By early November Union engineers had rebuilt the Orange and Alexandria Railroad to Warrenton Junction and soon the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia would once again face off across a river. Only this time, unlike earlier in the year, the river was the Rappahannock not the Rapidan. Meade requested to change his base of operation to the Fredericksburg area but the Lincoln administration wanted no part of another debacle in that city as had occurred the previous December. Under pressure to advance against Lee’s army Meade had little choice other than to move down the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. Lee had placed Ewell and Hills Corps along the river guarding the fords. A tête de pont (advanced salient) was placed at Rappahannock Station. This position was originally built in 1862 to protect the railroad bridge, which had been destroyed by Union forces the year before. The modern bridge is shown below. The picture below was taken from the Fauquier County side of the river.

On November 6th, Major General Jubal Early’s Louisiana Brigade under Brigadier General Harry Hays moved in to occupy the Rappahannock Station rifle pits and two forts that had been held by Walker’s Brigade. They were supported by the four gun Louisiana Battery. Lee had sent Robert Rodes division downstream to Kelly’s Ford. The majority of Rodes men were camped about 1.5 miles west of the ford, with a small force actually at the ford. The ground on the Fauquier County side of the Rappahannock River was higher than on the Culpeper side, an advantage for the Federals. Robert Knox Sneden’s map of the Rappahannock Station area is shown below.

Major General John Sedgwick would command the right wing at Rappahannock Station with his VI Corps along with part of the V Corps. The left wing would assault Kelly’s Ford with Major General William French commanding his III Corps aided by the I and II Corps. Both wings would move at daybreak on November 7th and would be near their destinations by 11:00 AM, Sedgwick via the Culpeper-Warrenton Road and French to Morrisville and then Kelly’s Ford via the Summerduck Road. Sykes Corps would be positioned between the two wings. We will cover the action at Rappahannock Station in the remainder of this post and at Kelly’s Ford in the next post. Sedgwick deployed six batteries on ridges north and northeast of the Confederate forts. Early’s three batteries south of the river were no match for them. Hays was reinforced across the river by three NC regiments of Brigadier General Robert Hoke’s infantry under Colonel Archibald Godwin. At 5:00 PM Sedgwick ordered two of Brigadier General David Russell’s brigades forward under Colonel Peter Ellmaker and Colonel Emory Upton. Ellmaker’s 6th ME and 5th WI were in the lead and the first to assault the works. Sergeant Otis Robert’s of the 6th ME was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. They were joined by the 119th and 49th PA and some members of the 20th ME (shown in Ed Alexander’s excellent map below). On the right Upton advanced with the 121th NY and 5th ME.

As darkness settled in the fighting for the works was fierce and hand-to-hand. The Federals gained control of the pontoon bridge and many Rebels attempted to swim the river in order to escape. Confederates in the works now had their escape route cutoff and because of the darkness no idea of the size of the force attacking them. They began surrendering in large groups. The Rebels had suffered about 1700 casualties (1590 taken prisoner) and lost the pontoon bridge, the Louisiana Battery, seven battle flags and 2,000 stand of arms. The Federals had 69 killed, 1 missing and 256 wounded.

Major Walter Taylor Lee’s adjutant said about the battle “Thus in a very few words I tell you the saddest chapter in the history of this army.” and as “miserable, miserable, miserable management”. Lee would now fall back south of the Rapidan, the very place he started before the Bristoe Station Campaign.

Sites related to the battle in Remington, VA.

The ridge where the Rebel works were located is now occupied by a housing complex. The pictures below were taken from the area of the Louisiana Redan that was assaulted by the 6th ME and 5th WI. It is accessible to the public.

The picture below was taken from the Louisiana Redan looking across the plain toward the pontoon bridge. This is the area over which Confederate forces would have fled after the Union overran the Rebel earthworks.

Colonel Emory Upton’s men are believed to have started from the area of the Remington Cemetery in their attack on the left side of the Confederate works.