Battle of Fairfax Court House (June 1863)
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The Battle of Fairfax Court House (June 1863) was fought during the Gettysburg Campaign of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
between two cavalry detachments from the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by General
Joseph Hooker Joseph Hooker (November 13, 1814 – October 31, 1879) was an American Civil War general for the Union, chiefly remembered for his decisive defeat by Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Hooker had serv ...
, and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee. The Confederate cavalry leader General
J.E.B. Stuart James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a United States Army officer from Virginia who became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of ...
was keen to restore his prestige after two humiliating encounters with Union cavalry, and as the main body crossed the Potomac into Maryland, he received permission to detach three brigades and ride around the entire Union army to gather supplies and intelligence, and damage lines of communication. At Fairfax Court House, Virginia, on 27 June, one of Stuart’s brigades, led by Brigadier General
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton may refer to the following people: People *Wade Hampton I (1752–1835), American soldier in Revolutionary War and War of 1812 and U.S. congressman *Wade Hampton II (1791–1858), American plantation owner and soldier in War of 1812 *W ...
, was surprised by a small detachment of the 11th New York Cavalry under Major Remington, which initially drove them into the woods, but were so heavily outnumbered that they had to retreat. Although technically a Confederate win, this small engagement had a major impact on the outcome of Gettysburg, since it delayed Stuart’s arrival, depriving Lee of essential knowledge of the enemy’s whereabouts.


Background


Plan to invade the North

On the night of May 5–6, 1863, after the Army of the Potomac commanded by
Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Joseph Hooker Joseph Hooker (November 13, 1814 – October 31, 1879) was an American Civil War general for the Union, chiefly remembered for his decisive defeat by Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Hooker had serv ...
had been defeated at the
Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...
(April 30, 1863 to May 6, 1863), in
Spotsylvania County, Virginia Spotsylvania County is a county in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the July 2021 estimate, the population was 143,676. Its county seat is Spotsylvania Courthouse. History At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants of the area that bec ...
by the General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, Hooker withdrew his forces to positions north of the
Rappahannock River The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...
, mainly in the vicinity of
Falmouth, Virginia Falmouth is a census-designated place (CDP) in Stafford County, Virginia, United States. Situated on the north bank of the Rappahannock River at the falls, the community is north of and opposite the city of Fredericksburg. Recognized by the U. ...
. Lee's army remained just to the south of the Rappahannock in the Fredericksburg, Virginia area after the battle. Meanwhile, in
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
, Union Major General
Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
was closing in on a Confederate army at
Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vic ...
. Loss of Vicksburg would give the Union control of the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
and effectively cut off Confederate territory west of the Mississippi from the rest of the Confederacy. Leaders of the Confederate government,
Confederate President The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and was the commander-in-chief of the Confederate Army and the Confe ...
Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
and
Confederate States Secretary of War The Confederate States Secretary of War was a member of President Jefferson Davis's Cabinet during the American Civil War. The Secretary of War was head of the Confederate States Department of War. The position ended in May 1865 when the Confede ...
James A. Seddon James Alexander Seddon (July 13, 1815 – August 19, 1880) was an American lawyer and politician who served two terms as a Representative in the U.S. Congress, as a member of the Democratic Party. He was appointed Confederate States Secretar ...
wanted to relieve the pressure on Vicksburg, possibly by sending reinforcements from
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
to Mississippi or to
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
in order to divert attention of Union forces from Vicksburg. In meetings with Davis and Seddon from May 14, 1863 to May 17, 1863 and on May 26, 1863, Lee proposed to relieve the pressure in Mississippi by diverting Union Army attention to an invasion of the North from Virginia.Coddington, 1968, pp. 7–9.McPherson, 1988, p. 647. This also would spare Virginia from further campaigning that summer, allow the Army of Northern Virginia to live off the land in the North and to threaten major cities, such as
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
and
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, in order to weaken Northern support for the war and possibly even to obtain foreign recognition of the Confederacy. Davis and Seddon, along with Davis's entire cabinet, except Postmaster-General John Reagan of Texas, agreed upon Lee's plan at these meetings.Coddington, 1968, p. 7 However, further correspondence was exchanged, which made it appear to some later historians that Davis's full approval did not come until May 31. On the other hand, historian Stephen W. Sears states that the further correspondence only concerned Lee's difficulty with D. H. Hill concerning reinforcements and not the plan to invade the North and that Lee began to get his force ready to move north on May 17. Lee completed a reorganization of his army by June 1, 1863 and began preparations to move to Virginia's
Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...
and then into
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
and Pennsylvania. By June 2, 1863, Lee had intelligence that Union forces along the Virginia coast and on the
Virginia Peninsula The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay. It is sometimes known as the ''Lower Peninsula'' to distinguish it from two other peninsulas to the ...
were not contemplating a move against
Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...
, the Confederacy's capital and that Hooker was not prepared to make another strike across the Rappahannock.Coddington, 1968, p. 51.


Beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign

The Confederate Gettysburg Campaign began on June 3, 1863 with the
Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia The Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a military organization within the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during much of the American Civil War. It was officially created and named following the Battle of Sharpsburg in 1862, b ...
, under its new commander,
Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Richard S. Ewell Richard Stoddert Ewell (February 8, 1817 – January 25, 1872) was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. L ...
, moving northwest from the Fredericksburg area to
Culpeper Court House, Virginia Culpeper (formerly Culpeper Courthouse, earlier Fairfax) is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. The population was 20,062 at the 2020 census, up from 16,379 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Culpeper Coun ...
. By the next day, Hooker learned of the Confederate movement but did not know whether Lee was attempting to move north or to attack Hooker's right flank or whether the Confederates were moving their
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
or just cavalry. Hooker proposed to attack Lieutenant General A. P. Hill's Third Corps at Fredericksburg but President
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
and Union Army General-in-Chief
Henry Halleck Henry Wager Halleck (January 16, 1815 – January 9, 1872) was a senior United States Army officer, scholar, and lawyer. A noted expert in military studies, he was known by a nickname that became derogatory: "Old Brains". He was an important par ...
thought that the plan was too risky and would enable Lee to turn his force at Culpeper to attack Hooker's flank, possibly while Hooker's men were engaged in crossing the Rappahannock.Coddington, 1968 p. 53. Hooker gave up the idea. On June 6, 1863, Union
Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
John Buford John Buford, Jr. (March 4, 1826 – December 16, 1863) was a United States Army cavalry officer. He fought for the Union as a brigadier general during the American Civil War. Buford is best known for having played a major role in the first day o ...
informed Hooker that Lee's "movable" force, consisting of six brigades of cavalry, was at Culpeper.Coddington, 1968, p. 54. Buford did not know about the presence of Ewell's Second Corps and two of James Longstreet's First Corps divisions at Culpeper.


Battle of Brandy Station

On June 7, acting on Buford's intelligence, Hooker ordered Major General
Alfred Pleasonton Alfred Pleasonton (June 7, 1824 – February 17, 1897) was a United States Army officer and major general of volunteers in the Union cavalry during the American Civil War. He commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Gett ...
to take his entire cavalry corps and 3,000 infantrymen, a combined force of about 11,000 men including artillerymen, across the Rappahannock River near
Brandy Station, Virginia Brandy Station is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 191. Its original name was Brandy. The name Brandy S ...
and "disperse and destroy" the Confederate force at Culpeper. At dawn on June 9, 1863, Pleasonton's force, divided into two wings commanded by Brigadier General John Buford and Brigadier General
David McMurtrie Gregg David McMurtrie Gregg (April 10, 1833 – August 7, 1916) was an American farmer, diplomat, and a Union cavalry general in the American Civil War. Early life and career Gregg was born in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. He was the first cousin of futu ...
, crossed the Rappahannock at Beverly Ford and Kelly's Ford, about apart.Coddington, 1968, p. 55. They planned to unite at Brandy Station about from Beverly Ford and from Kelly's Ford and then to move west to Culpeper. Buford's wing drove the Confederate pickets from Beverly Ford and surprised the Confederate cavalry camped nearby around Fleetwood Hill, where Stuart had his headquarters, and Brandy Station. The Battle of Brandy Station, the largest cavalry battle of the war, continued until late afternoon with the Confederates ultimately holding Fleetwood Hill.Coddington, 1968, p. 58. With Confederate infantry approaching the area, Pleasonton made an orderly withdrawal across the Rappahannock. Stuart called the battle a victory but he was subjected to criticism for being surprised and for the losses inflicted on his men by Pleasonton's force. To Stuart's chagrin, for the first time in the war, the Union cavalry came out of a battle with the Confederate cavalry on roughly even terms.


Troop movements and cavalry actions

Between June 9 and June 15, 1863, Lee contended with Davis and Seddon, and with the commander of Confederate forces in North Carolina and Southeast Virginia, Major General
Daniel Harvey Hill Lieutenant-General Daniel Harvey Hill (July 12, 1821 – September 24, 1889), commonly known as D. H. Hill, was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the eastern and western theaters of the American Civil Wa ...
, about the number and veteran status of the units to be left behind to guard Richmond and the coastal areas of Virginia and North Carolina. On June 15, Lee began to concentrate his entire army for the offensive.Coddington, 1968, p. 69. He had already ordered Ewell to proceed with the Second Corp to the Shenandoah Valley on June 10. After the Battle of Brandy Station, Hooker was persuaded by Pleasonton that Confederate infantry were at Culpeper and began to move his corps to the west, eventually spreading the Army of the Potomac over a line from Fredericksburg to Beverly Ford. On June 13, Hooker heard that the First Corps and Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia were headed toward the Shenandoah Valley. On June 14, he ordered the right wing of his army to concentrate at
Manassas Junction, Virginia Manassas (), formerly Manassas Junction, is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of ...
and the left wing to go to
Dumfries, Virginia Dumfries, officially the Town of Dumfries, is a town in Prince William County, Virginia. The population was 4,961 at the 2010 United States Census. Geography Dumfries is located at (38.567853, −77.324591). According to the United States ...
after withdrawing government property from depots north of Fredericksburg, especially the base at
Aquia Creek Aquia Creek () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 tributary of the tidal segment of the Potomac River and is located in northern Virginia. The creek's h ...
. Hooker moved his headquarters to Dumfries and then to Fairfax Station and then to Fairfax Court House.Coddington, 1968, p. 74.Rafuse, Ethan S. ''Robert E. Lee and The Fall of the Confederacy, 1863-1865''. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2008; Paperback edition, 2009. . p. 51. By leaving the Fredericksburg line, Hooker enabled Lee to order Hill to go to Culpeper and Longstreet to proceed to the Shenandoah Valley without concern that Hooker would try to cross the Rappahannock and make a strike toward Richmond. Two Confederate cavalry brigades under William E. Jones ("Grumble" Jones) and Wade Hampton III screened the movement of A. P. Hill's Corps to Culpeper. The Confederate and Union forces, mostly cavalry, fought daily in the
Loudoun Valley The Loudoun Valley is a small, but historically significant valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains located in Loudoun County in Northern Virginia in the United States. Geography The lush and fertile valley lies between Catoctin Mountain and the B ...
area between the
Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...
and the
Bull Run Mountains The Bull Run Mountains are a mountain range of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Virginia in the United States. Located approximately east of the main chain, across the Loudoun Valley. The Bull Run Mountains, together with Catoctin Mounta ...
during the week after June 17, 1863 as the two armies tried to learn each other's positions and movements or to prevent their opposition from gathering such information about their own forces. Although the Confederates kept the Union cavalry east of the Blue Ridge, Pleasanton and Gregg concluded that only Confederate cavalry was east of the Blue Ridge when in fact Longstreet's corps was spread out east of the mountains for some days that week.Coddington, 1968, p. 79.


Battle of Upperville

With Hooker's permission, on June 21, Pleasonton left two infantry brigades at Middleburg to guard his line of communications and took five cavalry brigades and
Colonel (United States) The colonel () in the United States Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force, is the most senior field-grade military officer rank, immediately above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general. Colonel ...
Strong Vincent's infantry brigade to attack Stuart's five cavalry brigades near
Upperville, Virginia Upperville is a small unincorporated town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States, along U.S. Route 50 fifty miles from downtown Washington, D.C., near the Loudoun County line. Founded in the 1790s along Pantherskin Creek, it was originally nam ...
. At the Battle of Upperville, Pleasonton's force drove Stuart's five brigades from the town and into
Ashby's Gap Ashby Gap, more commonly known as Ashby's Gap is a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the border of Clarke County, Loudoun County and Fauquier County in Virginia. The gap is traversed by U.S. Route 50. The Appalachian trail also passes acros ...
. Pleasonton was satisfied with this result and did not try to push Stuart across the mountains. Stuart had kept Pleasonton from finding the Confederate infantry. Near nightfall, however, Brigadier General John Buford's scouts rode up a nearby ridge and spied Confederate infantry camps in the Shenandoah Valley.Longacre, Edward G. ''The Cavalry at Gettysburg: A Tactical Study of Mounted Operations during the Civil War's Pivotal Campaign, 9 June–14 July 1863''. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1986. . p. 132. The minor Union victory at Upperville which resulted in the capture of one or two Confederate artillery pieces and about 250 Confederate prisoners also resulted in gathering some useful intelligence about the disposition of part of Lee's infantry The action also delayed the march of two infantry divisions of Lee's army in order for the Confederates to be sure to hold Ashby's Gap and to have a force available at
Shepherdstown, West Virginia Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, located in the lower Shenandoah Valley along the Potomac River. Home to Shepherd University, the town's population was 1,734 at the time of ...
if Union troops moved toward the Shenandoah Valley and were able to break through. Stuart again came in for criticism in Southern newspapers for being surprised and defeated at Upperville. Lee soon learned that Pleasonton had withdrawn to
Aldie, Virginia Aldie is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located between Chantilly, Virginia, Chantilly and Middleburg, Virginia, Middleburg in Loudoun County, Virginia, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. Th ...
. He then knew he could leave the heavily reinforced positions in Virginia and hasten his movement into Maryland and Pennsylvania.Coddington, 1968, p. 107. Ewell's corps, with Albert G. Jenkins's cavalry brigade were to march toward the
Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...
to gather food and supplies.Coddington, 1968, p. 106. Lee ordered Brigadier General
John D. Imboden John Daniel Imboden (; February 16, 1823August 15, 1895), American lawyer, Virginia state legislator, and a Confederate army general. During the American Civil War, he commanded an irregular cavalry force. After the war, he resumed practicing la ...
to lead his cavalry brigade across the Potomac to join Ewell's corps if opportunity offered, but Imboden decided he did not have that opportunity and stayed behind.


Beginning of Stuart's ride

Stuart now sought to take a useful role in the campaign and perhaps, according to some historians, to redeem his reputation and to secure the glory of another ride around the Union Army. On June 22, Lee gave Stuart discretionary orders for his movement to Pennsylvania with the important point being: "If you find that he
he enemy He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
is moving northward, and that two brigades can guard the Blue Ridge and take care of your rear, you can move with the other three into Maryland, and take position on General Ewell's right."Rhodes, Charles Dudley
''History of the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac''
Kansas City, MO: Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Co., 1900. . Retrieved June 27, 2013. p. 53.
Lee wrote to Stuart again on June 23 in an apparent effort to clarify his orders as follows: "You will, however, be able to judge whether you can pass around their Army without hindrance, doing them all the damage you can, and cross the river east of the mountains. In either case, after crossing the river, you must move on and feel the right of Ewell's troops." Lee's orders did not give Stuart a specific route to follow.Longacre, 1986, p. 150. Confederate Colonel
Edward Porter Alexander Edward Porter Alexander (May 26, 1835 – April 28, 1910) was an American military engineer, railroad executive, planter, and author. He served first as an officer in the United States Army and later, during the American Civil War (1861–1865) ...
, chief of artillery of Longstreet's corps, stated "Stuart made to Lee a very unwise proposition, which Lee more unwisely entertained." Major
John S. Mosby John Singleton Mosby (December 6, 1833 – May 30, 1916), also known by his nickname "Gray Ghost", was a Confederate army cavalry battalion commander in the American Civil War. His command, the 43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, known as Mosb ...
, scouting for Stuart with a small group of partisan rangers, told Stuart that Stuart could cut through the separated Union corps, cross the Potomac at Seneca Ford, northwest of Washington, D.C., and disrupt Hooker's communications and supplies, possibly even divert his army toward the defense of Washington.Coddington, 1968, p. 109. Stuart was eager to restore his reputation after being surprised and evenly fought at Brandy Station and Upperville. After Mosby reported that Hooker did not seem to be moving, on June 24 Stuart used the discretion in his orders to follow Mosby's advice and attempt to ride through and around the Union Army and, as he said thereafter, to meet Ewell at York, Pennsylvania. Historian Edwin B. Coddington said the directive to damage the Union forces on the way was an invitation to delay.Coddington, 1968, p. 111. Taking his three most experienced brigades under
Brigadier Generals Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed to ...
Wade Hampton, III and
Fitzhugh Lee Fitzhugh Lee (November 19, 1835 – April 28, 1905) was a Confederate cavalry general in the American Civil War, the 40th Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish–American War. He was the son of Sydney Smi ...
and Colonel John R. Chambliss, Jr. in temporary command of W.H.F. "Rooney" Lee's brigade because Lee had been wounded, Stuart left the brigades of Brigadier Generals
Beverly Robertson Beverly Holcombe Robertson (June 5, 1827 – December 12, 1910) was a cavalry officer in the United States Army on the Western frontier and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. Early life Robertson was born on a ...
and "Grumble" Jones with all but one of his artillery batteries to guard the mountain passes and to catch up with the infantry after the Union forces had departed. After spending June 24 in preparation and concentrating his forces at Salem, now
Marshall, Virginia Marshall is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated town in northwestern Fauquier County, Virginia, in the United States. The population as of the 2010 census was 1,480. History Marshall was originally known as "Salem". It became Ma ...
, Stuart started for
Haymarket, Virginia Haymarket is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,552 as of the 2020 census. History Haymarket is on land that was a hunting ground of the western Iroquois nations, who came from the New York and Penns ...
by way of Glasscock Gap in the Bull Run Mountains on June 25.Coddington, 1968, p. 112. Before reaching his objective, Stuart ran into Union Major General Winfield Scott Hancock's
II corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to: France * 2nd Army Corps (France) * II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...
. Stuart fired a few artillery shells, then withdrew, sent Fitzhugh Lee's brigade to
Gainesville, Virginia Gainesville is a census-designated place (CDP) in western Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 17,287 in the 2020 census. History Gainesville was once a changing point for stagecoach horses on the Fauquier & Alexan ...
and stopped at
Buckland, Virginia Buckland is an unincorporated community in Prince William County, Virginia. Established in 1798, Buckland was an early inland stagecoach town, situated along the Fauquier and Alexandria Turnpike. An 1855 gazetteer described it as having "1 church ...
with his other two brigades in order to allow his horses to graze as they had no forage. The incident with Hancock's corps prevented Stuart from meeting again with Mosby. Instead of turning back to catch up with the infantry as quickly as possible, Stuart waited for Mosby for ten hours on June 26, then marched for and again grazed his horses near
Wolf Run Shoals Wolf Run Shoals was an important crossing point on the Occoquan River in northern Virginia between Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria and Richmond, Virginia, Richmond during the 18th and 19th centuries. It consisted of three islands and a mill, now ...
on the
Occoquan River The Occoquan River is a tributary of the Potomac River in Northern Virginia, where it serves as part of the boundary between Fairfax and Prince William counties. The river is a scenic area, and several local high schools and colleges use the r ...
before moving on toward Fairfax Station early on June 27.Coddington, 1968, p. 113.


Battle


Reconnaissance of the 11th New York Cavalry

On June 26, 1863, the U.S. War Department ordered
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
James B. Swain of the 11th Regiment New York Volunteer Cavalry ("Scott's 900"), which was part of the XXII Corps of the Union Army stationed in the Washington, D.C. defenses, to send a squad of troops to scout in the vicinity of
Centreville, Virginia Centreville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States and a suburb of Washington, D.C. The population was 73,518 as of the 2020 census. Centreville is approximately west of Washington, D.C. History Colonia ...
and to guard any remaining army supplies at Fairfax Court House.Dagwell, George A. Chapter VIII: ''The Fairfax Fight'' in Smith, Thomas West
''The Story of a Cavalry Regiment: "Scott's 900" Eleventh New York Cavalry: From the St. Lawrence River to the Gulf of Mexico, 1861–1865''
Chicago: The Veterans Association of the Regiment, 1897. . Retrieved June 26, 2013. p. 76.
Swain sent the regiment's B and C companies, 82 enlisted men and Captain Alexander G. Campbell, First Lieutenant Albert B. Holmes, Second Lieutenant Augustus B. Hazelton, and First Lieutenant George A. Dagwell, under the command of Major Seth Pierre Remington, on the mission.Hartwell, Charles A
Chapter VIII (part): ''The Fairfax Fight''
in Smith, Thomas West
''The Story of a Cavalry Regiment: "Scott's 900" Eleventh New York Cavalry: From the St. Lawrence River to the Gulf of Mexico, 1861–1865''
Chicago: The Veterans Association of the Regiment, 1897. . Retrieved June 26, 2013. p. 85.
O'Neill, Robert F. ''Chasing Jeb Stuart and John Mosby: The Union Cavalry in Northern Virginia from Second Manassas to Gettysburg''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2012. . p. 243. The detachment left the same afternoon and by 10:00 p.m., the troops were camped at Fairfax Court House which the Union Army had left the day before. Fires of coffee and bacon from the Union Army depot were burning when the squad arrived and the men saw what they decided must be local citizens examining the area and scavenging during the night.


The fighting begins

Early on June 27, 1863, the New York troops left for Centreville.Dagwell, 1897, p. 77. They watered their horses at a small stream crossing the road just outside Fairfax Court House, which would be the scene of some action when they returned. Upon their arrival at Centreville, about 10:00 a.m., they found some Union Army hospital supplies which they inventoried and put in the care of a local storekeeper. The soldiers thought they had seen mounted men in the woods in the direction of Fairfax Station. When they started their return trip, the cavalrymen came under fire from the woods about three miles from Fairfax Court House. Major Remington sent two squads of four dismounted men into the woods to investigate. One of the men's horses bolted and started to run toward Fairfax Court House. Lt. Dagwell pursued the runaway horse and met the advanced guard of four men of the detachment just outside their old camp where they found citizens loading wagons with everything of value that had not been removed or burned by the Union Army in their move north. As Lt. Dagwell found the horse entering the courtyard of the courthouse, he saw that the yard was filled with what he estimated to be about 65 Confederate troops.O'Neill, 2012, p. 244. Believing the Confederates must be some of Major John S. Mosby's partisans, Dagwell turned his horse and fled as the Confederates fired at him. When Lt. Dagwell returned to the area of the stream crossing the road into town and the rest of the New York troops came up, they found Confederates were drawn up in line in the woods up a ravine across the stream outside of town.Dagwell, 1897, p. 78. Dagwell's company, under fire but with no one hit, charged the Confederates, sending them retreating down the road to Fairfax Station. Dagwell, Holmes and a few troops pursued the last of the fleeing Confederates, killing one and capturing a few others.


Pursuit toward Fairfax Station

About one-half mile east of Fairfax Station, Stuart's staff officers, Major Andrew Reid Venable, Major Henry B. McClellan and Captain
John Esten Cooke John Esten Cooke (November 3, 1830 – September 27, 1886) was an American novelist, writer and poet. He was the brother of poet Philip Pendleton Cooke. During the American Civil War, Cooke was a staff officer for Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart in the ...
along with a courier, were eating breakfast at the house of a blacksmith who was shoeing their horses.Wittenberg, 2006, p. 11. They were disturbed by some of the 11th New York cavalrymen running by on the road. Cooke did not immediately flee because he wanted to have his horses shoed but when a second group from the 11th New York Cavalry approached, Cooke barely escaped. Continuing his pursuit, Dagwell came to the crest of a hill near Fairfax Station where the road led down to Fairfax Station and where a few Union troops who had outpaced him had halted. They saw what Dagwell estimated was "at least" 2,000 Confederate troops and an
artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to fac ...
. The New Yorkers had come upon Stuart's force on their way north. Dagwell then realized that the small force they had driven from Fairfax Court House was not a group of Mosby's men but the advance guard of at least an entire Confederate brigade.Dagwell, 1897, p. 81. Dagwell sent a soldier with the freshest-looking horse back to tell Remington of the situation and that he and the eight men with him would return as soon as their horses could recover from their just completed pursuit. Dagwell and his eight men had to rest their horses but Dagwell could see the Confederates mounting up only about six hundred yards from his small squad.


Action near Fairfax Station

Before the Confederates could approach Dagwell and his men, Major Remington appeared with the rest of the detachment. When informed of the situation, Remington did not try to flee but ordered his men in line at the crest of the hill where Dagwell had viewed the 2,000-man Confederate force. Meanwhile, Stuart had heard about the encounter with his staff officers and ordered Brigadier General Wade Hampton III to bring up the lead regiment quickly to meet the threat.Wittenberg, 2006, p. 12. The advance unit of the Confederates, the 1st North Carolina Cavalry, then came over the hill and moved to within 30 yards of the Union line but did not move further forward despite orders which Dagwell could hear. When the Union troops did not surrender after about 15 seconds, the opposing forces began to shoot at each other.Dagwell, 1897, p. 82. Major Remington then ordered his squad to charge the Confederate force, which Dagwell had just told him must be an entire brigade of Confederate cavalry and had correctly estimated as being a minimum of 2,000 men.O'Neill, 2012. p. 245.Wittenberg, 2006, p. 13. The advance Confederates broke into the woods and Dagwell followed, only to soon find that he was alone. When he came out to the point the New Yorkers had formed their line, he found only five Union men but also saw several dead and wounded Confederates, including a dead Confederate major beside the road. Major John H. Whitaker, commander of the 1st North Carolina Cavalry was killed during the action.Longacre, 1986, p. 153.O'Neill, 2012, p. 246. Sergeant Charles A. Hartwell stated that the New Yorkers killed 5 Confederates and took 14 prisoners in the initial action. Hartwell soon found himself with about a dozen men, including Major Remington, cut off from the other Union troops. Remington and a few others, including Sergeant H. O. Morris, in the face of overwhelming numbers, had retreated from the nearby hill to which Remington had moved most of the men after their initial charge.Morris, 1897, p. 89. When he saw the Union movement, Hampton thought they were trying to position themselves to attack the rear of his force and sent a squadron to outflank them, virtually surrounding the majority of the Union men.Wittenberg, 2006, p. 15. Sergeant Morris shot a Confederate officer who assaulted Major Remington during the melee that ensued during the fight for escape of the New Yorkers not trapped on the hill.Wittenberg, p. 2006, p. 16. After desperate fighting with pistols and sabers, Remington determined the situation was hopeless and ordered the men with him to withdraw.Hartwell, 1897, p. 86. Remington, Captain Campbell and 9 men including Sergeant Hartwell escaped along the railroad to a road that led to
Annandale, Virginia Annandale () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia. After a brief encounter with a squad of Confederate cavalry along the way, Remington and his party reached the
Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...
and the Washington, D.C. defenses. Historian Robert F. O'Neill states that at least three of the Union troopers were killed, one mortally wounded, 14 wounded and captured, 19 captured and 4 seriously wounded and left at a nearby home. The walking wounded and able-bodied were taken along by the Confederates as prisoners.


Capture of Lt. Dagwell and men

Meanwhile, Lt. Dagwell soon determined that they were cut off from the main body of the detachment and had no choice but to retreat. After withdrawing from the area of the fight, Dagwell and his small group headed for Fairfax Court House, picking up another 11th New York cavalryman and a few prisoners whom he had been left to guard.Dagwell, 1897, p. 83. After a brief fight, the Union troops scattered five or six Confederates who came upon them. With about eight men and five prisoners, Dagwell headed out on the road to Washington. Arriving at Annandale, Dagwell was wounded in an unsuccessful effort to evade capture and he and as many as eighteen men, including some he had picked up along the way, were captured by men of Fitzhugh Lee's brigade which had been detached from Stuart's other two brigades to proceed up the
Orange and Alexandria Railroad The Orange and Alexandria Railroad (O&A) was a railroad in Virginia, United States. Chartered in 1848, it eventually extended from Alexandria to Gordonsville, with another section from Charlottesville to Lynchburg. The road played a crucial rol ...
and capture supplies.O'Neill, 2012, pp. 246–247. Lee's brigade also captured a sutler's wagon train and more prisoners at Annandale.


Delay at Fairfax Court House; Stuart's report

Since Hooker's final headquarters before his departure from Virginia was at Fairfax Court House, Stuart's men found considerable amounts of supplies still intact there. This allowed Stuart's men to profitably plunder the Union Army depot at Fairfax Court House, including two warehouses and a sutler's wagon, after the end of the engagement.Wert, 2008, p. 269.Longacre, 2002, p. 207. After his men had eaten and rested for one or two hours, Stuart got his men back on the move toward
Dranesville, Virginia Dranesville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Dranesville is located on the Leesburg Pike (State Route 7) at its intersection with Georgetown Pike ( State Route 193). The U.S. Census Bureau defines Dran ...
. Stuart sent a letter to General Lee about the action at Fairfax Court House and the direction of march of Hooker's army.Wittenberg, 2006, p. 20 Although a copy of the letter reached the Confederate War Department at Richmond, the message never reached General Lee. The fight at Fairfax Court House had delayed Stuart by almost an additional half a day. Lt. Dagwell commented that the fight at Fairfax was another lesson to the Confederates from June 1863 that Union troops were ready to dispute with them. He and Sergeant Morris commented on the delay caused to Stuart by the action and its effect on his late arrival at Gettysburg.


Aftermath


Stuart's movement across the Potomac River

After resting for several hours at Fairfax Court House, Stuart moved on to Dranesville, Virginia, where Fitzhugh Lee's brigade rejoined him. Stuart then decided to cross the Potomac River that night at Rowser's Ford. Because of the higher than normal water level, the Confederate crossing was not completed until 3:00 a.m. on June 28. From Union prisoners captured at the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal and occasionally called the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac River between Washington, D.C. and Cumberland, Maryland. It replaced the Potomac Canal, wh ...
just north of the river, Stuart learned that Hooker had been at
Poolesville, Maryland Poolesville is a U.S. town in the western portion of Montgomery County, Maryland. The population was 5,742 at the 2020 United States Census. It is surrounded by (but is technically not part of) the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve, and is ...
to the west on the previous day and that the Army of the Potomac was headed north toward
Frederick, Maryland Frederick is a city in and the county seat of Frederick County, Maryland. It is part of the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area. Frederick has long been an important crossroads, located at the intersection of a major north–south Native ...
.Longacre, 1986, p. 155. From this intelligence, Stuart realized he should attempt to join Ewell as soon as possible. Stuart nonetheless delayed his ride to capture a Union Army wagon train near
Rockville, Maryland Rockville is a city that serves as the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fifth-largest community in ...
and to take additional prisoners, including a few fugitives from the 11th New York Cavalry.Coddington, 1968, p. 198. He proceeded another to Brookeville, Maryland that day.Coddington, 1968, p. 199.


Parole of the Union prisoners

Stuart realized that the prisoners would further delay and burden his men on the move if he continue to take them along.Longacre, 1986, p. 157. At Brookeville, on June 28, before the Confederates paroled the prisoners, Stuart interrogated one of the prisoners from the 11th New York Cavalry, asking how many men had made the charge.Wittenberg, 2006, p. 17. He was truthfully told that it was a single squadron and was not part of Pleasonton's command. Stuart reportedly responded: "And you charged my command with eighty-two men? Give me five hundred such men and I will charge through the Army of the Potomac with them." Stuart also approached Lt. Dagwell during the interrogation in an effort to discover whether Captain Campbell, who reportedly had threatened to execute Confederate prisoners, was among the 11th New York Cavalry prisoners. During the night of June 28 and into the early morning on June 29, Stuart's
adjutant general An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...
and chief of staff, Major Henry B. McClellan and other staff officers spent time and energy paroling prisoners, including those from the 11th New York Cavalry.


Stuart's movement to Gettysburg

On the evening of June 29, Stuart's advance party, the 4th Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, chased two companies of the 1st Delaware Cavalry Regiment a long distance down the road to Baltimore from
Westminster, Maryland Westminster is a city in northern Maryland, United States. It is the seat of Carroll County. The city's population was 18,590 at the 2010 census. Westminster is an outlying community within the Baltimore-Towson, MD MSA, which is part of a greate ...
, losing two lieutenants in the process. On June 30, the riders leading Stuart's column saw a large column of Union cavalry across their path. Encumbered by the wagon train and some new prisoners, Stuart's vanguard clashed with Union cavalry under the command of Brigadier General
Judson Kilpatrick Hugh Judson Kilpatrick (January 14, 1836 – December 4, 1881) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, achieving the rank of brevet major general. He was later the United States Minister to Chile and an unsuccessful cand ...
at the
Battle of Hanover The Battle of Hanover took place on June 30, 1863, in Hanover in southwestern York County, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate cavalry, which was riding north to get ...
near
Hanover, Pennsylvania Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland and is north of the Mason-Dixon line. The town is situated in a productive agricultural region. The population was 16,429 at the ...
. When the engagement broke off, Stuart detoured five miles to the east through Jefferson, Pennsylvania and waited until nightfall to resume his ride in order to better protect the threat from Kilpatrick's force to his left flank, including the wagons.Coddington, 1968, p. 201. In the morning, Brigadier General Fitzhugh Lee's brigade, while proceeding across the road between York and Gettysburg, discovered that Major General
Jubal Early Jubal Anderson Early (November 3, 1816 – March 2, 1894) was a Virginia lawyer and politician who became a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Trained at the United States Military Academy, Early resigned his U.S. Army commissio ...
had marched west towards Gettysburg. He sent a staff officer in that direction to locate Early. The officer, Major Andrew R. Venable, found General Lee and Lieutenant General Ewell near Gettysburg. Despite Lee's intelligence, Stuart did not try to follow Early's route but moved away from Gettysburg toward
Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census, ...
in an effort to find supplies and part of the Confederate Army. Instead, he found Carlisle in possession of Union militia supported by artillery and a cavalry force. As Stuart began to attack the town, he received orders from General Lee, who learned Stuart's location through Venable, to take a position on the left flank of the Army of Northern Virginia at Gettysburg.Coddington, 1968, p. 202. On July 2, his force rode to Gettysburg, arriving in the afternoon.Coddington, 1968, p. 207.


Effect of the Battle at Fairfax on Stuart's ride; subsequent criticism

In the account published in Thomas West Smith's book in 1897, Lt. Dagwell noted that the fight at Fairfax prevented Stuart from crossing the Potomac on June 27, contributing to his delay in rejoining the Army of Northern Virginia before the Battle of Gettysburg. Historian Eric Wittenberg has stated: "The brave, desperate and hopeless charge of the 11th New York Cavalry at Fairfax Court House hindered Stuart for half a day." Because the Confederates were defeated at Gettysburg, they sought to explain the defeat based on their own failures and weaknesses. Stuart received more criticism for his delay in rejoining the main body of the Confederate army than most other Confederate commanders for their failures. The criticism came not just from civilians but from his army colleagues. On the other hand, modern historians Wittenberg and Petruzzi, after examining Stuart's ride and how Robert E. Lee fought the Battle of Gettysburg, and admitting that any analysis based on Stuart's cavalry rejoining the Army of Northern Virginia earlier in the campaign was speculative, concluded that the Confederates would have lost the battle whether Stuart had shown up earlier or not. A Confederate officer later recounted: "I think that without exception the most gallant charge, and the most desperate resistance that we ever met from the Federal cavalry, was at Fairfax, June 1863, when Stuart made a raid around the Union Army just before the battle of Gettysburg."Dagwell, 1897. p. 84.Fairfax Court House and its immediate vicinity would be the scene of several small battles or skirmishes and raids during the war. Other skirmishes or small battles at Fairfax Court House occurred on June 1, 1861 (a skirmish which was the first engagement between uniformed land forces of both sides), July 17, 1861, November 18, 1861, November 27, 1861, September 2, 1862, December 27, 1862, December 28, 1862, January 9, 1863, January 28, 1863, June 4, 1863, June 27, 1863, August 6, 1863, August 24, 1863. Mosby's Fairfax Court House Raid occurred March 9, 1863. Operations were conducted around Fairfax Court House on July 28–August 3, 1863. Expeditions were conducted from Fairfax Court House August 4, 1863 and December 26–27, 1864. Scouts were conducted from Fairfax Court House on December 24–25, 1861, May 27–29, 1863, February 6–7, 1865, February 15–16, 1865 and April 8–10, 1865. Several other skirmishes occurred in the vicinity of Fairfax Court House or at nearby
Fairfax Station, Virginia Fairfax Station is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 12,030 at the 2010 census. Located in Northern Virginia, its center is located southwest of Washington, D.C. Geography Fairfax Sta ...
. Dyer, Frederick H
''A compendium of the War of the Rebellion''
pp. 885–886. Des Moines, IA: The Dyer Publishing Company, 1908. . Retrieved May 24, 2011.


See also

*
Battle of Fairfax Court House (June 1861) The Battle of Fairfax Court House was the first land engagement of the American Civil War with fatal casualties. On June 1, 1861, a Union scouting party clashed with the local militia in the village of Fairfax, Virginia, resulting in the firs ...
, an earlier battle on the same site


Notes


References

* Coddington, Edwin B. ''The Gettysburg Campaign: A study in command.'' New York: Scribner's, 1968. . * Dagwell, George A. Chapter VIII (part): ''The Fairfax Fight'' in Smith, Thomas West
''The Story of a Cavalry Regiment: "Scott's 900" Eleventh New York Cavalry: From the St. Lawrence River to the Gulf of Mexico, 1861–1865''
Chicago: The Veterans Association of the Regiment, 1897. . Retrieved June 26, 2013. * Dagwell, George A. Chapter VIII (part): ''Three Days with Stuart's Cavalry'' in Smith, Thomas West
''The Story of a Cavalry Regiment: "Scott's 900" Eleventh New York Cavalry: From the St. Lawrence River to the Gulf of Mexico, 1861–1865''
Chicago: The Veterans Association of the Regiment, 1897. . Retrieved June 26, 2013. * Dyer, Frederick H
''A compendium of the War of the Rebellion''
pp. 885–886. Des Moines, IA: The Dyer Publishing Company, 1908. . Retrieved May 24, 2011. * Eicher, David J. ''The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001. . * Hartley, Chris J
''Stuart's Tarheels: James B. Gordon and His North Carolina Cavalry in the Civil War''
Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., Inc., 2011. . * Hartwell, Charles A. Chapter VIII (part): ''The Fairfax Fight'' in Smith, Thomas West
''The Story of a Cavalry Regiment: "Scott's 900" Eleventh New York Cavalry: From the St. Lawrence River to the Gulf of Mexico, 1861–1865''
Chicago: The Veterans Association of the Regiment, 1897. . Retrieved June 26, 2013. * Long, E. B. ''The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac, 1861–1865.'' Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1971. . * Longacre, Edward G. ''The Cavalry at Gettysburg: A Tactical Study of Mounted Operations during the Civil War's Pivotal Campaign, 9 June–14 July 1863''. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1986. . * Longacre, Edward G. ''Lee's Cavalrymen: A History of the Mounted Forces of the Army of Northern Virginia''. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2002. . * McPherson, James M. '' Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era''. Oxford History of the United States. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. . * Morris, H. O. "Recollections of the Fairfax Fight" in Chapter VIII (part): ''The Fairfax Fight'' in Smith, Thomas West
''The Story of a Cavalry Regiment: "Scott's 900" Eleventh New York Cavalry: From the St. Lawrence River to the Gulf of Mexico, 1861–1865''
Chicago: The Veterans Association of the Regiment, 1897. . Retrieved June 26, 2013. * O'Neill, Robert F. ''Chasing Jeb Stuart and John Mosby: The Union Cavalry in Northern Virginia from Second Manassas to Gettysburg''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2012. . * Phisterer, Frederick
''New York in the War of the Rebellion''
3rd ed. Vol. 2. Albany, NY: J. B. Lyon Company, State Printers, 1912. . Retrieved June 27, 2013. * Poland, Jr., Charles P
''The Glories Of War: Small Battle And Early Heroes Of 1861''
Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2006. . p. 249. Retrieved May 10, 2011. * Rafuse, Ethan S. ''Robert E. Lee and The Fall of the Confederacy, 1863-1865''. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2008; Paperback edition, 2009. . * Rhodes, Charles Dudley
''History of the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac''
Kansas City, MO: Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Co., 1900. . Retrieved June 27, 2013. * Sears, Stephen W. ''Gettysburg''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003. . * Weigley, Russell F. ''A Great Civil War: A Military and Political History, 1861–1865''. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2000. . * Wert, Jeffry D. ''Cavalryman of the Lost Cause: A Biography of J.E.B. Stuart''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008. . * Wittenberg, Eric J., and J. David Petruzzi. ''Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg''. New York: Savas Beatie, 2006. . * Woodworth, Steven E., and Kenneth J. Winkle. ''Oxford Atlas of the Civil War''. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Fairfax Court House (June 1863) Battles of the Gettysburg campaign Battles of the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War Confederate victories of the American Civil War Conflicts in 1863 Fairfax County in the American Civil War Battles of the American Civil War in Virginia 1863 in Virginia June 1863 events