From the Rappahannock

A Dashing Affair with the Rebels at Kelly’s Ford.

The River Crossed by Our Cavalry.

Hand-to-Hand Conflicts Between Cavalry.

Total Defeat of the Rebels — Capture of Prisoners, &c.

Washington, Wednesday, March 18.

We hear to-night that Averill’s and Pleasonton’s cavalry commands, with a light battery, had a sharp skirmish at Kelly’s Ford yesterday.   The rebels attempted to cross infantry over, but were driven back.

Fitzhugh Lee and Stuart, with their forces, were reported to be at Warrenton and White Plains on Monday.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

Washington, Wednesday, March 18.

Averill’s and Pleasonton’s commands – cavalry and artillery – had an artillery skirmish with the rebels at Kelly’s Ford yesterday.  It is believed that the rebels attempted to cross infantry and were repulsed, with some loss on both sides.

Fitzhugh Lee and Stuart, with their commands, were reported here to be at Warrenton and White Plains on Monday, by a man who came in here from across the river.

HEADQREPORTS FROM UARTERS.

Headquarters, March 18, 1863.

A most brilliant cavalry fight occurred on the Rappahannock yesterday, beyond Kelley’s Ford.   A reccconnoissance, under command of Gen. Averill, forced a passage over the river, in the face of a determined resistance by considerable body of rebel sharpshooters, who were covered by houses, rifle-pits and a dry mill-race, with an abbatis in front.  The ford admitted but a single horseman at a time, and the stream, which was swollen, was very rapid.

Arriving at the shout side of the river, our cavalry charged the rebels in their intrenchments, killing and capturing nearly the entire force, besides capturing a large number of horses picketed near by.

A short distance from the shore, Gen. Averill’s command encountered the rebel cavalry under Stuart and Fitzhugh Lee, who had hastened from Culpeper to prevent our passage.  They made some dashing charges upon our troops, who repulsed and in turn charged them with fatal effect, using sabres only in the conflict.  Whenever the enemy made a stand, they were immediately charged upon and routed from their positions with great loss.

The battle lasted five hours, and was a series of charges and hand-to-hand conflicts, resulting in the falling back of the enemy.

The forces were about 2,000 on each side.

The enemy at last took refuge behind an intrenched battery four miles from the ford, flanked by rifle-forts and abbatis.  Gen. Averell having accomplished his object, and securing his prisoners, the wounded on both sides, and a large number of horses, recrossed the river, without attack or demonstration on the part of the rebels, who were so badly whipped that they could not follow or annoy him.

Among the prisoners is Maj. Breckinridge, a cousin of the traitor John C. Breckinridge.  The prisoners characterize the affair, on our part, as one of the ablest and most gallantly fought cavalry raids of the whole war, and admit that their own troops were totally demoralized by the gallant sabre charge of our cavalry.

About 80 prisoners have been brought in.  The wounded of the enemy bear sufficient marks to show that the sbre was the only weapon used on our side.

 Source:  Hyndman, William.  History of a Cavalry Company.  Philadelphia: Jas. B. Rodgers Co., 1870.  Pages 87-88.

“This was the first cavalry engagement of the war in which a division was engaged on each side.  The National forces consisted of seven volunteer regiments, the Sixth New York battery, and detachments from the regular cavalry which included three squadrons (C, E, G, H, I and K) of the regiment under Lieutenant Leib.  The enemy’s forces consisted of five regiments of cavalry and a battery.

“At the second attempt of the enemy to rally, the regiment seized the opportunity and made a brilliant charge which forced them into a rapid retreat and won the commendation of General Averill.  The National loss was eighty-four killed, wounded, and missing.  The enemy’s loss was one hundred and thirty-three.  A large number of horses were killed and wounded on each side.”

 Source:  Price, George F.  Across the Continent With the Fifth Cavalry.  New York: Antiquarian Press Ltd, 1959.  Pages 114-115.

Abstracts of the Journal of the Regiment

March 16, 1863.  Colonel Gregg, with Adjutant Day, Serg’t Major Miller, eight officers, and one hundred and ninety-six men, left camp at 8 A M ; joined the brigade, commanded by Colonel McIntosh, of the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry, and marched to Morrisville, and encamped.

March 17, 1863.  Engaged with the enemy at “Kelly’s Ford.”  On arriving at the ford, Colonel Gregg sent forward all the axes in the regiment, and immediately dispatched twenty men of the Sixteenth, under command of First Lieutenant A J Snyder, of “H” Company.  The party bore itself gallantly, and did good service in removing the blockade at the Ford, and crossed with the First Rhode Island men. Sergeant McGowan, “H” Company, Private Claffe, “A” Company, and Saddler F J Cornman, “I” Company, were recommended to the favorable notice of the Colonel commanding Brigade, for their gallant conduct.  The position occupied by the Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry was on the extreme right of he line, the right of the Regiment resting on the river; skirmishers thrown forward and deployed at a distance of three hundred yards, and concealed from view by a row of cedar trees and outbuildings.  Shortly after the attack commenced on the left and centre, Colonel Gregg observed a large force of the enemy moving rapidly towards our right, evidently with a view of out-flanking us.  Colonel Gregg dismounted a portion of the regiment and occupied the buildings immediately in his front.  This was not done too soon, as the enemy were already entering the outer gate, when a volley from behind the houses drove them back.  They soon rallied home behind some trees and out of carbine range, and supposing, from their manoevres, that it was their intention to dismount a portion of their men and gain our rear, under cover of the bushes which lined the bank of the river.  Colonel Gregg dismounted the entire command, and threw the whole force some three hundred yards in advance of the houses, under cover of a stone wall, and drove the enemy from their position.  A charge by thirty men, led by Major Fry, drove a squadron of the enemy from the woods, immediately to our front.  Finding the enemy did not approach, Colonel Gregg mounted his command, and took up a position on the right of the line, and moved forward, until further progress was arrested by a dense woods, when he again dismounted his command and threw it forward on the enemy’s left flank, obliging him to change his position three times.

            The Regiment sustained no loss of either officers or men — one man, Private Durling, of “E” Company, was slightly wounded.  Major Fry, Captains Alexander and Kennedy, Lieutenants Snyder and Youngs, as well as all the men under my command, “see “Official Report,”) deserve great credit for the promptness they advanced under fire.

            Marched to Morrisville at sundown, and encamped.

Source:

History of the 16^th Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry, for the year ending October 31^st, 1863.  Philadelphia: King & Baird, 1864.

Battle of Kelly’s Ford Civil War Trails Marker.

State of Virginia Battle of Kelly’s Ford (J-36) Marker.

State of Virginia “Where Pelham Fell” (F-10) Marker.  Near this marker is a memorial to Pelham, very close to the Brandy Station Battlefield.

Admirers of the Gallant Pelham placed a memorial at the site of his mortal wounding.

The John Pelham Memorial.

The stone wall near CR 674.

From the CR 620 Bridge over the Rappahannock River looking south.

From CR 672 looking north across the present day farm.