The Battle of Great Bridge

First Battle of the Revolution fought on Virginia Soil

The Culpeper Minute men, first group of minutemen raised in Virginia, had only a few weeks' training under their belts. Commanded by Colonel Edward Stevens, this group of farmers, businessmen, and lawyers were called to Williamsburg to protect the city from an expected attack. It was the first week of December, 1775. Great Bridge seems to have been forgotten by most historians of the Revolution, being relegated to the category of an insignificant little skirmish. In 1775, however, the British thought differently. The road and the bridge over the river controlled the southern land approaches to the port of Norfolk. To defend the bridge, a small fort was built and the Culpeper Minutemen were stationed there.

On the night of December 8, the minutemen made a probing attack against the British positions. The attack was quickly repulsed, and no casualties were reported. As a result of this attack, the British commander sent out a scout to gain information on the strength of the American forces they faced. The scout reported that the force consisted of a few hundred of the "shirted ones," referring to the homemade linen shirts embroidered with "Liberty or Death" in large white letters. (The motto was inspired by the words of Mr. Patrick Henry, a representative from Louisa County, just below Culpeper.)

Due to this information, and the ease with with the night probe was repulsed, the British commander ordered an attack for the morning of December 9. The attack commenced at mid-morning, led by a Lieutenant French. Three times French and his men attempted to cross the bridge, but were held off by the men from Culpeper. By mid- afternoon French and 15 of his men were dead, and 75 more were wounded. Great Bridge was an American victory.

The next day the British abandoned the area and retreated to Norfolk, where they burned all the port facilities. After Great Bridge, Colonel Stevens and the Culpeper Minutemen fought at Valley Forge, Brandywine, Camden, Guilford Courthouse, and finally at the showdown with the British commander Cornwallis, at Yorktown.

Cornwallis had been forced to retreat the the edge of the York River. British efforts to resupply him were repulsed, and the French fleet (fighting for America) held the bay off the York River. Cornwallis could not get out that way, and as a result of the Battle of Great Bridge, port facilities at Norfolk were gone. Evacuation was impossible for Cornwallis, by land or by sea, and on October 21 he surrendered his army at Yorktown.
Did the Culpeper Minutemen look back to the battle at Great Bridge and wonder what the course of the war would have been if there had been an escape route for Cornwallis?



The Battle of Brandy Station

Largest Cavalry Battle ever fought in the Western Hemisphere


The victorius Confederate Army of Northern Virginia streamed into Culpeper County after the victory at Fredricksburg. Under the leadership of Robert E. Lee, these troops were preparing to move northward into Pennsylvania. General J.E.B. Stuart had camped most of his cavalry near Brandy Station, just northeast of Culpeper. Stuart thought it would be a good opportunity to have General Lee review the cavalry, so on June 5, 1863, nearly 9,000 mounted troops passed by General Lee, first at a walk, then a full gallop. Misinterpreting this review, Union Generla Pleasonton thought he was attacking a rebel raiding party of unknown size. Unknown to the Confederates, 10,000 Union soldiers amassed just across the Rappahannock River.
On the morning of June 9, Union forces crossed the river just above and below Stuart's Headquarters in a two-pronged attack. Confederate cavalry had to rush back from the battle lines at St. James, and in from Little Fork Church (seven miles away), to push the Union troops back. After 12 hours of battle, they were finally forced back across the river. Some 19,000 mounted men were engaged in the Battle of Brandy Station, the greatest cavalry battle ever to take place in the western hemisphere.


The Battle of Cedar Mountain


After Confederate armies had sucessfully blocked General McClellan in battles near Richmond in July, 1862, General Pope (Union) was driving hid armies south along the Orange and Alexandria railroad. Unaware that the Town of Culpeper had already been secured by union troops, "Stonewall" Jackson began heading north toward Culpeper , planning to reach the town by August 8. On August 9, the two opposing armies clashed six miles south of Culpeper on a big hill named Cedar Mountain, alongside a little stream, Cedar Run.
Here, an artillery duel was fought for about three hours. Jackson and his aides rode forward down a road choked with men, horses and artillery, Just as he reached the front lines, he was hit with a surprise flank attack. Under cover of the artillery duel, Union forces had advanced through the thick woods on the Confederate left. For the only recorded time in the war, Jackson drew his sword. He urged his men to stop their retreat and follow him in a counter-attack. A courier was sent back to bring up General A.P. Hill's troops. Hill and Ewell both came forward, and the tide turned. What could have been a Confederate defeat was turned into a victory. As darkness fell, both sides thought they would engage again in the morning. Sunday, August 10, Union troops sent over a flag of truce requesting time to treat their wounded. The battle was not resumed that day, and that night, Jackson withdrew the way he had come, and the Union army did not pursue him. Nineteen days later, Jackson defeated pope's army at Second Manassas.

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