One of the featured events in the Gettysburg re-enactment next month is the Grand Review of Southern Maj. Gen. James Ewell Brown Stuart's cavalry division at 9:30 a.m. July 5.

Stuart's Grand Review didn't happen on the field at Gettysburg, but rather at Brandy Station, Va., June 8, 1863, at the beginning of the Army of Northern Virginia's march north. Grand as it was, the review is not what Stuart is noted for in the Gettysburg campaign.

At the outset of the Gettysburg campaign, Gen. Robert E. Lee gave Stuart orders to guard the right side of the march north. If the Army of the Potomac was not moving, Lee said, Stuart was to cross the Potomac River at Shepherdstown and join him, but if the Union army did move north, Lee gave Stuart permission to cross the Potomac east of the Blue Ridge.

Stuart's division screened the right flank of Lee's advance as far north as the Potomac, fighting a series of battles with Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton's cavalry corps along the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge at Brandy Station, Aldie, Middleburg and Upperville, Va.

The largest of these encounters was at Brandy Station, where Pleasonton took Stuart by surprise June 9. Stuart emerged the victor from this encounter but was criticized in the South for allowing himself to be surprised.

Lee's instructions

By late June, Lee's army had crossed the Potomac. Stuart received instructions from Lee on June 22, telling him: "If you find that he [Hooker] 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, place yourself in communication with him, guard his flank and keep him informed of the enemy's movements, and collect all the supplies you can for the use of the army."

On June 23, Lee wrote: "If General Hooker's army remains inactive you can leave two brigades to watch him and withdraw with the three others, but should he not appear to be moving northward, I think you had better withdraw this side of the mountain tomorrow night, cross at Shepherdstown next day and move over to Fredericktown. 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."

On June 24, Stuart started his controversial Gettysburg raid, taking a route around Hooker's flank and rear, rather than the more protected way west of the Blue Ridge. He left behind the brigades of Brig. Gen. Beverly H. Robertson and Brig. Gen. William E. Jones.

Southern writers have been almost unanimous in criticizing Stuart for this raid.

To begin with, Stuart's motives in making this raid behind enemy lines have been impugned. In "Witness to Gettysburg," published in 1994, Richard Wheeler writes:

"Jeb Stuart was the object of a good bit of censure in the wake of Brandy Station. 'The battle,' said the Richmond Examiner, 'narrowly missed being a great disaster to our arms. Our men were completely surprised, and were only saved by their own indomitable gallantry and courage.' An official of the Confederate Bureau of War wrote in his diary: 'Stuart is so conceited that he got careless.' A female resident of Culpeper, signing herself a Southern Lady, sent a note to Jefferson Davis in which she accused Stuart of being more interested in conducting reviews to impress his lady friends than in doing his job. The woman went so far as to say that she feared for the Confederate cause if Stuart was kept in command."

And there was Lee's report on the battle, written in January 1864:

'Much embarrassed'

"The movements of the army preceding the battle of Gettysburg had been much embarrassed by the absence of cavalry. As soon as it was known that the enemy had crossed into Maryland, orders were sent to the brigades of Robertson and Jones, which had been left to guard the passes of the Blue Ridge, to rejoin the army without delay, and it was expected that General Stuart, with the remainder of his command, would soon arrive. In the exercise of the discretion given him when [Lt. Gen. James] Longstreet and [Lt. Gen. A.P.] Hill marched into Maryland, General Stuart determined to pass around the rear of the Federal army and cross the Potomac between it and Washington, believing that he would be able, by that route, to place himself on our right flank in time to keep us properly advised of the enemys movements. He marched from Salem on the night of June 24, intending to pass west of Centreville, but found the enemy's forces so distributed as to render that route impracticable. Adhering to his original plan, he was forced to make a wide detour through Buckland and Brentsville, and crossed the Occoquan at Wolf Run Shoals on the morning of the 27th. Continuing his march through Fairfax Court-House and Dranesville, he arrived at the mouth of the Potomac, below the mouth of Seneca Creek, in the evening. ...

"General Stuart had several skirmishes during his march, and at Hanover quite a severe engagement took place with a strong force of cavalry, which was finally compelled to withdraw from the town.

"The prisoners taken by the cavalry and paroled at various places amounted to about 800, and at Rockville a large train of wagons coming from Washington was intercepted and captured. Many of them were destroyed, but 125, with all the animals of the train, were secured."

While Stuart's defenders were few in the South, his actions were met with some approval by Union Maj. Gen. Abner Doubleday. In his book, "Chancellorsville and Gettysburg," published in 1881, Doubleday writes: "It seems strange that Lee should suppose that the Union army would continue inactive all this time, south of Washington, where it was only confronted by Stuart's cavalry, and it is remarkable to find him so totally in the dark with regard to Hooker's movements. It has been extensively assumed by rebel writers that this ignorance was caused by the injudicious raid made by Stuart, who thought it would be a great benefit to the Confederate cause if he could ride entirely around the Union lines and rejoin Lee's advance at York. He had made several of these circuits during his military career, and had gained important advantages from them in the way of breaking up communications, captured despatches, etc."

'Undoubtedly a mistake'

"It is thought that he hoped by threatening Hooker's rear to detain him and delay his crossing the river, and thus give time to Lee to capture Harrisburg and perhaps Philadelphia. His raid on this occasion was undoubtedly a mistake. When he rejoined the main body, his men were exhausted, his horses broken down, and the battle of Gettysburg was nearly over.

"As cavalry are the eyes of an army, it has been said that Stuart's absence prevented Lee from ascertaining the movements and position of Hooker's army. Stuart has been loudly blamed by the rebel chroniclers for leaving the main body, but this is unjust; Lee not only knew of the movement, but approved it; for he directed Stuart to pass between Hooker and Washington, and move with part of his force to Carlisle and the other part to Gettysburg.

"Besides, Stuart left Robertson's and Jones' brigades behind, with orders to follow up the rear of the Union army until it crossed, and then to rejoin the main body. In the meantime, they were to hold the gaps in the Blue Ridge, for fear Hooker might send a force to occupy them. These two brigades, with [Brig. Gen. John D.] Imboden's brigade, and [Lt. Col. Elijah V.] White's battalion, made quite a large cavalry force: Imboden, however, was also detached to break up the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (( to prevent force from the West from taking Lee in the rear; all of which goes to show how sensitive the Confederate commander was in regard to any danger threatening his communications with Richmond."

While Stuart may have erred tactically in his ride around Hooker, Southerners probably have found it easy to forgive him. He was mortally wounded May 11, 1864, at Yellow Tavern, Va., fighting for the South when the cause was lost. His last words were, "I am resigned. God's will be done." He was 31 years old.

Pub Date: 6/21/98