And Stuart delighted Southern-sympathizing women wherever they could be found.Nevertheless, he spoke often of the possibility of death—though in no morbid way. James Ewell Brown “aka” Jeb Stuart was born on February 6, 1833 Stuart enrolled at the the US Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1854. The Confederates rode down the blue-bellies, and Confederate Captain William Blackford told them: “Do you see those pine saplings? She outlived her husband by fifty years, never remarried, and every day wore black as a sign of her mourning. This author decided to emphasize the battles and accomplishments of Gen. Jeb Stuart and his cavalry regiments for the year leading up to the battle at Gettysburg. I want you to observe that a good man on a good horse can never be caught. Colonel Cooke’s daughter Flora, a rather homely lass but a pious Episcopalian like Stuart’s mother, was swept off her feet by the gallant cavalier. Taken to a hospital in Richmond, Jeb Stuart died the next day.He is buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond. A bit bewildered by the suddenness of the thing, Colonel Cooke nevertheless assented to the couple’s marriage in November 1855. His mother’s family was equally distinguished, well-to-do, and noted for its political connections. Lee confessed, after Stuart’s death, that he could “scarcely think of him without weeping.” As perhaps we should all weep when we ask if it was really necessary, if it was really just, to kill men such as JEB Stuart for their devotion to their native state and the cause of Southern independence.© HistoryOnTheNet 2000-2019. And he remained spirited enough that when he saw Phil Sheridan and a substantial body of cavalry, more than 10,000 troopers, advancing towards Fredericksburg, he pursued to cut them off from what he assumed was to be a raid on Richmond. “I don’t reckon there is any danger.”When the Federals charged, Stuart was behind a thin grey line of men from Company K. Stuart fired at the bluecoats with his pistol as they galloped past him, and he fired again, when the Federals retreated, repelled by a Confederate countercharge. He was promoted to brigadier general in September, 1861, and given a brigade of cavalry to command in the Army of Northern Virginia. But from March to September 1861, he had been promoted from first lieutenant in the United States Army to a brigadier general in the forces of the Confederate States of America. All rights reserved. It was really a baited trap to lure Stuart to his death. JEB Stuart had no more than 4,500 men. It was during this latter service that his men leapt to prominence with their celebrated raid that had them riding roundJEB Stuart for his part, relished the danger (though he was perturbed once when a bullet sliced off half his prized moustache), and it was part of his character that he could perform his duties with the utmost skill, with the soberest estimate of the military realities of his situation, while indulging a rambunctious, fun-loving, cavalier spirit. He was utterly committed to the cause and told his wife Flora that it was his wish that his son should “never do anything his father would be ashamed of” and should “never forget the principles for which his father struggled.”Those principles were, of course, the defense of his native Southland and of the sovereign rights of the state of Virginia. Such ambitions are gone with the wind, ground out, as JEB Stuart eventually was, by the ruthless determination of the likes of But before Sheridan caught up with him, JEB Stuart had his fun, including his celebrated raid on the headquarters of General John Pope. It was a credit to Stuart’s sturdy constitution that he was able to treat the wound as a mere bagatelle.After the election of Abraham Lincoln, but before South Carolina’s secession, JEB Stuart wrote to Jefferson Davis (then serving as United States Senator from Mississippi) offering his services to any Southern army that might soon be formed. The knightly ideal was not remote from Virginia cavaliers, but few took it as far as JEB Stuart did. Stuart took position with his force on Cress Ridge at about 11:00 a.m. on the 3rd of July and as directed, signaled Lee with 4 cannon shots that he was in position.
He rallied his men and turned command over to Fitzhugh Lee: “Go ahead Fitz, old fellow. JEB Stuart At The Seven Days Battles Taken From The Life and Campaigns of Major-General JEB Stuart By H. B. Mcclellan, A.M. Late Major, Assistant Adjutant-General And Chief Of Staff Of The Cavalry Corps, Army Of Northern Virginia Hand it up to me.” The watch was surrendered and returned to its rightful owner.JEB Stuart took pride in such knight errantry among his men. But for some, the sheen wore off those spurs after his performance at Gettysburg, where his men circled round the enemy army, and raided their way through Pennsylvania, but lost track of the Federal Army and lost contact with Lee.
We gallop toward the enemy, and trot away, always.”JEB Stuart had a habit of finding himself amidst the enemy—and not always by intent. At Harpers Ferry, Stuart acted as an aide to Robert E. Lee, commander of the Marines dispatched to arrest Brown, (Lee had also been JEB Stuart’s superintendent at West Point).It wasn’t only abolitionist rowdies who occupied Stuart in Kansas.
Colonel James Ewell Brown “J.E.B.” Stuart, IV is the great-grandson of the esteemed Confederate Major General J.E.B. Six miles from Richmond, he moved to block Sheridan at Yellow Tavern, where blue and grey met in battle on 11 May 1864.
It might be hard today to find hearts so pure, but surely it is harder when Virginians, and others, no longer aspire to the spirit of the Virginia cavalier, no longer think of chivalry as an ideal to be pursued, or of knighthood as a practice for the current age.