Did You Know?

That the cavalry battles along Route 50 from June 17-21, 1863, were the second largest cavalry engagement in the history of North America?  The Battle of Brandy Station, June 9, 1863 was the biggest.  Click on this link to learn more about these two cavalry battles.

Background on the two cavalry battles has been provided by Childs Burden:

The Battle of Brandy Station occurred on June 9th, 1863. Stuart's force consisted of about 9,500 cavalry troopers organized in five brigades. Pleasonton’s force was organized into two wings one of which had infantry present, about 3,000 infantry. His cavalry force numbered about 9,000 troopers. Altogether about 22,000 were involved. Total cavalry between 18,000 and 19,000. Total casualties numbered just over 1,400 men nearly all in the cavalry units as the infantry was never really deployed.

The Aldie, Middleburg and Upperville actions occurring on June 17, June 19 and June 21 respectively, were engagements that built up to a climax when Upperville was fought. The Battle of Aldie started as a meeting engagement surprising both sides. Stuart had one of his brigades fully deployed -- about 2,000 troopers. Pleasonton had parts of two brigades deployed numbering about the same force for a total of 4,000 troopers fighting in some very dramatic charges.

When the Battle of Middleburg was fought on June 19 both sides had been reinforced with additional units. The Federal Cavalry Division of John Buford was up with about 4,000 men in two brigades. He deployed them north of Route 50, where he ran into parts of two brigades of Stuart's cavalry. They skirmished up around Pot House intersection but did not heavily engage. Along Route 50, just west of town to the Kirk's Branch Road, parts of Gregg's Division fought two brigades of Stuart's cavalry. Perhaps total forces deployed here numbered about 6,000 men. Much of the fighting here was with dismounted cavalry, that is, one in four stood back holding the horses with the balance moving forward in attack formation on foot.

By the time Battle of Upperville was fought on June 21, Stuart has his full cavalry force of five brigades up and engaged and both Gregg and Buford's Divisions were up and deployed as well as infantry support. Strong Vincent's Brigade of the Fifth Corps. marched up from Gum Springs (Arcola) to take part in this battle. This famed Brigade, about 1,400 men, was the brigade that would have a date with destiny atop Little Round Top at Gettysburg eleven days later. The  20th Maine was part of the brigade as was the 16th Michigan, 83rd Pennsylvania and the 44rth New York.

The infantry helped Pleasonton push Stuart's men steadily westward past Goose Creek when the infantry, now exhausted after there nearly 20 miles of marching and fighting fell out of the fight. The fighting around Upperville was intense, stirrup to stirrup and saber to saber. Along Route 50 and from Aryshire Farm on the Trappe Road south to Route 50, perhaps 3,000 Southern cavalry against 5,800 Federal cavalry were both deployed and engaged with other units present but not in the action. The horse artillery on both sides were very active with a total of nine batteries of some 25 to 30 cannon. Standing atop Vineyard Hill (just east of Upperville) it would have been possible to see nearly 9,000 cavalry troopers in dramatic charges and counter charges with plenty of artillery in action. The casualties during these three days of battles numbered about 1,360 men and untold scores of horses.