Battle of Middleburg

Battle of Middleburg (HM11LJ)

Location: Middleburg, VA 20117 Loudoun County
Buy Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 38° 57.987', W 77° 44.323'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 766 views
Inscription

Searching for Lee

— Gettysburg Campaign —

(Preface):
After Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's stunning victory at Chancellorsville in May 1863, he led the Army of Northern Virginia west to the Shenandoah Valley,then north through central Maryland and across the Mason-Dixon Line into Pennsylvania. Union Gen. George G. Meade, who replaced Gen. Joseph Hooker on June 28, led the Army of the Potomac in pursuit. The armies collided at Gettysburg on July 1, starting a battle that neither general planned to fight there. Three days later, the defeated Confederates retreated crossing the Potomac River into Virginia on July 14.

You are standing where part of the Battle of Middleburg took place in June 1863, as Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry division screened the march of Gen. Robert E. Lee's infantry to the Shenandoah Valley from prying Federal eyes. Campfires burned brightly at Union Gen. Joseph Hooker's headquarters near Fredericksburg on the night of June 16, as he pondered the best means of determining exactly where Lee was headed with the Army of Northern Virginia. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton, commander of the Union Cavalry Corps, urged Hooker to probe in force toward the Shenandoah Valley. But Hooker, still haunted by his recent failure at Chancellorsville, decided on a limited reconnaissance instead and elected to send forward only one regiment, the 1st Rhode Island Cavalry.

On June 17, Col. Alfred N.A. Duffi? led the Rhode Islanders through Thoroughfare Gap toward Middleburg. Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart had made his headquarters in Middleburg, and Duffi?'s sudden arrival forced him to beat an undignified retreat. That evening, Stuart ordered Gen. Beverly H. Robertson to retake the town with his 4th and 5th North Carolina Cavalry regiments. Following a terrific fight here along The Plains Road just south of Middleburg, the Rhode Islanders retired south in peremptory haste to Burnt Mill Run. On the morning of June 18, Southern cavalry overwhelmed the regiment there, capturing more than 200 men. Duffi? escaped with part of his command.

"We trusted our leaders, but it seemed that someone had blundered in sending so small a body of cavalry so far from the main column." - Pvt. Albert P. Tasker, 1st Rhode Island Cavalry
Details
HM NumberHM11LJ
Series This marker is part of the Virginia Civil War Trails series
Tags
Placed ByVirginia Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Thursday, October 9th, 2014 at 3:04pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 262718 N 4316621
Decimal Degrees38.96645000, -77.73871667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 57.987', W 77° 44.323'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 57' 59.22" N, 77° 44' 19.38" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)540, 703
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 100-206 State Rte 626, Middleburg VA 20117, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. Does the marker have a number?
  7. What year was the marker erected?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?