THE CIVIL WAR: THE TRUE STORY BOOK 1

please furnish better mules..."- JEB Stuart's 1862 Christmas Raid,

After the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia settled in the area south of the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg. On Christmas day, Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered Maj. Gen. JEB Stuart to lead a daring raid on the rear of the Federal Army of the Potomac (then encamped in Stafford County). Lee wrote to Stuart "penetrate the enemy's rear, ascertain if possible his position & movements, & inflict upon him such damage as circumstances will permit." Taking with him 1,800 ca  valrymen and a battery of horse artillery, Stuart set off on December 26th and set out looking for Federal supply depots and trains. Crossing the Rappahannock at Kelly's Ford, Stuart ordered Brig. Gen. Wade Hampton to take his brigade and move on Occoquan while forces under Brig. Gen. Fitz Lee and Brig. Gen. W.H.F Rooney Lee moved eastward toward the Federal base at Dumfries.

Defending the old colonial port town was Col. Charles Candy and a mixed force of infantry and cavalry, mostly Ohio and Pennsylvania troops. Due to several previous raids in the area by Wade Hampton, Candy was reinforced by an infantry brigade. Candy and his men were on the lookout for raiding parties as two previous raids on Dumfries were successful in capturing supplies and wagons. As the Confederates approached from the south, Stuart ordered a two prong attack on the garrison. Led by Gens. Fitzhugh Lee and W.H.F. Rooney Lee, the Confederates assaulted Dumfries from the north and south. Stuart's Horse Artillery bombarded the town, destroying many buildings, but Candy's Federals repulsed numerous attacks. The losses on both sides were relatively light. Stymied at Dumfries, Stuart's cavalry continued on to Occoquan to join Hampton's brigade in search of supplies. The pro-Unionist town sat along the Occoquan River and was familiar to many of the Confederates as it served as their winter encampment the previous December.   Hampton's men quickly charged into town and cleared the picket post, capturing several unsuspecting Federals. With their presence now alerted to Federal cavalry, Stuart sent out various reconnaissances. Stuart also needed to weigh the benefit and risk of remaining so deep behind enemy lines. On December 28th Gen. Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry brigade encountered 250 men of the 2nd and 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry on a reconnaissance and drove them back to Selecman's Ford. The Confederate cavalry with Maj. John Pelham's horse artillery charged single file across the ford and pursued the Federals two miles into Fairfax County where they sacked and burned a Union camp. The outnumbered Federals lost 2 officers killed, 10 enlisted wounded, and 100 men captured.

Early on the morning of December 29th, Stuart and his men approached Burke's Station along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad in Fairfax County. Easily capturing the unprotected station and telegraph office. Stuart and his scouts spent time reading all the dispatches between Federal commanders along the telegraph – giving him valuable intelligence on where Federal forces were and how they perceived Stuart's raid.   Stuart learned where the Federal commander, Gen. Edwin Stoughton, was sending men to thwart the raid. Before leaving Burke's Station, Stuart sent one of the more famous and funny messages of the Civil War.   In a personal message to Federal Quartermaster Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs, Stuart wrote "General Meigs will in the future please furnish better mules; those you have furnished recently are very inferior." Now with all of Federal forces within Fairfax and Prince William Counties alerted, Stuart had to find a safe way out for his 1,800 cavalrymen and return to Lee's army south of the Rappahannock River. In true Stuart fashion, his route would be daring and unpredictable and would give birth to one of the most mysterious characters in American history.

After sending his famous message to Gen. Meigs, Stuart decided to confuse the Federals.  Instead of heading south toward the Occoquan and safety, he headed north towards Fairfax Courthouse – the heart of the Federal command structure in northern Virginia.  In moving northward, Stuart ordered rails removed from the Orange and Alexandria RR and ordered Gen. Fitzhugh Lee to take 12 men to burn an important trestle bridge that carried the railroad over Accotink Creek. Although termed an "inconsiderable structure" by the northern press, the raid was alarming to many because of its close proximity to Alexandria. Though they were able to destroy portions of the bridge, it was quickly rebuilt.

The Confederates rode for the Little River Turnpike, just east of Fairfax Courthouse. The Confederates made the decision to attack the village and see if it could be captured. But by now, the Federals were reinforced and prepared for the raiders.  The Federals attempted to draw Stuart into a trap, but the Confederates could tell the earthworks nearby were full of Federals. Stuart ordered his men to set campfires to give the impression that they were encamping along the turnpike.   Meanwhile the Confederate cavalry column headed west to Frying Pan. Here Stuart visited his longtime acquaintance Laura Ratcliffe – a friend of many Confederate officers and a local spy. The Confederates would rest in the fields around Frying Pan and Sully Plantation near Chantilly. Here Stuart, Hampton, Fitz and Rooney Lee breakfasted at Sully at the "pleasure" of local Unionist Maria Barlow. Barlow was forced to run the farm with all the men fleeing to Alexandria in fear of the Confederate raiders. As they departed Sully, the Confederates left several Federal wounded in the care of Barlow.

With the Federal cavalry confused on where Stuart was heading, the Confederates left Fairfax County and headed west into Loudoun County arriving near Middleburg on December 30th. Brig. Gen. Edwin Stoughton and Brig. Gen. Percy Wyndham attempted a pursuit but unsuccessfully brought the Confederate cavalier to battle.

While staying at the home of Hamilton Rogers (Oakham), Maj. John S. Mosby approached Stuart about staying behind with a select group of men to operate in the rear of the Federal lines. Mosby was one of Stuart's most trusted scouts and successfully led Stuart's raid through northern Virginia. The past few days taught Stuart that the Federals in the area were ripe for continuous raids and harassment. Trusting Mosby as he did, he agreed and when he left Middleburg, Mosby and nine men were left behind to temporarily operate as partisans. After a few raids, Stuart made Mosby's assignment permanent on January 18th.

By way of Culpeper Courthouse, Stuart and his men returned to the Army of Northern Virginia winter camps on New Years Day 1863.   The military success of the raid is questionable. Other than a few hundred prisoners, some horses, mules, supplies and one funny telegram, Stuart only accomplished a moral victory. However, the raid launched the career of Mosby as a partisan and proved the superiority of the Confederate cavalry. It would be a few more months before the Federal cavalry could match their counterparts on the battlefield. For now the Confederate cavalry could enjoy a short rest and celebrate the Christmas and New Years season.