East Cavalry Battlefield

James N.

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Asst. Regtl. Quartermaster Antietam 2021
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One of the lesser-visited portions of the Gettysburg battlefield would have to be East Cavalry Battlefield, scene of the July 3, 1863, encounter between the Confederate cavalry division of James E. B. Stuart and Union troopers led by David M. Gregg. This area about two miles east of the town of Gettysburg and lying between the York Pike and Hanover Road is almost twice as big as it was when I visited it first, now fifty years ago in the 1960's. The northern edge of the battlefield contains a line of cannon representing Stuart's Battalion of Horse Artillery and also Jones' battery from Ewell's Second Corps, pictured here above and below.

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At the battlefield's center stands the Rummel House and barn; in the fields around the Rummel farm swirled charge and countercharge by blue and gray horsemen beginning around the same time as Pickett's men stepped off on their own futile attack to the southwest of this place.

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Unfortunately most accounts of the battle present this as a fight between Stuart's cavalry division and the lone Michigan Cavalry Brigade led by brand-new Brigadier General George A. Custer. This is likely because of Custer's ability to attract publicity to himself, plus his later fame and notoriety as an Indian fighter and his subsequent "heroic" death at the Little Big Horn. Most of the credit for stopping Stuart here should actually go to division commander Gregg, who along with his brother John I. Gregg commanding another brigade, was intent on making a stand here, with or without the help of the Michiganders. Custer should receive credit however, for disobeying the orders of his superior, Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick, and remaining to fight alongside the Greggs. Union monuments are placed on the south edge of the battlefield like the one above to the 3rd Pennsylvania above, one of Gregg's units; and to the Michigan Cavalry Brigade below, graced with a circular bronze portrait of the Boy General.

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Great pictures, James!

East Cav field is one of my favorite places on the battlefield, but I'll admit I still have so much to learn about what happened there, yet. It's the place I go when there are just too many people and buses on the rest of the battlefield--there, and Power's Hill, of course. Both places are some of the least visited on the battlefield.
 
I was just there on Friday, and we had the place to ourselves. It's usually like that.

Great pictures, James!

East Cav field is one of my favorite places on the battlefield, but I'll admit I still have so much to learn about what happened there, yet. It's the place I go when there are just too many people and buses on the rest of the battlefield--there, and Power's Hill, of course. Both places are some of the least visited on the battlefield.


It must be nice to live close enough to just "pop over" when you feel like it; this was my first opportunity to visit since the 135th, and then I didn't really get out on the battlefield!
 
have only visited it once, but I had the place to myself as well.....I like it that way.

Great photos, I'll get some shots as well next summer when I'm there.
 
I found this lovely spot when I asked the nice gentlemen at the Information Desk at the Visitors Centre if there were any places that were outside of the main park that we might visit. He directed us here. I had never read anything about the field so was able to piece together the battle with Gregg as commander, and without that buffoon taking all the credit.
I love it here, and have never seen anyone else there.
 
It must be nice to live close enough to just "pop over" when you feel like it; this was my first opportunity to visit since the 135th, and then I didn't really get out on the battlefield!

I don't. I live in Columbus, OH, which is a good 6-6.5 hours driving time. I was one of the speakers at Ted Alexander's Chambersburg Seminar this weekend, which didn't begin until 2:30 on Friday afternoon, meaning we had time to run over from Chambersburg for about three hours. That was the extent of my visit. Of that three hours, we spent about one of those hours on East Cavalry Field. Before that, I hadn't been there since the anniversary of the battle, when I was in town for book signings.
 
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One of the lesser-visited portions of the Gettysburg battlefield would have to be East Cavalry Battlefield, scene of the July 3, 1863, encounter between the Confederate cavalry division of James E. B. Stuart and Union troopers led by David M. Gregg. This area about two miles east of the town of Gettysburg and lying between the York and Baltimore pikes is almost twice as big as it was when I visited it first, now fifty years ago in the 1960's. The northern edge of the battlefield contains a line of cannon representing Stuart's Battalion of Horse Artillery and also Jones' battery from Ewell's Second Corps, pictured here above and below.

View attachment 48095
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At the battlefield's center stands the Rummel House and barn; in the fields around the Rummel farm swirled charge and countercharge by blue and gray horsemen beginning around the same time as Pickett's men stepped off on their own futile attack to the southwest of this place.

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Unfortunately most accounts of the battle present this as a fight between Stuart's cavalry division and the lone Michigan Cavalry Brigade led by brand-new Brigadier General George A. Custer. This is likely because of Custer's ability to attract publicity to himself, plus his later fame and notoriety as an Indian fighter and his subsequent "heroic" death at the Little Big Horn. Most of the credit for stopping Stuart here should actually go to division commander Gregg, who along with his brother John I. Gregg commanding another brigade, was intent on making a stand here, with or without the help of the Michiganders. Custer should receive credit however, for disobeying the orders of his superior, Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick, and remaining to fight alongside the Greggs. Union monuments are placed on the south edge of the battlefield like the one above to the 3rd Pennsylvania above, one of Gregg's units; and to the Michigan Cavalry Brigade below, graced with a circular bronze portrait of the Boy General.

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I had an ancestor there with the 10th NY cavalry
 
My favorite place at Gettysburg. My great grandfather was a member of the 1st PA Cavalry Regiment, Company L. His brother was a member of the 151st PA Infantry and was a KIA, that is the second location to visit. His Company K had 84 % casualties, 37 of 44 members were casualties!!!
 
My favorite place at Gettysburg. My great grandfather was a member of the 1st PA Cavalry Regiment, Company L. His brother was a member of the 151st PA Infantry and was a KIA, that is the second location to visit. His Company K had 84 % casualties, 37 of 44 members were casualties!!!

Welcome to the forums, @RoyBoy_72 !
 
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