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from the original painting
"Cannons on the Square" ©2002
Ron Lesser
Born
February 6, 1833 at
'Laurel Hill', Patrick County, Virginia,
Jeb Stuart was the seventh
child and youngest son of the Honorable Archibald Stuart of Patrick County and
Elizabeth Letcher Pannill of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. 'Laurel Hill'
was a beautiful and fertile farm inherited by Elizabeth from her grandfather,
William Letcher.
Following his schooling at
Wytheville and two years at Emory and Henry College, Stuart was
appointed to the United States Military Academy at
West Point in 1850.
Graduating thirteenth in his class in 1854, he spent most of his time in the
U.S. Army with the 1st Cavalry on the Kansas frontier. On November 14,
1855, he married Flora Cooke, daughter of Colonel (and future Union General)
Philip St. George Cooke. In October, 1859,
Stuart was aide to General Robert E. Lee in the capture of John Brown at
Harpers
Ferry. When Virginia seceded, he resigned his lieutenancy and entered
Confederate service as colonel of the 1st Virginia Cavalry. Assigned to
General Joseph E. Johnston in the Shenandoah Valley, Stuart at once became
famous for his exploits.
At
First Manassas in July of
1861, he defended the Confederate left and led a charge aiding in the Southern
victory. Stuart was promoted to Brigadier General September 24, 1861. Before the
Seven Days battles, General Stuart made his daring ride around Union General
McClellan's army to reconnoiter for General Lee. On July 25, 1862, he
was promoted to Major General in charge of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of
Northern Virginia. He performed brilliantly during the action leading up
to
Second Manassas by detaining the enemy at Crampton's Gap.
At
Fredericksburg, Stuart's Horse
Artillery rendered valuable service by checking the attack on General Thomas
'Stonewall' Jackson's 2nd Army Corps. At
Chancellorsville, he took command of
the 2nd Army Corps after Jackson was mortally wounded. Preceding the
Gettysburg
campaign, one of Stuart's fiercest battles was fought at
Brandy Station on June 9, 1863.
General Stuart continued to
perform gallantly and brilliantly until he was mortally wounded at
Yellow Tavern on May 11, 1864. General Stuart died on May 12 at Richmond,
Virginia and is buried
at
Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.
From Southern Cavalry
Review
On the Web
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