Rhode Island 1st Cavalry, Company D (Union)

Kelly's Ford

In 1863, the recently organized Union Cavalry Corps possessed superior equipment and the advantages of a plentiful supply of men and horses over their Confederate counterparts, but lacked the confidence, experience, and leadership to challenge Maj. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart's troopers. That March, Confederate cavalry under Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee conducted raids against elements of the Union line along the Rappahannock River. In response, on March 16th, 2,100 Union cavalrymen under Brig. Gen. William Averell se…READ MORE

Middleburg

Less than two weeks after the start of the Gettysburg Campaign, Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry screened the Confederate infantry as it marched north behind the sheltering Blue Ridge Mountains. Stuart established his headquarters at Middleburg, on the Ashby's Gap Turnpike just east of the Blue Ridge, and scattered his brigades throughout the Loudoun Valley to monitor Union activity. Stuart's counterpart, the Federal cavalry commander, Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasanton, had orders to penetrate Stuart's screen a…READ MORE