported Jackson to the fullest.
When later meeting with Lee at the now famous crossroads of the Orange Plank and Catherine Furnace Roads, Jackson believed Ho**ers forces would pull back during the night. Lee was not too sure and suggested that Jackson be ready to attack the Union forces in the morning if they remained in place. Lee’s idea was using reverse psychology…..flank Ho**ers forces the same way Ho**er tried to do to Lee.
Lee wanted Jackson to march around the Union right flank, which he believed was the weakest part of their line. Lee and his engineers already scoped out the Union left flank and center and felt they were too strong for direct assault. Also Ho**er’s left flank was anchored on the Rappahannock River.
However Lee wanted to be sure before ordering Jackson to move. Fate once again stepped in and a reported was provided by another of Lee’s trusted subordinates- Gen J.E.B. Stuart , undertaking a reconnaissance mission on his own initiative, confirmed that the Union right flank was “in the air” and vulnerable to attack. Lee then posed the question to Jackson… “How can we get to those people?” Without hesitation, Jackson’s response was “You know best – Show me what to do and we will try to do it “demonstrating once again Stonewall Jackson’s unswerving devotion to Robert E. Lee.
Now they had to find a way around the Union forces undetected. Jackson’s chaplain knew of an individual in the area familiar with the local roads and a plan was drawn up for the movement of Jackson’s men. They would march 12 miles and come up on the exposed Union right flank by late afternoon on May 2nd. In the morning, Lee and Jackson, both sitting on the same cracker box discussed the move whereas Lee would remain with 14,000 men to hold Ho**er’s attention while Jackson made his flank march with 28,000 men. Lee also having complete confidence in Jackson gave his approval and the movement began.
As planned, by later afternoon Jackson’s forces were in place and initiated their flank attack that rolled up the Union right and created panic through their ranks. Ho**er definitely was not expecting anything like this and tried in vain to rally his disorganized troops. Jackson’s attack would have been completely successful had there been a few more hours of daylight. He reluctantly had to call off the attack when it became too dark to see.
During the night Jackson wanted to reconnoiter for himself Fate again stepped in-this time in a negative way for the Confederates. Jackson, being mistaken in the dark as part of a cavalry contingent, was accidently shot and severely wounded by his own men. His left arm was amputated later that night and tragically died from complications eight days later.
Stonewall Jackson who once said of Lee - “So great is my confidence in General Lee that I am willing to follow him blindfolded” was now lost to Lee for the remainder of the battle. Someone had to command Jackson’s victorious troops the next morning to complete the glorious victory and reconnect with Lee’s 14,000 troops. Since Jackson’s senior division commander was also wounded the night before, command of his forces was transferred to JEB Stuart. Stuart had ridden with Jacking during his flank march the day before while a brigade of his cavalry led the way. Stuart was the next ranking officer and even though not an infantry commander, had the battlefield experience and Lee’s confidence to make sure Jackson’s victory was complete. After all, Lee’s forces were still divided and Ho**er’s army, while badly shaken by Jackson’s attack, still outnumbered Lee’s army and with aggressive leadership, could have destroyed Lee’s divided forces piecemeal.
Without hesitation, Stuart renewed Jackson’s attack early the next morning and utilized Jackson’s artillery to support the attack. He pushed the Union troops off of the high ground and positioned his batteries there which swept the Union troops all the way back to Ho**er’s headquarters at the Chancellor House. One of the cannon shots actually struck a pillar that Ho**er was leaning against which caused him to fall to the ground senseless.
Stuart rode at the forefront of Jackson’s troops personally leading them on. He was either shouting “Forward Men! Forward! Just Follow Me “ and even began singing “Old Joe Ho**er Get Out of the Wilderness” Eventually Stuart’s forces linked up with Lee’s and together they pushed Ho**ers army back to the Rappahannock , which they retreated over during the next few days.
JEB Stuart, without knowledge of the field or troop dispositions and without the aid Jacksons staff (most stayed with Jackson after his wounding) succeeded in completing the task he was assigned.
Lee had won his greatest victory, despite overwhelming odds, in part due to the loyal support of Stonewall Jackson and JEB Stuart. Despite differing opinions and lack of battlefield knowledge, with given orders by General Lee, BOTH followed them to the letter without question. Too bad that was not the same case at Gettysburg…. two months later
Lee-Jackson-Stuart worked in unison during the Battle of Chancellorsville. Sadly Lee would be without both of their loyal services in the next year…………Jackson on May 10th 1863 and Stuart on May 12th 1864.

Cleburne’s Controversial Slavery Proposal

By Andy Mateja

There was a specially called conference on January 2 1864 for an undisclosed meeting at Gen Joseph E. Johnston’s Confederate Army of Tennessee headquarters in Dalton Ga consisting of all of his army’s corps and division commanders. Gen Pat Cleburne, considered by some as the “Stonewall Jackson” of the Confederate army in the West, was there and presented his special “paper” …….which was already well received by field officers which many had already signed.
It was considered an Emergency Meeting and was to address the growing military plight of the Confederacy’s shrinking armed forces as they were running out of manpower with no end in sight of the ever growing hardships. The Union army on the other hand was INCREASING in size due to continuing enlistments of foreign immigrants and escaped runaway slaves. It was determined that something MUST be done to avert disaster.
It was becoming obvious to Cleburne that slavery had become a military weakness and truly worthless as organized labor force. Feeble attempts at conscription for the Rebel field armies was not working. Enlisting slaves was the alternative………if it included guarantee freedom for the slave. European countries could now be able to support the South and change the focus from freeing slaves to acquiring more territory. In addition, they could deprive Northerners from utilizing slaves in the South as “spies” and future recruits as a new source of manpower for invading Union armies.
The offer of freedom to participating slaves (especially the bravest ones) had to also include their wives and children and also and the legal recognition of marriage. Cleburne was sure slaves would indeed fight under these conditions as there were lots of examples in world history. Sparta, Santo Domingo and Jamaica were just a few……. Cleburne believed this proposal to be beneficial and WOULD save the country.
Denouncing the plan include Generals Bates and Patton Anderson. , They believed many of the white Southern troops would oppose arming slaves. Gen. WHT Walker also vehemently opposed Cleburne’s proposal and considered it a traitorous plot. He wanted to send the plan to Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond for further scorn and to include each officer’s as to their opinion also to Richmond before he personally left the room.
Corps commander Gen William Hardee had suggested alternative ways to use blacks in army and withdrew the entire proposal before leaving the room as well. Cleburne reluctantly agreed to this in silence.
But word leaked out over the next few days of this extraordinary Top-Level meeting…..including to Richmond. Some felt it was a revolting proposal and believed that if the army troops found out, it would dissolve in a couple of weeks. Gen Walker wanted to be sure that a copy of the plan was send to Jefferson Davis in Richmond and Cleburne provided it and personally signed it.
Without stating who else attended the original meeting. Gen. Walker tried to get the other officers to sign it on their own and to include whether they approved or disapproved the proposal. Some of the officers were willing to cooperate with Gen.Walker but most were not.
President Davis and the officials in Richmond opposed Cleburne’s proposal and wanted it kept secret at all costs for fear of a negative backlash if their nations’ civilians found out that the Confederate Generals had even entertained the idea of arming the slaves regardless of the reason.
Jefferson Davis returned his copy of this “Slave emancipation proposal” to Cleburne and ordered all the remaining copies to be burned. Ironically, despite slave owner resistance, Davis did enact a similar plan proposed by Gen Robt E Lee in March 1865 after it was too late to have any meaningful effect …….
The “Rising Star” of Patrick Cleburne’s military career was forever extinguished after this unfortunate political experience. Sadly Cleburne’s own life was cut short a few months month later as one of the tragic casualties during the Battle of Franklin TN……….

Unnecessary and Costly Delays at Petersburg

By Andy Mateja

After finally cornering Gen Robt E. Lee’s vaunted Army of Northern Virginia in the area surrounding Richmond and Petersburg Virginia May 1864, Union in General Chief Ulysses S. Grant determined to advance in Union force from the North with Maj Gen George Meade’s Army of the Potomac (120,000 strong) while cutting him Lee from the South with Maj Gen Ben Butler’s Army of the James (36,000 strong).
While Richmond was his primary target to finally end the war, Grant realized that Petersburg was the logistical “key” to making that happen. Therefore he had to first capture Petersburg so as to cut off all the major supply lines feeding into Richmond. Grant realized that Lee would never abandon Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy and would be forced into dividing his deteriorating forces to protect BOTH cities at the same time.
While failing at capturing Petersburg in May, which undoubtedly would have ended Lee’s defensive strategy and probably ended the war almost a YEAR sooner, Butler’s Army of the James was relegated to a secondary position in the strategy while Meade’s much larger Army of the Potomac was given the larger task. However after numerous unsuccessful attempts at to do so in fierce battles outside Richmond including Cold Harbor, both Union armies settled in for besieging Lee’s much smaller army inside the confined breastworks constructed outside of Richmond AND Petersburg.
General Lee while forced into a defensive position around his nation’s capital would not sit still and accept his military limitations. Even though vastly outnumbered by Grant’s armies, Lee, the consummate tactician, was able to break away part of his forces right from underneath his Union opponents and virtually change the theatre of operations and apply direct pressure on Washington City…. as he had done successfully in 1862 after defeating McClellan during the Seven Days Battles.
Before Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia arrived on the scene to defend Richmond and Petersburg, there were failed attempts by Butler and his Union Army of the James to capture Petersburg….. before Grant and the larger Army of the Potomac arrived and the before Lee could arrive to defend it. Butler surmised the strategic importance of Petersburg and, if he planned to run for the Presidency later in the fall, this was the place to be !!!
But lack of cohesive cooperation by Butler’s field generals prevented the effort to succeed, especially against the much smaller hodge-podge forces arranged against him by Confederate General P.G.T Beauregard.
One can only imagine how many lives would have been spared if the war had ended spared if the war had indeed ended in the Spring of 1864 instead of more than a year later...................

The Woodstock Races

by Andy Mateja

On Oct 8th 1864 immediately after the twin Union victories at Wi******er and Fisher’s Hill in the Shenandoah valley, Maj Gen A.T.A. Tolbert, cavalry chief of Maj Gen Philip Sheridan’s Army of the Shenandoah was ordered to burn and destroy all usable assets to the Confederate forces in that Valley and to soundly defeat their rebel opponents or get whipped first in the process at Toms Brook just south of Strasburg VA. Sheridan’s direct orders from Lt Gen Ulysses S. Grant were to destroy all crops to prevent the Confederate military forces from returning and bring his own army back to reinforce Grant’s other forces besieging Petersburg Virginia.
Sheridan’s forces preceded up the valley with a Union corps on each side of the Valley Pike and three divisions of Union cavalry following close by. Local residents of the valley had never seen such wanton destruction perpetuated by the Yankees who were destroying everything in their path commencing at Harrisonburg Va. Elements of the local Confederate cavalry cautiously followed them but could do nothing to stop the horrific destruction.
Sheridan’s Northerners devastation included burning 2000 barns, destroying 70 grist mills and the slaughter of 3000 cattle and 4000 sheep, along with millions of dollars of personal property including some private residences which, even though they were ordered not to be destroyed, left a trail from Wi******er to Staunton over 92 miles. Embittered Confederate guerrilla forces in the valley periodically captured and executed small parties of Yankees as a direct result of this contemptible devastation.
Jubal Early was trying to rebuild his Rebel army which was now plagued by low morale. It was now being reinforced by Maj Gen Thomas Rosser’s cavalry brigade which turned out not to be enough even though they were highly praised for their fighting prowess. The Confederate cavalry and infantry currently situated in that part of the Shenandoah Valley was ordered to pursue Sheridan northward DOWN the Valley. During the meager pursuit of the Union cavalry down the valley, Custer’s men were continually harassed by fellow West Point classmate Confederate Tom Rosser who captured 20 Union prisoners while ultimately saving a few mills and barns from destruction. Both camped across from each other at a place known as Tom’s Brook during this time.
During the pursuit, fighting was fierce over the next three days. Gen Tolbert was eventually ordered by Sheridan to destroy what was left of Early’s Rebel cavalry and infantry once and for all.
Custer himself was known to be a fierce fighter and relished the opportunity to disrupt and destroy the Confederate defense. His cavalry tried to capture as much of the repel cannons and caissons as possible to further weaken his Confederate opposition. Custer not only captured Gen Rosser’s headquarters wagon, but also their ENTIRE wagon train and six field pieces in the entire 20 mile encounter at his loss of ONLY 57 troopers….”
Never has there been such a rout of Confederate cavalry” mused Custer which prompted him and future historians to call the running battle “The Woodstock Races”…….!!!!