| Stuart's Reports of the Catlett's Station Raid |
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HDQRS. CAVALRY DIV., ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, February 5, 1863.
From: http://cavalry.km.ru GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of my command during the period of the army's advance to the Rappahannock in August last: My command at that time consisted of Hampton's brigade, left in observation on the Charles City border, where the enemy's demonstrations left us in some doubt about his intentions; Fitz. Lee's brigade at Hanover CourtHouse, where also were my headquarters, and a battery of Horse Artillery to each. On August 16, 1862, in pursuance of the commanding general's (R. E. Lee) secret instructions, I put this brigade on the march for the vicinity of Raccoon Ford, near which point the army under his command was rapidly concentrating. General Fitzhugh Lee was directed by me to proceed the next day from near Davenport's Bridge, opposite Beaver Dam, across to the vicinity of Raccoon Ford, where I promised to join him on that evening (17th). I proceeded on the cars directly to the commanding general, whom I found near Orange Court-House. My command was now augmented by the addition of another brigade (Robertson's), and it was intended to concentrate the bulk of this force near Raccoon Ford, cross, and attack the enemy's communications in rear of Culpeper Court-House simultaneously with a blow by the main body in front. I rode down to Verdierville, a point on the plank road opposite Raccoon Ford, where I expected confidently to meet Lee's brigade that evening. I found no one there except the few inhabitants, who had heard nothing of the brigade. It was night, but as it was highly important to communicate with Lee's brigade with a view to crossing the next day, I sent my adjutant-general, Major [N. R.] Fitzhugh, on the road on which General F. Lee was to have marched to look for him, remaining myself at Verdierville. At early dawn next morning I was aroused from the porch where I lay by the noise of horsemen and wagons, and walking out bareheaded to the fence near by, found that they were coming from the very direction indicated for General F. Lee. I was not left long in this delusion, however, for two officers, Captain Mosby and Lieutenant Gibson, whom I sent to ascertain the truth, were fired upon and rapidly pursued. I had barely time to leap upon my horse just as I was, and, with Major Von Borcke and Lieutenant Dabney, of my staff, escaped by leaping a high fence. The major, who took the road, was fired at as long as in sight, but none of us were hurt. There was no assistance for 10 miles. Having stopped at the nearest woods, I observed the party approach and leave in great haste, but not without my hat and the cloak which had formed my bed. Major Fitzhugh, in his searches for General Lee, was caught by this party and borne off as a prisoner of war. General Lee's brigade did not arrive until the night of the 18th, a day behind time. Not appreciating the necessity of punctuality in this instance, he changed his course after leaving me and turned back by Louisa Court-House, following his wagons, which I had directed him to send by that point for provisions, &c. By this failure to comply with instructions not only the movement of the cavalry across the Rapidan was postponed a day, but a fine opportunity lost to overhaul a body of the enemy's cavalry on a predatory excursion far beyond their lines. By the great detour made by this brigade it was not in condition to move on the 19th upon a forced march to the enemy's rear; but, in accordance with the instructions from the commanding general, a copy of which, marked A, accompanies this report, the 19th was devoted to rest and preparation, moving down for bivouac near Mitchell's Ford late in the evening. During the day the order of battle, marked C, and subsequent instructions, marked B, were received from the commanding general, from which it seemed the enemy had escaped attack. At moonrise on the 20th, about 4 a.m., Generals Lee's and Robertson's brigades were moved across the Rapidan at two adjacent fords and pushed rapidly forward--Lee's directly by Madden's, in pursuit of the enemy in the direction of Kelly's and Ellis' Fords, on the Rappahannock, and Robertson's, which I accompanied, via Stevensburg, a village 4 miles east of Culpeper Court-House - toward Brandy Station. Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, whose written report has not been furnished, found the enemy's rear near Kelly's Ford, and by vigorous attack secured several prisoners and a cavalry color. One of Robertson's regiments, with the artillery of his brigade, had been, by my direction, left on the Upper Rapidan. Col. T. T. Munford, who commanded that regiment, was ordered to keep on the left of Jackson's wing and keep pace with its movements. Robertson's brigade encountered the enemy first between Stevens-burg and Brandy Station, the immense dust raised preventing our movement being conducted with secrecy. Col. William E. Jones, Seventh Virginia Cavalry, being in advance, captured a party of the enemy's cavalry, but was kept at bay for some time by the enemy occupying a woods near Brandy Station, but, having received a fresh supply of ammunition, pushed boldly forward his regiment by the road, General Robertson, with his main body (Sixth, Twelfth, and Seventeenth Virginia Cavalry), keeping, by my direction, to the left, so as to sweep across the open country toward Barboursville and flank the enemy's position. The enemy's force engaging us appeared to be cavalry only, and gave way gradually along the road toward Rappahannock Station, but about midway between Brandy Station and Rappahannock made a determined stand in solid column of squadrons on the ridge, with skirmishers, mounted, deployed to the front, with which Jones soon became engaged with unequal force. I knew the country to be too much intersected by ditches to render operations free, and considered it necessary, therefore, to advance along the road. Robertson, who was now sent for in haste to support his advance regiment, was found to have mistaken the direction and borne too much to the left; but as the enemy did not profit by this mishap nothing was lost by the delay, and the remaining regiments, were hurled in rapid succession in column of fours upon the enemy's main body. It was perfectly plain that the enemy's force was superior in number to ours; but as Pope had evidently with his main body reached the other side of the Rappahannock, it was not probable, therefore, that a fierce onset of such cavalry as ours, animated by such incentives and aspirations, could be withstood, add sure enough, before the clash of their sabers could make havoc in his ranks, he turned in flight and took refuge close to the river under the protection of his batteries, planted beyond the river. Our squadrons rapidly reformed for a renewal of the fight, but having no artillery yet up, the ground was such that cavalry alone could not have attacked the enemy under such protection without sacrifice inadequate to the risk. General Fitzhugh Lee's brigade was sent for to re-enforce Robertson as soon as the enemy was found in force here. It arrived just at this time with Pelham's battery of horse artillery, but the enemy had safely passed the ford before a battery could be placed to interfere with his progress, and there being now no enemy south of the Rappahannock except those in our hands, the remainder of the day was devoted to rest. The advance of Jackson reached the vicinity of Brandy Station that night. I kept the commanding general notified of my whereabouts and the enemy's movements during the day. In the mean time Munford had advanced to Culpeper, where he found a number of prisoners. In the action at Brandy Station our troops behaved in a manner highly creditable, and Colonel Jones, whose regiment so long bore the brunt of the fight, behaved with marked courage and determination. I regret his report has not yet been furnished. The enemy, occupying woods and hedge roads with dismounted men, armed with long-range carbines, were repeatedly dislodged by his bold onslaughts, while Flournoy and Harman nobly supported the Seventh in the critical moment when confronted by two brigades of the enemy's cavalry. General Robertson had cause to be proud of the command which his superior discipline, organization, and drill had brought to the stability of veterans. Maj. Heros von Borcke, my adjutant-general, was conspicuous in the charge, and led an important flank attack at the critical moment of the engagement, while that brave soldier and venerable patriot, animated with the fires of youth, Capt. Redmond Burke, while among the foremost in the fierce onset, received a severe wound in the leg, disabling him for some time from active duty. Brigadier-General Robertson's report accompanies this, and will give some interesting information (marked D). He reports a loss of 3 killed and 13 wounded, while the enemy left several more dead on the field, and 64 were taken prisoners, wounded included, and several commissioned officers, together with their arms and equipments and a number of cavalry horses. Thus ended the operations of August 20, the enemy's operations having materially modified the original plan. During the night outposts were kept up by the cavalry along the entire front. It was ascertained by my command during the day that Burnside had effected a junction with Pope before the retreat; that the enemy had crossed principally at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station Ford, the main body of his cavalry crossing at the latter place, and that the retreat began the night previous, the wagon trains having been sent off early in the day, corroborating the conclusions arrived at by the commanding general on Clarke's Mountain. Accompanying this report will also be found a map of the country traversed in the operations described, drawn by Captain Blackford, my topographical engineer. Most respectfully, your obedient servant, J. E. B. STUART, Major-General, Commanding Cavalry Brig. Gen. R. H. CHILTON, Asst. Adjt. Gen., Headquarters Department of Virginia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HDQRS. CAVALRY DIV., ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, February 23, 1863. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of my command with the Army of Northern Virginia, continuing the series from the morning of August 21, when the army was near Brandy Station, with my command in front along the Rappahannock, until its return to the south side of that river from a successful expedition to the enemy's rear at Catlett's Station: In my last report I committed an error in saying that Lee's brigade joined me at Brandy Station on August 20. Only two regiments of that brigade - First and Fifth Virginia Cavalry-did so, under command of Col. T. L. Rosser, Fifth Virginia Cavalry. Brigadier-General Lee with the remainder continued in observation of the enemy at Kelly's and below. In pursuance of the plan of the commanding general I directed Colonel Rosser to move at daylight with his command for Beverly or Cunningham's Ford as advance guard to the army, to seize the opposite bank by a sudden attack, and hold as much of the country beyond as possible. This duty was nobly performed, and by the time I reached the spot Colonel Rosser had accomplished the object, capturing a number of prisoners, 50 excellent muskets, stacked (his sudden dash having frightened the enemy away from their arms), and held enough of the bank beyond to make a crossing by our infantry practicable. All this was promptly reported to General Jackson, who supplied me with two pieces of artillery, which were advantageously posted, under my immediate direction, beyond. For some reason the army did not follow, and our small force of cavalry and this section of artillery sustained all unequal contest for a greater part of the day with artillery, infantry, and cavalry, during which a brilliant charge as foragers was made by Colonel Rosser's cavalry, dispersing, capturing, and killing a number of the enemy, losing but one captured, whose bravery and heroism led him too far; I refer to Capt. John Eells, Fifth Virginia Cavalry. The daring of Colonel Rosser's command excited the unreserved praise of the enemy. Late in the afternoon, as it appeared that a crossing of the main body would not be attempted by us, I deemed a prolongation of this resistance objectless, which reason was rendered stronger by the fact that Brigadier-General Robertson, whose brigade had, by my direction, crossed above and penetrated toward the immediate front, reported the enemy moving with heavy force upon my position and close at hand. I therefore withdrew to the south bank; Brigadier-General Robertson also recrossing the Rappahannock proper above and resting for the night in the fork of the two streams. That evening, too, Brigadier-General Lee, with the remainder of his brigade, came up, except the Third Virginia Cavalry, left below on Longstreet's flank and rear. On August 22 I moved early to Freeman's Ford, on Rappahanock River, where I had a picket the night previous, to carry out instructions by effecting a crossing if possible. The ford was commanded by the enemy's artillery and infantry, and four pieces of the Stuart Horse Artillery, under Captain Pelham, tried in vain to silence the enemy's guns. Having advantage in position, he handled the enemy severely, though suffering casualties in his own battery. While this cannonading was going on General Jackson's column passed just in my rear, going higher up, and I received a note from the commanding general that my proposition to strike with cavalry the enemy's rear was approved, and at 10 a.m. I started to the execution of the plan with the main portion of Robertson's brigade, except Seventh Virginia Cavalry (Jones'), and Lee's brigade, except Third Virginia Cavalry - say about 1,500 men - and two pieces of artillery. Proceeding through the village of Jefferson, part of the command crossed the Rappahannock at Waterloo Bridge and the remainder at Hart's Mill, a few miles below, and took the direct road to Warren-on. Reaching that place in the afternoon I halted to close up and obtain information. No force of the enemy had been here for days. From this point I directed my march to the rear of Cedar Creek with the view to destroy the railroad bridge over it near Catlett's Station, the telegraph line, and thus cut the enemy's line of communication. I had not proceeded far before a terrific storm set in, which was a serious obstacle to the progress of artillery, and gave indications of continuing for a sufficient time to render the streams on my return impassable. Lee's brigade was in advance, and the artillery being intrusted to one of Robertson's regiments (Twelfth Virginia Cavalry), the head of the column pushed on by the village of Auburn, reaching the immediate vicinity of Catlett's Station after dark. Rosser being again in front, by his good address and consummate skill captured the picket, and we soon found ourselves in the midst of the enemy's encampments, but the darkest night I ever knew. Fortunately we captured at this moment, so critical, a negro who had known me in Berkeley, and who, recognizing me, informed me of the location of General Pope's staff, baggage, horses, &c., and offered to guide to the spot. After a brief consultation it was determined to accept the negro's proposition, as whatever was to be done had to be done quickly, and Brig. Gen. Fitz. Lee selected Col. W. H. F. Lee's regiment for the work. The latter led his command boldly to within a few feet of the tents occupied by the convivial staff of General Pope and charged the camp, capturing a large number of prisoners, particularly officers, and securing public property to a fabulous amount. While this was going on the First and Fifth Virginia Cavalry were sent to attack another camp beyond the railroad and obstruct the latter. This was gallantly done, under the dashing lead of Colonels Rosser and [L. T.] Brien, over ground exceedingly difficult, crossing a heavy filling of the railroad, with ditches each side, amid darkness and a perfect torrent of rain. The lights here were extinguished at the first pistol-shot, and the only light left to guide was the flash of the enemy's guns from the wagons, in which they took speedy refuge. It will readily be perceived that under such circumstances successful attack by a charge, mounted, was impossible, and its further prosecution was deferred for the accomplishment of what was the great object of the expedition - the destruction of the Cedar Run railroad bridge. Captain Blackford, with a picked party, set about this arduous undertaking, but owing to the fact that everything was saturated with water, ignition was impossible. Axes were looked up in the darkness with great difficulty, and the energetic and thorough-going [W. C.] Wick-ham was sent with his regiment (Fourth Virginia Cavalry) to effect its destruction by cutting it down, and finally Brigadier-General Lee went in person to superintend it; but the difficulties were insuperable, for the enemy on the other side of the stream, where a cliff afforded excellent protection, were already firing upon our men, who, in this rain, which had greatly swollen the stream, met difficulty at every step. It was formed of double trestle work: superposed, which rendered destruction difficult and repair easy. The commanding general will, I am sure, appreciate how hard it was to desist from the undertaking, but to any one on the spot there could be but one opinion - its impossibility. I gave it up. While these attempts were going on other portions of the command were securing horses and other valuable property from the enemy's camp in our possession and conducting the large numbers of prisoners to the rear. The enemy collected after their first stampede enough to fire a volley into the burning camp, but without injury. Brigadier General Robertson's command was held in reserve, of which the Twelfth Regiment had not yet arrived, being detained by the artillery. The streams (Cedar Run and Rappahannock) were in my rear, and the former was reported already swimming, and the rain still continued. This cavalry had had a long march without intermission, and being the greater part of the cavalry of the army, its return without delay was necessary. These considerations determined me to leave before daylight with what had been accomplished. I accordingly retired by the same route. As day dawned I found among the great number of prisoners Pope's field quartermaster, Major Goulding, and ascertained that the chief quartermaster and Pope's aide-de-camp, Col. L. H. Marshall, narrowly escaped the same fate. The men of the command had secured Pope's uniform, his horses and equipments, money-chests, and a great variety of uniforms and personal baggage, but what was of peculiar value was the dispatch-book of General Pope, which contained information of great importance to us, throwing light upon the strength, movements, and designs of the enemy, and disclosing General Pope's own views against his ability to defend the line of the Rappahannock. These and many others, to which it is needless now to refer, were transmitted to the commanding general at the time, and no copies were kept by me. The enemy's killed we had no means of ascertaining. Our own loss in killed, wounded, and missing was slight, a circumstance affording peculiar reason for congratulation under the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the enterprise. Over 300 prisoners, of whom a large number were officers, were marched safely within our lines at Warrenton Springs on August 23, where General Jackson was found constructing a bridge. My command remained that night on the north bank in bivouac, and the next day recrossed to the south bank, General Jackson's crossing at that point having been abandoned. During the 23d some severe skirmishing with artillery took place, in which the Second Virginia Cavalry, Colonel Munford (Robertson's brigade), suffered to some extent. The brigades, after recrossing the Rappahannock, took position between Jefferson and Amissville, the main portion of the army being now between the two rivers. I feel bound to accord to the officers and men, collectively, engaged in this expedition unqualified praise for their good conduct under circumstances where their discipline, fortitude, endurance, and bravery stood such an extraordinary test. The horseman who, at his officer's bidding? without questioning, leaps into unexplored darkness, knowing nothing except that there is certain danger ahead, possesses the highest attribute of the patriot soldier.. It is a great source of pride to me to command a division of such men. I append a map, containing that portion of the country embraced in this report, drawn by Capt. W. W. Blackford, Corps Engineers. I am greatly indebted to my staff for valuable services rendered. They were, without exception, prompt and indefatigable. Subsequent events have shown what a demoralizing effect the success of this expedition had upon the army of the enemy, shaking their confidence in a general who had scorned the enterprise and ridiculed the courage of his adversaries, and it compelled him to look to his communications and make heavy detachments from his main body to protect them. It inflicted a mortifying disaster upon the general himself in the loss of his personal baggage and part of his staff. Appended will be found a list of casualties. Most respectfully, your obedient servant, J. E. B. STUART, Major-General, Commanding Cavalry Brig. Gen. R. H. CHILTON, Asst. Adjt. Gen., Headquarters Department of Virginia Source: War of the Rebellion - The Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies Thanks to Tim Harrison and The American Civil War - The Struggle To Preserve The Union |
