Saturday Battlefield Tours 2010

The BSF is presenting a series of two-hour tours, one devoted to each of the four engagements that comprise the Battle of Brandy Station on June 9, 1863. Transportation: Personal vehicle caravan will depart from the Graffiti House at 10AM. The cost is $10 (children under 12 are free). Tours leave from the Graffiti House at 10:00 am and last 2 hours. No reservations are needed, please arrive at the Graffit House before ten. Special tours for individuals or groups on other days can be specially arranged.

Beverly Ford & St. James Church (April 3, May 29, July 24)

Kelly's Ford & Stevensburg (April 17, June 12, Aug 7

Fleetwood Hill (May 1, June 26, Aug 21)

Buford Knoll & Yew Ridge (May 15, July 10, Sept 4)

Beverly Ford & St. James Church – April 3, May 29, July 24

The first tour in the series covers the early morning fighting between troops under the command of Union General John Buford and those commanded by his West Point classmate, Confederate General William E. "Grumble" Jones. Incidents examined include the death of Union Colonel Benjamin Franklin Davis in a one-on-one encounter with a Confederate lieutenant on the Beverly Ford Road, and the charge of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry against Confederate artillery at Saint James Church. 

Kelly’s Ford & Stevensburg – April 17, June 12, Aug 7

The second tour in the series begins with a discussion of the Union river-crossing at Kelly's Ford, and then follows the route of march of the Union cavalry division commanded by Colonel Alfred Napoleon Duffie, a deserter from the French army, to Stevensburg. The fighting at Stevensburg, a neglected aspect of the Battle of Brandy Station, is presented in detail. This tour concludes with a description of the mortal wounding of Captain William Farley, JEB Stuart's volunteer aide de camp.

Fleetwood Hill – May 1, June 26, Aug 21

The third tour focuses on the fighting for Fleetwood Hill, the most intense and prolonged combat on June 9, 1863. At one point 12 regiments -- 6 Union and 6 Confederate -- struggled for control of the hilltop. Unlike most Civil War battles, the troopers fought from the saddle, mostly with sabers. One frustrated Rebel was heard to shout at his Yankee opponent, "Why don't you Yankees put away your sabers, draw your pistols, and fight like gentlemen!"

Buford Knoll & Yew Ridge – May 15, July 10, Sept 4

The final installment in the series of tours presents the fighting that took place later in the afternoon of June 9 between General Buford and General W.H.F. "Rooney" Lee's brigade. During the fighting, Rooney Lee, Robert E. Lee's second son, was shot in the thigh and carried from the field. Colonel Solomon Williams of 1st North Carolina Cavalry, commanding his regiment in battle for the first time, was shot in the head and killed. He had been married just two weeks earlier.

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