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| Brandy Station |
HEADQUARTERS, CAVALRY CORPS, Beverly Ford,
June 9, 1863-7. 40 a. m.
Major-General HOOKER:
The enemy is in strong cavalry force here. We have had a severe fight. They were aware of our movement, and were prepared.
A. PLEASONTON,
Brigadier-General.
HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS,
June 9, 1863-11 a. m. (Receive 12. 45 p. m.)
GENERAL: All the enemy's force are engaged with me. I am holding them until Gregg can come up. Gregg's guns are being heard in the enemy's rear.
A. PLEASONTON,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.
General S. WILLIAMS,
Asst. Adjt. General, Army of the Potomac.
HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY CORPS,
Near Beverly Ford, Va., June 9, 1863-12. 30 p. m (Received 3. 20 p. m.)
General Gregg has joined me, and I will now attack the enemy vigorously with my whole force. Prisoners report that Stuart has 30, 000 cavalry here. Both Lees, Jones, and Hampton are with him. We have had a sharp fight, and have lost heavily, as we had the whole force in front of one-half of my command. Colonel Davis, Eight New York, and Captain Canfield, Second [U. S] Cavalry, are killed; Major Morris, Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry, a prisoner, with a number of others. We have about 100 in hospital, wounded; Major Beveridge, Eight Illinois, among the number. Buford and Ames hade driven their whole force out of their strongest position. It would be well to send a good force of the Fifth Corps toward Brandy Station, if it can be spared.
A. PLEASONTON
Brigadier-General, Commanding.
HEADQUARTERS, CAVALRY CORPS, Beverly Ford,
June 9, 1863-12 m. (Received 1 p. m.)
Brigadier General S. WILLIAMS
Assistant Adjutant-General:
For fear the enemy should receive re-enforcement during the night, had you not better order 1, 000 of the Fifth Corps to Brandy Station?
Official Records, Series I., Vol. 27, Part 1,
A. PLEASONTON,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
June 9, 1863-12. 10 p. m.
Brigadier-General PLEASONTON,
Beverly Ford (via Warrenton):
Dispatch 7. 40 received. If you cannot make head way against the force in front of you, return and take your position on the north bank of the river, and defend it. At this distance it is impossible for the general to understand all of your circumstances. Exercise your best judgment, and the general will be satisfied.'
DANL. BUTTERFIELD,
Major-General, Chief of Staff.
HEADQUARTERS, CAVALRY CORPS,
June 9, 1863-2. 40 p. m.
Major-General STAHEL,
Kettle Run:
I will recross this p. m. I send my trains to Bealeton. Please give them protection.
A. PLEASONTON,
Brigadier-General.
(Line not working; copy sent by swift messenger.)
Buford's cavalry had a long and desperate encounter, hand to hand, with the enemy, in which he drove handsomely before him very superior forces. Over 200 prisoners were captured and one battle flag. The troops are in splendid spirits, and are entitled to the highest praise for their distinguished conduct.
A. PLEASONTON,
Brigadier-General.
Major-General HOOKER,
Commanding Army of the Potomac.
HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
June 9, 1863-6 p. m.
General PLEASONTON:
A deserter reports the North Carolina cavalry re-enforcement to consist of two regiments from Robertson's brigade; strong, and having about 1, 800 men between them. The general thinks 10, 000 a very liberal calculation to cover all cavalry. within your reach anywhere; this from all data obtained here so far.
DANL. BUTTERFIELD,
Major-General, Chief of Staff.
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KETTLE RUN, June 9, 1863-7 o'clock.
Brigadier-General PLEASONTON:
Your telegram of 2. 40 p. m. has just been received. I will comply with your request at once. Colonel W. D. Mann is already moving up.
JUL. STAHEL.
Major-General.
JUNE 9, 1863-7. 30 p. m.
General BUTTERFIELD:
Telegram received. Have sent orders to General Barnes to keep me advised of what is going on, and he has been directed to send a courier every three or four hours, yet his last dispatch from Kelly's Ford is dated 7 a. m., and simply announces the crossing of the cavalry. The line to his headquarters is now being prepared, which will shorten the distance 8 miles, and another urgent order sent him to communicate frequently.
GEO. G. MEADE.
Major-General.
[P. S.]-Everything I receive I promptly forward. The line is up as far as Hartwood Church, and an operator goes there immediately.
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HEADQUARTERS, CAVALRY CORPS.
June 9, 1863-8. 30 p. m.
Major-General HOOKER,
Commanding, &c.:
The infantry under Generals Russell and Ames will move back to Bealeton; The Cavalry Corps to Warrenton Junction, where I will await further orders. Lee reviewed the whole of Stuart's cavalry yesterday.
A. PLEASONTON,
Brigadier-General.
JUNE 9, 1863-8. 25 p. m.
General PLEASONTON:
General says, if enemy say they have 30, 000, you give out you have 60, 000.
DANL. BUTTERFIELD,
Major-General, Chief of Staff.
Major-General HOOKER,
Headquarters Army of the Potomac.
CAVALRY HDQRS., NEAR RAPPAHANNOCK STATION, VA.,
June 9, 1863-8 p. m. (Received 10. 45 p. m.)
GENERAL: Short time after my last dispatch to you, General Gregg, with his infantry and cavalry, joined me about 2 miles from the river, to which point I had driven the enemy. He reported that he had encountered a much superior number of the enemy's cavalry, and had a severe fight; also that a train of cars had been run up to Brandy Station filled with infantry, who opened on his men. I also received information from letters and official reports captured in the enemy's camp, as well as from prisoners, that the enemy had upward of 12, 000 cavalry (which was double my own force of cavalry) and twenty-five pieces of artillery. I also learned from contrabands and prisoners that a large force of infantry had been sent for from Culpeper as well as Longstreet's command at Elys' Ford. And having crippled the enemy by desperate fighting so that he could not follow me, I returned with my command to the north side of the Rappahannock. Gregg's command crossed at Rappahannock Bridge. To-morrow morning Stuart was to have started on a raid into Maryland, so captured papers state. You may rest satisfied he will not attempt it.
Buford's cavalry had a long and desperate encounter, hand to hand, with the enemy, in which he drove handsomely before him very superior forces. Over 200 prisoners were captured and one battle flag. The troops are in splendid spirits, and are entitled to the highest praise for their distinguished conduct.
A. PLEASONTON,
Brigadier-General.
Major-General HOOKER,
Commanding Army of the Potomac.
Official Records, Series I., Vol. 27, Part 1 Pages 38, 39, 40, 876, 903.904.
The Battle at Brandy Station ended with the Southern forces in control of the battlefield, but may well be considered a Union victory. To this point in the war the Union horsemen had been worsted consistently by Stuart's troopers. At Brandy Station they managed to surprise Stuart and hold their own in a protracted, day long, battle. The Union command structure believed they had stopped a raid by Stuart on the north. What they did not appear to understand was Stuart's role in keeping a screen between Hooker's cavalry and Lee's Army. Stuart was headed north, but so was Lee.
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