Free Virtual Program: The Battles of Rappahannock Station and Kelly’s Ford
Contrary to popular belief, the Eastern Theater during the late summer and fall of 1863 was anything but inconsequential. In September 1863, the post-Gettysburg stalemate between Lee and Meade dissolved as each transferred parts of their armies to the battlegrounds around Chattanooga. Lee’s early October offensive drove Meade backwards 46 miles toward Washington, but came to grief at Bristoe Station in a bloody clash with Meade’s rearguard. Unable to supply his troops so far north, Lee pulled back to Culpeper County, destroying the Orange & Alexandria railroad as he withdrew to slow the Union pursuit.
As the Army of the Potomac inched forward, Lee undertook a bold strategy to hold the Rappahannock line and lure Meade into a deadly trap. Pressured by Washington to fight but denied strategic flexibility, Meade launched a risky offensive to force his way over the river and bring on a decisive battle. That effort saw the Federals win a handy victory at Kelly’s Ford and a stunning triumph at Rappahannock Station, where they destroyed two entire Confederate brigades. Newly uncovered evidence shatters many of the myths surrounding Rappahannock Station, making it possible to reveal how the fight actually unfolded, the real reason for Confederate defeat, how close Lee came to winning, and why Meade failed to exploit his unexpected victory despite gaining, however briefly, the upper hand in his deadly duel with Lee.
Jeffrey William Hunt is the Director of the Texas Military Forces Museum--the official museum of the Texas National Guard in Austin, TX--and an adjunct professor of History at Austin Community College. He has also served as the Curator of Collections and Director of the Living History Program at the Admiral Nimitz National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX, and is the author of The Last Battle of the Civil War: Palmetto Ranch.
Copies of Mr. Hunt's book 'Meade and Lee at Rappahannock Station,' can be purchased here: https://www.savasbeatie.com/meade-and-lee-at-rappahannock-station-the-army-of-the-potomacs-first-post-gettysburg-offensive-from-kellys-ford-to-the-rapidan-october-21-to-november-20-1863/?fbclid=IwAR1TwXv4vDfnFQ_kDYPb-6YFVs--JAqfYXSwNwNuGqnQDKJEvKGU_e7M2vA
The program will be broadcast on May 19th, at 7PM eastern.
