Following the humiliating Union defeat at Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862, Major General Ambrose Burnside planned to outflank the Confederate Army by crossing the Rappahannock River at Banks’ Ford, upstream from Fredericksburg. The march began on January 19th. That evening a warm front moved through the area, which thawed the roads, and was followed by several days of heavy rain. Two divisions and 150 pieces of artillery became stuck in the heavy mud. Burnside cancelled the march, which became known as the “Mud March” on January 23rd. Two days later Burnside was replaced as commander of the Army of the Potomac by Major General Joseph Hooker.

Union morale had reached a low point. The following month Confederate Major General Fitzhugh Lee, Robert E. Lee’s nephew, was sent on a reconnaissance mission into Stafford County northwest of Fredericksburg from February 24-26th. They attacked a Union force at Hartwood Church, an advanced cavalry picket post on the edge of Union lines, on the 25th. They returned with 150 Union prisoners; thirty-six Union soldiers were killed. Lee suffered 4 men killed, 8 wounded and 3 captured. A physician from the 3rd VA Cavalry, Lieutenant Charles Palmore, stayed behind at the church to tend to the Confederate wounded. Fitzhugh Lee left Palmore with a note and a bag of Virginia tobacco for the Union commander of the 2nd Division of the Cavalry Corps of the Union Army of the Potomac, his friend from their West Point days, Brigadier General William Averell. The note read ” Please let this surgeon assist in taking care of my wounded. I ride a pretty fast horse, but I think yours can beat mine. I wish you’d quit your shooting and get out of my State and go home. If you won’t go home, why don’t you pay me a visit. Send me over a bag of coffee.” The raid infuriated Averell as well as the new Union commander of the Army of the Potomac, Major General Joseph Hooker, who was determined to retaliate.

Hooker made many changes when he assumed command of the Army of the Potomac. One of the first was to consolidate all of his cavalry into one corps under one commander. On March 14th Hooker ordered Averell to cross the Rappahannock River and attack Lee at Culpeper Court House. Two days later Averell moved out with two brigades the first under the command of Colonel Alfred Duffie consisting of the 4th NY, 6th OH and 1st RI (775 men). The second brigade commanded by Colonel Josh McIntosh was made up of the 3rd PA, 4th PA, and the 16th PA (565 men). They were supported by the 1st U.S. Cavalry and three squads of the 5th U.S. Cavalry commanded by Captain Marcus Reno (760 men). Artillery support was provided by the 6th NY Light Independent Battery under Lieutenant George Browne with six guns leaving from Aquia Creek. On the night of the 16th the bulk of the column covered 16 miles and camped at Morrisville, 4 miles east of Kelly’s Ford, while Averell’s advanced scouts moved on to Mount Holly Church. At 4:00 AM they headed toward Kelly’s Ford.

The ford was named after local businessman John Kelly who owned a mill complex on the south bank of the river. Several homes were clustered around the mill and the village was known as Kellysville.

Duffie’s brigade led the way. By 5:00 AM about 100 men of the 4th NY Cavalry and 5th U.S. Cavalry were at the ford. The Rebel pickets had cut trees down to block the ford and constructed abatis on both banks. About 45 men of Captain James Breckinridge’s 6th VA Cavalry and 85 men of Lieutenant William Moss’s Company K of the 4th VA Cavalry were deployed in rifle pits and a dry mill race. Initial efforts to cross the ford led by Major Samuel Chamberlain were not successful due to the abatis. Twenty pioneers with axes were brought to the front to deal with the obstructions but a 2nd attempt to cross the Rappahannock also failed. Chamberlain attempted a third crossing but was wounded in the process. A fourth attempt led by Lieutenant Simeon Brown succeeded. It took a total of about 90 minutes for Union troops to gain control of the ford, about 25 Confederates were taken prisoner but Captain Breckinridge managed to escape. An additional two hours were required to widen the abatis, water horses, and get the full Union force across the ford. Fitzhugh Lee learned of the attack around 7:30 AM.

Lee with five regiments, about 800 men, rode toward Kelly’s Ford along with his commanding officer J.E.B. Stuart and two of his staff officers, Captain Harry Gilmor and Major John Pelham. Union scouts spotted the Confederates and Averell arranged his men in a line of battle about half a mile west of Kelly’s Ford. McIntosh’s 3rd and 16th PA were on the right anchored at Wheatley’s Ford. To the left was the 4th PA. These regiments were armed with new Spencer breech-loading carbines. Behind McIntosh, the 1st and 5th U.S. Cavalry were in reserve under Captain Marcus Reno. Two guns of the 6th NY Battery were in the center. Duffie’s brigade was also on the left behind a long stone fence (shown in the map below). The Union forces along the stone wall were concealed in the tree line.

As the Rebels approached within 200 yards of the fence they came under heavy fire. The 3rd and 5th VA Cavalry charged but Union soldiers with the model 1860 Spencer carbine holding a 7-round tubular magazine capable of firing 18 rounds per minute held firm. The Confederates tried and failed to turn the Union right. It was during this time that Major John Pelham was mortally wounded. He was brought back to the Shackelford House in Culpeper where he died the next day. The house is no longer there but a marker and plaque are on the site in downtown Culpeper.

Averell ordered his men to remain behind the wall but Colonel Duffie on the left ordered his men (1st RI, 4th NY and 6th OH) to charge. Lee met Duffie head on with the 1st, 2nd and 4th VA Cavalry. Seeing this McIntosh advanced on the Union right driving Lee back across the field. A squadron of the 1st RI were far ahead of other Union forces chasing the fleeing Rebels, with them was Duffie’s assistant adjutant general Lieutenant Nathaniel Bowditch an officer of the 1st MA Cavalry. Bowditch was wounded seriously and taken prisoner along with 2 officers and 18 men of the 1st RI. He died of his wounds at a field hospital. The Virginians fell back and passed through a clearing, crossed Carter’s Run and formed a new line one mile west of the stone fence. When Averell chose to bombard the Rebels with his artillery rather than charge, Lee attacked again. He sent the 1st, 3rd and 5th VA against the Union right and the 2nd and 4th VA against the left but they were beaten back on both flanks. This action occurred across the field shown in the pictures below.

The final phase of the battle is shown below.

Concerned about reports that Confederate infantry were approaching and with the sun setting, the cautious Averell decided to withdraw. A Union surgeon remained behind to tend to the wounded at a field hospital. Fitzhugh Lee visited the hospital where the surgeon gave him a note and a bag of coffee from Averell that read, “Dear Fitz, here is your coffee. How is your horse? Averell.”

Union casualties were one officer and five enlisted men killed, 12 officers and 38 men wounded, and 2 officers and 29 men missing. Forty two of the casualties were from the 1st RI during the initial attempts to secure Kelly’s Ford. Confederate losses were heavier with 3 officers and 8 others killed, 11 officers and 77 men wounded, and Breckinridge and 39 men taken prisoner.

Although a small scale all-cavalry battle, Union horsemen for the first time more than held their own against the Rebels under J.E.B. Stuart.

Driving Tour

The following picture is from a pamphlet for a driving tour of the Battle of Kelly’s Ford available at the Graffiti House.

1- Kelly’s Ford (38.4757500, -77.7787000)- see above

2- Stone wall and mortal wounding of Pelham stone (38.4879000, -77.7908167). Hunting takes place on this property so I had to be careful not to go during hunting season. When I went the path was difficult to navigate with many downed trees.

3- Level Green- The Brannin House (38.4844362, -77.8055261)- the original part of the house to the left was built in 1780. It served as a field hospital during the battle.

4- Newby’s Shop (38.5040194, -77.8245279)- a blacksmith shop stood near this intersection during the Civil War. Lee’s last charge began here.

5- Pelham Monument– on the grounds of the Graffiti House (38.5028145, -77.8911605).

Sources

The Union Cavalry Comes of Age. Hartwood Church to Brandy Station, 1863. Eric J. Wittenberg

Civil War Battles and Leaders Summer 2023. Cavalry Clash at Kelly’s Ford by David A. Norris.