Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Newspaper Article |
Dates of Creation |
May 1894 |
Scope & Content |
Undetermined newspaper with a date of May 1894 (May 26, 1894 date found with a Mortuary Report on the reverse). The newspaper clipping has deteriorated, with the top in pieces. The author is unknown but relates his experience at "Yellow Tavern" on 11 May 1864. Background: On the morning of 11 May, 1862, Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's cavalrymen reached the abandoned stagecoach inn "Yellow Tavern" only 6 miles from Richmond. Outnumbered, Stuart deployed his two brigades on the Mountain Road where Union Gen. Philip Sheridan's command was advancing. Sheridan arrived before noon and for two hours deployed his seven brigades, but made his attack with four brigades. For two hours the Confederates resisted in hand-to-hand fighting. At four o'clock, Custer's brigade charged the Confederates just north of the tavern and overran an artillery section, but were pushed back by the 1st Virginia Cavalry. Stuart rode forward, encouraging his men, when a Michigan trooper fired a bullet into his chest. Sheridan probed the Southern defenses for another hour, and withdrew toward Richmond. He entered the outer works before going eastward. Stuart died peacefully in Richmond, the city which he had defended forcefully. The writer relates that two Confederate regiments were kept busy with the enemy's rear guard, that were re-enforced. Constant skirmishing and guarding intersecting roads continued on the march to Yellow Tavern. In the afternoon Stuart was on the field with Fitz Lee, Lomax, Wickham's cavalry and Breathed's artillery. Most were dismounted except the 1st Virginia in reserve. When he rushed to the front from the Telegraph Road, the writer saw where the Union charge was now intermingled with mounted and dismounted Confederate troopers. He did not witness the mortal wounding of Stuart but heard Norvell Harrs, who was nearby, say, "Gen'l Stuart is shot." The writer then saw Stuart wheel his horse and start to the rear. Late afternoon Captain Southhall led them back from the scene. A thunderstorm developed that probably saved the command from the enemy's artillery. After crossing the Chickahominy River, the writer was sent to perform a minor mission and became lost. In the dark he rode along the road and heard the rumbling of artillery. With the flashes of lightning he saw several guns in motion up ahead and rode up along side. Hearing the accents of the drivers he thought they could be the enemy. As he was not noticed, he rode off in another direction and eventually sighted camp fires. Cautiously going forward he found that it was Wickham's Brigade, and he was soon able to find his own company. Though all were tired and worn, Little Fitz (Fitzhugh Lee), now in command, would not give them much rest. On the reverse are advertisements, a mortuary report, and brief announcements. Object ID #2009.75.073 is the complete newspaper article referred to in this one-page entry. |
Year Range from |
1894 |
Creator |
Vaughn, Benjamin Boisseau |
Year Range to |
1894 |
Subjects |
Absence Accent Artillery (Weaponry) Authors Battery (military) Bivouack Boasting Breast Bridges Brigade Bullets Camp Campaigns, Military Campfires Captures Carbines Cavalry Charge [military] Civil War Civil war battles Clouds Coats Column, [military] Confederate soldiers Confederate veterans Courier Death Destination Dilemma Drills, Military Drivers, Mule Dust Duty Ears Enemy Episode Farm houses Field Fight Foe Friends Gum cloth Historical sites History Holster Horse Horseman Idea Incident Infantry Jackets Leaders, Military Letters Lint March, Military Member Message Night Officers, Military Opportunity Pickets (Guards) Pistols Rain Ranks, military Re-enforcements Rear (military) Rear guard Regiments Reserve Rivers Roads Saddles Shirts Shot Skirmish Squad Squadron Thunderstorms Wheels Woods Word Wounds Yelling |
Search Terms |
1st New Jersey Cavalry 1st Virginia Cavalry 3rd Virginia Cavalry 4th Virginia Cavalry 6th Ohio Cavalry Army of Northern Virginia Chickahominy River Civil War Confederacy, the Confederate Army Confederate Veterans First Virginia Cavalry Jerusalem Plank Road, Petersburg, Virginia North Carolina Point Lookout Prison, Maryland Telegraph Road Union Army Union Veterans War Between the States War Talks of Confederate Veterans Yellow Tavern |
People |
Archer, [unknown] Bernard, Geo. S. Bernard, George S. Boggs, Francis J. Breathed, James Carter, Hill Field, W. M. Godsey, [unknown] Gordon, James [Byron] Hammond, [unknown] Harr, Norvell [Harris) Lee, Fitzhugh Lomax, [Lunsford Lindsay] Mathews, [George H.] McClellan, Henry Morgan, [William A.] Pate, Henry Clay Randolph, Robert Southhall, [unknown] Stuart, James Ewell Brown (J.E.B.) Wickham, [William Carter] Wingo, [unknown] |
Event |
Civil War |
Collection |
George S. Bernard Collection |
Imagefile |
023\200975026.JPG |
Number of images |
2 |
Object Name |
Letter |
Object ID |
2009.75.026 |
Extent of Description |
1 page, size 7 1/2" x 13 1/2" |