The Bristoe Station Campaign: October 1863
Late Summer 1863 Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George G. Meade n Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee n Both armies still recovering from Gettysburg n Ao. P occupies Culpeper and areas north of Rapidan River; ANV south of river n
Changes Longstreet’s I Corps sent to Tennessee on September 8, leaving Lee with only 45, 000 men n Union defeat at Chickamauga (Sept. 19 -20) n Lincoln sends 11 th and 12 th Corps to Tennessee, leaving Meade with 76, 000 men n Lee decides to capitalize on weakened Union army n
Key Players: Maj. Gen. George G. Meade n n n 1815 -1872 West Point Class of 1835 Mexican War, Surveyor and Engineer Brigade, division and 5 th Corps commander Commanded Ao. P since June 1863
Gen. Robert E. Lee n n n 1807 -1870 West Point Class of 1829 Illustrious record Commanded ANV since June 1862 Offered his resignation to President Davis in August 1863
Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren n n n 1830 -1882 West Point Class of 1850 Mapped Dakotas, Yellowstone, Montana, Black Hills 5 th NY and brigade commander Named Chief Topographical Officer and later Chief Engineer of Ao. P under Hooker. Promoted to MG in August
Lt. Gen. Ambrose Powell (A. P. ) Hill n n 1825 -1865 Grew up in Culpeper, Va Commanded famed “Light Division” at Seven Days, Second Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville Given command of new 3 rd Corps after Chancellorsville
Lee’s Plan October 4, Lee decides to attack n October 9 -10, the offensive begins n Lee sends Hill’s 3 rd Corps north to Sperryville, Amissville and flanks Meade near Waterloo; continues to Warrenton n Richard S. Ewell’s 2 nd Corps takes more direct route to Warrenton n
Meade Reacts n n n Union scouts notify Meade of an offensive On Oct. 6 -7, US Signal stations on Pony and Thorofare Mtns intercept CS messages coming from Clark’s Mtn On Oct. 8, Meade readied his men for Lee’s mysterious movement
Meade: October 10 -13 Meade evacuates military stores in Culpeper. n Oct 11: Meade orders Ao. P to fall back behind Rappahannock River n Pleasonton’s faulty intelligence n October 12: Meade vows to attack Lee; Ao. P at Three Mile Station (Cassanova, Va) n October 13: While at Catlett’s Station, Meade finally orders Ao. P to fall back to Centreville. n
Meanwhile… n Hill’s Corps reaches Warrenton on Oct 13 n Union 2 nd Corps acts as rear guard for the army n The Ao. P retreats along the Orange and Alexandria RR n US and CS units clog roads; slow going
Battle of Coffee Hill n J. E. B Stuart’s cavalry cut off from CS army – Warren in between Stuart and ANV n Stuart hides men and opts to fight his way out the next morning n Morning of Oct 14, Stuart spots John Caldwell’s 1 st Division on hill north of Auburn
Battle of Coffee Hill Stuart orders up 7 guns and opens fire on lounging Union soldiers n Union guns atop the hill fire back n BG Alexander Hays’s 3 rd Division advances on CS guns n
Cavalry Melee Stuart orders a quick withdrawal of his artillery and sends 1 st NC Cavalry to attack Yankees to buy time n Col Thomas Ruffin of the 1 st NC Cav is KIA n Stuart’s breakthrough successful n 2 nd Corps continues march through Catlett’s Station and onto Bristoe n
Hill Marches To Bristoe Hill’s men have longer march due to route n Hill moves through Greenwich and debouches in the fields north of Bristoe Station at 1: 30 pm n Hill sees Union soldiers crossing Broad Run and assumes he has found the rear of the Union army n Decides to attack “fleeing” troops n Has no idea Union 2 nd Corps still had not crossed Broad Run n
“Tardy” George Fouls Up n MG George Sykes fails to wait for Warren at Bristoe n 2 nd Corps all alone to fight Hill’s and Ewell’s Corps
Brig. Gen. William Whedbee Kirkland n n Born in North Carolina in 1833 Marine Corps officer Elected colonel of the 21 st NC; served from First Manassas through Gettysburg Took command of J. J. Pettigrew’s NC brigade
Brig. Gen. John Rogers Cooke Born at Jefferson Barracks, MO in 1833 to BG Philip St. George Cooke n Harvard grad n Served in the 8 th US Infantry n Most experienced brigade commander n
The Opening Shots n Warren’s men marching along south side of RR tracks. n BG Alexander S. Webb sees Cooke and Kirkland; orders 1 st MN north of the RR to screen their movement at 2: 15 pm n 1 st MN engages the 46 th NC, right flank regiment of Cooke’s Brigade
Brig. Gen. Alexander S. Webb 1835 -1911 n West Point Class of 1855 n Given command of Philadelphia Brigade by Meade before Gettysburg n Commands 2 nd Division, 2 nd Corps n
Col. James E. Mallon Born in Brooklyn, NY n 27 years old n Commanded 42 nd NY during most of war – “Tammany Hall” regiment n Now commanding brigade; many conscripts n
Col. James E. Mallon’s brigade opposed Cooke n BG Joshua T. Owen’s brigade of New Yorkers were on Mallon’s left flank and opposed Cooke and Perry n
The Artillery Factor Maj. David G. Mc. Intosh moved his battalion to knoll 400 yards from RR – only able to field 5 guns n Warren places two batteries (12 3 -inch Ordnance Rifles) on slight rise behind infantry and one battery of 4 12 -pounder Napoleons on east side of Broad Run n
The Battle Begins 3, 000 Federals vs. 4, 000 Rebs n Cooke and Kirkland march blindly toward hiding Union troops n At 2: 45 pm, Mallon’s and Heath’s men stand up and deliver first crushing volley; Union artillery decimates CS lines n Cooke wounded in the leg; Kirkland hit in left arm n
The Advance…
Brief yet Brutal Melee n Elements from 48 th and 27 th NC advance toward center of Mallon’s line near the road junction n Three color bearers of 27 th NC cut down n Hand-to-hand fight at RR n Mallon personally rallies the 42 nd NY and 20 th MA and is mortally wounded
The Mystery Flags 11 th and 52 nd NC gain RR and fire into 82 nd NY n Cpl. Thomas Cullen of 82 nd NY captures the flag from either 47 th or 52 nd NC n Cpl. Moses C. Hanscom of 19 th ME captures the flag from the 26 th NC – second time since Gettysburg n Both men win Medal of Honor n
Posey and Perry Gain the RR n n At 3: 30 pm, BG Carnot Posey’s MS brigade and BG Edward A. Perry’s FL brigade of MG Richard Anderson’s Division advance toward Union left flank Briefly hold RR embankment
Smyth to the Rescue Timely arrival of Col Thomas A. Smyth’s brigade and Battery G, 1 st NY Light Artillery (2 guns) n Fires double canister from atop the RR; seals the breach n
The Fighting Continues Nearly 300 men captured from Kirkland’s Brigade n By 3: 30 pm, Cooke and Kirkland retreat n Smyth ordered to advance to support Wass n Wass’s men drag 5 guns by prolonge back to Union line n
October 14: Evening Smyth advances vs. Anderson; US line reinforced with 3 more batteries; artillery barrage 4 -6 pm - Posey wounded n 4 -5 pm: Caldwell’s division arrives; so does Ewell’s Corps – ANV never launches all-out attack n Lee’s men make camp on battlefield n 2 nd Corps reaches Centreville by Oct 15 n
The Aftermath: CS losses Cooke: - ~650/2, 500 – 25% casualties - 27 th NC lost 290/416 men - 48 th NC, 160 casualties Kirkland: - 550/1, 500 or 36% casualties (300 captured) - 26 th NC lost 179 men and flag **Additional losses in other commands** Total CS casualties: ~1, 400 /3 genls
US Losses n 256 men killed, wounded and captured at Bristoe Station n ~100 casualties at Coffee Hill Total US Casualties for Bristoe Campaign: 540
Concluding Thoughts Meade inexplicably retreats to Centreville n Warren performs well as corps commander and fights a smart defensive battle; uses reinforcements and artillery to blunt attack n US staff work commendable n Hill horribly mismanages the attack n Lee fails to follow up with all-out assault n
Thoughts… Lee’s gains strategic victory/tactical loss at Bristoe n Destroys supplies and RR and forces Meade back to Defenses of Washington n Lincoln and Halleck disappointed with Meade n Lee’s strategic success temporary; Meade back again for Mine Run Campaign in November 1863 n
Bristoe Today n Over 500 Confederate soldiers still buried on the battlefield (including 143 from the October 1863 battle)
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