Rappahannock Station
Fauquier County, VA | Nov 7, 1863
On November 7, 1863, Union General George G. Meade launched a two-pronged attack against Confederate General Robert E. Lee鈥檚 lines in the Battle of Rappahannock Station, resulting in a Union victory and forcing Lee to retreat below the Rapidan River.
How It Ended
Union Victory. After overwhelming Confederates downstream at Kelly's Ford, Union forces under General John Sedgwick launched a nighttime assault on the Confederates at Rappahannock Station, resulting in a stunning Union victory and forcing Lee to retreat below the Rapidan River.
In Context
In the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac marched back to Virginia. That fall, Robert E. Lee launched an offensive, however, was repulsed at the Battle of Bristoe Station on October 14. Lee pulled back to the Rappahannock River.
Meade pursued and launched an assault on Confederate lines on November 7th. General William H. French's Third Corps attacked Lee at Kelly鈥檚 Ford while General John Sedgwick鈥檚 Sixth Corps struck the Confederate bridgehead at Rappahannock Station.
French鈥檚 men struck the Confederate lines first, taking the position at Kelly鈥檚 Ford, and he managed to capture around 300 Confederates in the process. Meanwhile, at about 3 pm, Sedgwick鈥檚 advance captured key locations on the hills looking above the Confederate defenses at Rappahannock Station.
Once Sedgwick鈥檚 advance got underway, Confederate General Jubal Early called upon Lee for reinforcements and received three North Carolina regiments under Colonel Archibald Godwin鈥檚 brigade, which aided General Henry T. Hays鈥 Louisiana brigade. Sedgwick did not press any further for the rest of the afternoon and bombarded the Southern lines. However, Union General David A. Russell鈥檚 division launched an assault on the Confederate lines after nightfall and successfully captured the position at Rappahannock Station.
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By the end of the fight, Russell鈥檚 men had overrun the Confederate bridgehead at Rappahannock Station and taken more than 1,600 of Early鈥檚 men prisoner. With his position along the Rappahannock breached, Lee withdrew below the Rapidan River.
Henry Hays's 鈥淟ouisiana Tigers鈥 along with Archibald Godwin鈥檚 North Carolinians defended Rappahannock Station.
Robert E. Lee鈥檚 overall strategy was to use the bridgehead at Rappahannock Station to its fullest advantage, hoping that, with this position, he could divide any attacking army, threaten their flank, and defeat them. However, once the Federals under Sedgwick gained control of the bridgehead, Lee鈥檚 ideas of maintaining a presence along the river and area were tarnished, and he was forced to abandon his plans and move further south to the Rapidan River.
Rappahannock Station: Featured Resources
All battles of the Bristoe Campaign
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