The Ten Days
The Battle of Antietam (September 17, 1862) was tactically a draw but Lee retired into Virginia, resting his army near Bunker Hill and Winchester. General George B. McClellan, much to the chagrin of the Lincoln administration, was very slow pursuing. He suffered the indignity of Stuart's raid to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, October 9 - 12. Yet McClellan did not cross the Potomac in any force until October 26th. McClellan had two choices of invasion: He could move sothward to the Shenandoah Valley toward Staunton, or move east of the Blue Ridge with Gordonsville and the seizure of the Virginia Central Railroad as his objectives. Lee felt the latter would be McClellan's choice, but to provide for either contingency he divided his army on October 28th; Jackson’s II Corp near Winchester, and Longstreet’s I Corps to Culpeper.
Lee established his headquarters with Longstreet while Jackson was given semi-independent command. The two corps were to stay in communication with each other so they could be united on either side of the Blue Ridge. Should McClellan move up the Valley (southward) Jackson could make for the gaps in the Blue Ridge and join Longstreet. Longstreet was to defend the direct line of advance east of the Blue Ridge.
The cavalry was to be divided between the two corps, and one brigade would operate in McClellan's front and on his flank. Separating the two corps were 50 miles -- 50 miles which Jeb Stuart had to screen. Jeb was ill-prepared for this assignment. Two of his brigade commanders, Fitz Lee and Rooney Lee, were ill or disabled from wounds. His horses came down with a disease called "greased heel and sore tongue" and he could only muster 1,000 mounts plus six guns of the Stuart Horse Artillery. Indeed, Company Q -- that ignominious place where all dismounted cavalrymen went--swelled to embarrassing numbers. Colonel Williams C. Wickham was placed in command of Fitz Lee's brigade. Jones' and Hampton's brigades were with Jackson and Longstreet.
When McClellan crossed the Potomac at Berlin (now Brunswick), General Alfred Pleasanton's cavalry moved through Lovettsville and Purcellville. Pleasanton's horses were also diseased, and he mustered 1,500 mounts.
Stuart broke camp from "the Bower," home of the Dandridge family near Martinsburg, and on October 29th and 30th moved in Loudoun County. On the night of the 30th he encamped near Bloomfield. The next day, October 31st, the 9th and 3rd Virginia Cavalry captured three companies of the 1st Rhode Island Cavalry at the hamlet of Mountville. In this fight, Pelham's guns fired from Hibb's Bridge over Beaverdam Creek.1 The Confederates pursued to Aldie. At Aldie was the brigade of General George Bayard. After some fighting, Bayard withdrew to Chantilly and Fairfax Court House. By fighting at Aldie, Stuart's rear was exposed to Pleasanton's advancing force from Purcellville. Stuart prudently withdrew and encamped near Middleburg. Meanwhile, General D.H. Hill's infantry division had moved through Ashby's Gap and was encamped at Paris and Upperville. Stuart was positioned to cover his front.
Learning that Pleasanton was advancing upon Philomont, Stuart moved to meet him. On November 1st fighting ended when Stuart was pushed back to his main line near the town of Union (now Unison). The next day, the 2nd, Pleasanton continued his forward movement. He had been reinforced by 900 men under Lt. Col. J.W. Hofman of the 56th Pennsylvania Infantry. The 1st N.H. Battery reinforced the Federal horse artillery, which was commanded by Lt. A.C.M. Pennington. At Union, Pennington scored one on Pelham by blowing up one of his caissons by a well-aimed shot. The Federal sharpshooters also busily picked off the artillerists. Major Heros von Borcke of Stuart's staff watched Pelham take a howitzer to a concealed position, open up on the sharpshooters, putting them to flight and, pursuing, captured some flags and prisoners. He held off the Federal advance at Venus Hill,2 here striking down the color bearer of the 7th Indiana Infantry of Lt. Col. Hofman's command at 800 yards distance. Pleasanton's superior numbers enveloped Stuart's position and that from night Stuart encamped along Pantherskin Creek, just east of Upperville.
General D.H. Hill visited Stuart at Upperville on the 3rd. Hill urged Stuart to divide his command: to send the 1st, 4th and 5th Virginia to Piedmont (now Delaplane) to guard the trains and keep the rest of his command to guard Ashby's Gap and Jackson's line of march. Giving up Upperville, Stuart withdrew to the gap. In the withdrawal, Colonel Wickham was wounded and Colonel Thomas L. Rosser took command of Fitz Lee's brigade.
Pleasanton took possession of Upperville. He had been reinforced by William Averell 's cavalry and Tidball's battery. Pleasanton did not pursue past Upperville, but instead sent Averell's cavalry to raid Stuart's trains at Piedmont. Anticipating this, Stuart sent his remaining troops, the 3rd and 9th Virginia, under Rosser, to Piedmont to join the other regiments. Rosser arrived only to find that the previous regiments sent there -- the 1st, 4th and 5th Virginia -- had misconstrued orders and had withdrawn. Averell occupied Piedmont. Crossing the Manassas Gap Railroad, Rosser withdrew to Markham. Meanwhile, Stuart paid a visit to Jackson's headquarters at Millwood -- there had been a change in plans.
Stuart arrived at Jackson's headquarters at Millwood at 2 a.m., November 4th. Stuart told Jackson that he believed McClellan was not only trying to break through his cavalry screen, but his real movement was toward the Rappahannock and not the Blue Kidge. Jackson said he would not follow Longstreet's Corps eastward, but was to remain near the Valley so as to be on MCClellan's flank. Stuart and staff then departed, taking a hazardous journey cross country to Barbee's Crossroads (now Hume).
Reaching Barbee's, Stuart learned that Rosser had had a sharp clash with Averell on the 4th. The Federals left no account of this but according to Pleasonton's dispatch to McClellan, Averell had a rough time. Said Pleasonton: "Averell sends me word he had two guns and 300 prisoners of Stuart's at one time, and then lost them." Those two guns were of Henry's battery of the Stuart Horse Artillery. Perhaps Stuart's blood was stirred by the tale of Pelham's narrow escape when, retreating towards Barbee's from Markham, they were nearly overrun and captured. Henry's battery, made up of the "Napoleon Detachment" -- mostly Frenchmen from New Orleans -- stayed by their guns, defiantly singing The Marseillaise while the rearguard, under Lt. Col. James B. Gordon, fiercely counterattacked.
When he reached Barbee's, however, Stuart was greatly annoyed that Rosser had retreated to Orleans. Von Borcke was sent there to rouse a sleepy Rosser with orders to return back to the crossroads. The next day, November 5th, Stuart offered Pleasonton battle at Barbee's. Rosser held the right; Hampton (who had now rejoined Stuart) was on the left. Pelham's guns were on a hill north of the town. At 9 a.m. Pleasonton attacked. Fighting lasted for several hours. Stuart then received a report, which later proved erroneous, that the enemy occupied Warrenton. Believing this to be only a diversion, Stuart withdrew --Hampton to the Flint Hill Road and Rosser via the Orleans Road. In withdrawing the 1st N.C. Cavalry was fiercely attacked by Pleasanton. Gordon suffered 4 killed and 17 wounded, which Pleasanton magnified into 37 dead.
On November 6th Rosser was sent to occupy Warrenton, and Hampton was ordered to cover the front at Sperryville, his outposts being at Gaines' Crossroads (now Ben Venue) and Amissville. The rest of Fitz Lee's brigade occupied Jefferson (now Jeffersonton). Also, on the 6th, General Robert E. Lee returned from Richmond to the army. He found the enemy in possession of the Blue Ridge passes on his right flank. It looked like McClellan hoped to interpose himself between Jackson's and Longstreet's Corps. The commanding general suggested that Jackson move up the Valley and unite with Longstreet via Swift Run Gap.
Pleasonton, on November 7th, moved against Stuart at Jefferson. Here he claimed to capture two of Stuart's guns. Says H.B. McClellan about that: "The capture of these two guns seems to have been accom¬plished without any difficulty. General Stuart, however, makes no mention of no such circumstance... This and other evidence compels us to believe that the two guns mentioned by General Pleasonton belong to the same category with the thirty-seven dead North Carolinians found by him on the field at Barbee's Cross Roads." 3 Pleasonton pressed on to Amissville.
The next two days skirmishing was kept up by both Stuart and Pleasonton. On November 10th, in an attempt to dislodge Pleasonton from Amissville, Stuart attacked. He had Fitz Lee's brigade and was supported by the 16th Mississippi Infantry under Colonel Carnot Posey. This' fight was a draw, both sides retreating to their former positions. Hampton did not receive orders in time to co-operate. Stuart was eventually forced to cross the Hazel River, and here, according to von Borcke, he suffered the indignity of burying two of his guns to prevent their capture.
Meanwhile, the whole situation was changed when General McClellan was relieved of his command by General Ambrose Burnside on November 7th at Salem (now Marshall). With the change of commanders would be a change of plans -- to attempt to get to Richmond via Fredericksburg.
Freeman calls the Ten Days an "undistinguished" campaign, yet perhaps his judgment is too harsh. It was not Stuart's intention to fight or even defeat Pleasonton, but to hold him off, prevent him from detecting Lee's divided movements, and assure a safe march for the I Corps. As Thomason points out, the sum of Pleasonton's information was the Jackson was in the Valley and Longstreet behind the Rappahannock --which McClellan already knew. "But where the main Confederate mass was, where its communications ran, whether Lee had his weight in the Valley -- on McClellan's flank -- or on the Rappahannock, across his front --[Federal] cavalry could not tell at all." Considering the disadvantages he faced, Stuart succeeded in keeping off overwhelming forces -- first Bayard, then Averell, and Pleasonton. Indeed, Stuart had performed his mission well.
1 According to Mr. John Divine of Leesburg, Va., a local historian.
2 In Milham's biography of Pelham (p. 197) and in Stuart's report in the O.R. (vol. 19, pt. 2), this hill is referred to as “Seaton's Hill.” Mil¬ham (p. 191) states that this hill later became the site of the home of Mrs. Robert Neville, which she named “Pelham.” Mrs. Neville was the daughter of Col. Richard Dulany, com¬mander of the 7th Virginia Cavalry and owner of Welbourne. However, it appears that Milham was wrong. The present owner of “Pelham,” G. Howard White, Esq., states that his home sits on Venus Hill, not Seaton's Hill. To corroborate this, Mr. White sent the author of this article a letter by Julia' Whiting, cousin of Colonel Dulany, to her mother, dated November 21, 1862. It reads, in part, "About three 0' clock [November 2] the head of Stuart's column appeared by Crednal, the Yankees were now only a short distance behind, not a mile I believe, but were held in check by a portion of our cavalry, while Major Pelham withdrew his batteries and stationed them on Venus Hill." In the O.R. Atlas (Plate VII, No.1) several Seatons are shown near Welbourne. If indeed Pelham did get to Seaton’s Hill, it would be at the place marked “T. Seaton” on the map.
3 However, we must note Pleasonton's dispatch, dated November
8th: "I have found another gun abandoned by Stuart's cavalry. The carriage
they burned up, but the caisson is all right. This makes the third gun taken
this morning." (O.R., Vol. 19, Pt. 2, p. 118). On Nov.10th, Pleasonton
says, "The 6-pounder gun and caisson captured two days since is at Amissville,
and I have no means of bringing it in. Can not you send out a wagon for the
gun and a team for the caisson?” (Ibid., p. 123).
This article first appeared in Volume 1, No. 4 and No. 5 of The Cannoneer.
Sources:
Burke Davis, Jeb Stuart: The Last Cavalier (New York, 1959)
Douglas Southall Freeman, R.E. Lee, Volume 2 (New York, 1934, 1936).
H.B. McClellan, I Rode with Jeb Stuart (Bloomington, Ind., 1958).
Charles G. Milham, Gallant Pelham (Washington~ D.C., 1959)
O.R., Series I, Vol. 19, Part II.
Douglas Southall Freeman, Lee's Lieutenants, Vol. 2 (New York, 1943).
Heros von Borcke, Memoir of the Confederate War for Independence (London,
2 vols., 1866).
