Great quote about Brandy Station

Eric Wittenberg · Aug 2, 2014

Great quote from the dedication ceremonies for the massive Pennsylvania memorial in the National Cemetery in Culpeper, VA. The monument was dedicated in 1914. Most of the casualties it commemorates were from the August 9, 1862 Battle of Cedar Mountain, but this quote speaks volumes to me about how the vets felt about the June 9, 1863 Battle of Brandy Station/ These words were spoken by a Pennsylvania legislator, who clearly was a veteran of the Civil War:

"Today we cross the Rappahannock in splendid steel cars; fifty years ago we went back and forth as best we could, always fighting for the right of way. Ahead of us are the plains of Brandy Station, or Fleetwood, where the memorable cavalry battle took place in June 1863. Everything lies peacefully before us now, and only those who were present can realize that one of the greatest cavalry battles of the war was fought here, a battle so fierce that friends and foes knew not who they fought or behind which banner they charged. This was the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign which ended not far from here across the Rapidan at Mine Run, and sent the Army of the Potomac into winter quarters in and around Culpeper."

Eric Wittenberg · Aug 2, 2014

This is the monument....

Patrick H · Aug 3, 2014

The quote sound very evocative to me.

pamc153PA · Aug 13, 2014

Eric, do you know who the "Pennsylvania legislator" was?

tmh10 · Aug 13, 2014

Too bad Pleasonton was in charge of the Federal Cavalry instead of Buford for the Union. That could have been a real game changer. :smile coffee:

Eric Wittenberg · Aug 13, 2014

pamc153PA said:
Eric, do you know who the "Pennsylvania legislator" was?

I don't, Pam. But I'm working on finding out.

That quote appears in the introduction to the book and its author is not identified. It is obvious he was a veteran, but from the book it's impossible to identify who it was. I've put in an inquiry to the one person who would know, Bud Hall.

Lee · Aug 13, 2014

Brandy Station had it all IMO. Recently I finished Eric's book and save for "some" Federal infantry guarding the fords it was all horses, men, sabers, revolvers, carbines, and artillery. Oh to have been in a hot air balloon and take it all in the scene below must have been grandiose with all the cavalry charges and counter charges, ground won and ground lost the field littered with dead and wounded horses, men, and equipment. Prisoners taken and prisoners escaping by slipping away amidst the mayhem and then more taken. On the Federal side the typical delay occurred with a large force that took a wrong turn and arrived basically after the issue had been decided but those that did deploy as ordered and surprised Stuart early on fought well.

Still as well as the Federals fought IMO Stuart, Hampton and others fought extremely well especially after being surprised and responding quickly and most important effectively. All battle plans go out the window as soon as the first shots are fired but IMO special recognition and credit is deserved when things are not going well and yet despite that a bloody victory is snatched from the sharp teeth and strong jaws of near defeat. Despite all the forces on the field going head to head for so long I found it interesting that the casualties were lower than I would have expected compared to how high the body counts were in mass infantry brawls. OK Eric plug over good work and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Eric Wittenberg · Aug 13, 2014

Lee said:
Brandy Station had it all IMO. Recently I finished Eric's book and save for "some" Federal infantry guarding the fords it was all horses, men, sabers, revolvers, carbines, and artillery. Oh to have been in a hot air balloon and take it all in the scene below must have been grandiose with all the cavalry charges and counter charges, ground won and ground lost the field littered with dead and wounded horses, men, and equipment. Prisoners taken and prisoners escaping by slipping away amidst the mayhem and then more taken. On the Federal side the typical delay occurred with a large force that took a wrong turn and arrived basically after the issue had been decided but those that did deploy as ordered and surprised Stuart early on fought well.

Still as well as the Federals fought IMO Stuart, Hampton and others fought extremely well especially after being surprised and responding quickly and most important effectively. All battle plans go out the window as soon as the first shots are fired but IMO special recognition and credit is deserved when things are not going well and yet despite that a bloody victory is snatched from the sharp teeth and strong jaws of near defeat. Despite all the forces on the field going head to head for so long I found it interesting that the casualties were lower than I would have expected compared to how high the body counts were in mass infantry brawls. OK Eric plug over good work and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you very much for the very kind words, Lee. I'm really pleased to hear that you enjoyed the book.

I can't wait to see that ground without the McMansion on it....

pamc153PA · Aug 13, 2014

Eric Wittenberg said:
I don't, Pam. But I'm working on finding out.

That quote appears in the introduction to the book and its author is not identified. It is obvious he was a veteran, but from the book it's impossible to identify who it was. I've put in an inquiry to the one person who would know, Bud Hall.

I really like that quote, especially that very first line. Something about it, the metaphor maybe, caught my attention.

bankerpapaw · Aug 13, 2014

I still cannot visualize close to 20,ooo horses and the chaos that took place.

Eric Wittenberg · Aug 13, 2014

bankerpapaw said:
I still cannot visualize close to 20,ooo horses and the chaos that took place.

Actually, it was more like 21, 000, which only adds to the drama. The mounted fight for Fleetwood Hill was the sort of romantic passage that one thinks of when one thinks of cavalry fighting--charges and countercharges, slashing sabers, pistols, everything you might imagine. I can only imagine what it looked like.

Eric Wittenberg · Aug 14, 2014

pamc153PA said:
I really like that quote, especially that very first line. Something about it, the metaphor maybe, caught my attention.

I agree completely. It's a big part of why I could not resist sharing it.

ErnieMac · Aug 14, 2014

The quotation appears to not have been part of a speech, but a written statement of the Culpeper, Virginia, Monument Commission of Pennsylvania which they composed as part of a booklet (Report of the Culpeper, Virginia, Monument Commission of Pennsylvania) that served as their final report. The booklet is online: https://archive.org/details/reportofculpeper00pen

The complete statement, including the cited passage can be found on pages 28 - 30.

Eric Wittenberg · Aug 14, 2014

ErnieMac said:
The quotation appears to not have been part of a speech, but a written statement of the Culpeper, Virginia, Monument Commission of Pennsylvania which they composed as part of a booklet (Report of the Culpeper, Virginia, Monument Commission of Pennsylvania) that served as their final report. The booklet is online: https://archive.org/details/reportofculpeper00pen

The complete statement, including the cited passage can be found on pages 28 - 30.

Correct. That's precisely where I got it. And as you can see, the person making that statement is not identified in any fashion.

Elennsar · Aug 14, 2014

The thing that amazes me is that for all the genuine ferocity of the charges and the number of men involved, the causality figures wouldn't make even a serious skirmish for the infantry.

I wonder how much of that was that saber to saber doesn't really allow for blowing great holes in an enemy regiment in killed and wounded the way firepower does, and how much was the deployment of the forces there. Going to have to get Eric's book and find out I guess.

Still, talk about magnificent valor.

JPK Huson 1863 · Dec 15, 2014

Looked up this thread because I keep finding super images from Brandy Station, a place with so much mystical, Historical gloss for me it's like a kind of dusty Mecca, tugging at both DNA and the heart. Can't stay away some nights, sticking those words in the search engine, one day will doubtless find me on some hill there, map wrapped around my legs peering around hopefully for chance sighting of Trooper Knarr, back from maneuvers. Brandy Station- I mean wow.