Download J.E.B. Stuart's Ride to Gettysburg: The History of the Most Controversial Cavalry Operation of the Civil War AudioBook Free
"The inability to crush the Federal government army in Pa in 1863, in the thoughts and opinions of almost all of the officers of the Army of Northern Virginia, can be portrayed in five words - the absence of the cavalry." - Confederate Basic Henry Heth As Robert E. Lee's military moved into Pa in June 1863, Stuart's cavalry screened his activities, thereby participating in the greater traditional cavalry tasks. This time around, however, as Lee started out his march north through the Shenandoah Valley in european Virginia, it is highly unlikely that is what he sought or expected. Before setting out on June 25, the methodical Lee gave Stuart specific instructions regarding the role he was to try out in the Pa offensive. As the eyes of the military, the cavalry was to protect the mountain passes with part of his force. Maintaining contact with Ewell's military as it advanced towards Harrisburg. Instead of taking the most direct route north nearby the Blue Ridge Mountains, however, Stuart opt for a lot more ambitious plan of action. Stuart made a decision to march his three best brigades between your Union military and Washington. To complicate things even more, as Stuart lay out on June 25 on what was probably a glory-seeking mission, he was unaware that his designed path was clogged by columns of Union infantry that would invariably induce him to veer farther east than he or Lee got anticipated. In the end, his decision would prevent him from linking up with Ewell as ordered and deprive Lee of his primary cavalry force as he advanced deeper and deeper into new enemy territory. Regarding to Halsey Wigfall (kid of Confederate Claims Senator Louis Wigfall) who was in Stuart's infantry, "Stuart and his cavalry remaining [Lee's] military on June 24 and didn't contact [his] military again until the evening of July 2, the second day of the [Gettysburg] challenge."
