Cavalry Clash at Hanover - January ‘98 America’s Civil War Feature

 | America's Civil War  | 0 comments  | Print This Post  | Email This Post

Unlike Stuart, Pleasonton’s contact with his cavalry was through staff members delivering dispatches between himself and division commanders. As the campaign progressed, Pleasonton’s orders from Meade directed him “to protect well the front and flanks of this army with your cavalry.” Meade’s idea of a cavalry commander differed from Pleasonton’s. Meade viewed him as a staff officer rather than a field leader, and he used the cavalry primarily as a messenger service, for patrols and as guards for wagon trains. Fighting battles was secondary, as far as Meade was concerned. Still, the Union cavalry would serve Meade well in the developing campaign.

The orders the Union division commanders received from Pleasonton on the 29th directed Buford to advance toward Emmitsburg, Md. Gregg was to split up his brigades, with two of them riding to Westminster and the third to New Windsor, Md. Kilpatrick was to move toward Littlestown, Pa.; his duty was to cover the center and front of the advance of Meade’s army.

The Union cavalry was happy to be crossing the Potomac into Maryland and leaving war-torn Virginia behind. One Union trooper said, “Getting out of Virginia was like getting out of a graveyard.” As the soldiers passed through Frederick, the civilians gave them fresh milk and water, along with plenty of food. The Federal cavalry was spread out over a wide area as it moved closer to Pennsylvania, and the march soon turned into a nightmare. One member of the 3rd Pennsylvania wrote in his diary that he spent 20 straight hours in the saddle. Others told of seeing horses dying along the roadside from pure exhaustion caused by the intense heat and choking dust.

Although the Federals had fanned out to cover more territory, Kilpatrick was completely unaware that Stuart’s men were only a few miles away near Union Mills. Apparently, Kilpatrick was more intent on finding Maj. Gen. Jubal Early’s division, which had been spotted on the 28th near York, Pa. Kilpatrick’s men spent the night just inside the Pennsylvania line at Littlestown, about 10 miles southeast of Gettysburg and seven miles from Hanover. While at Littlestown, the Yankee troopers were treated like deliverers by the local citizens.

In the early morning hours of June 30, Kilpatrick led his cavalry out of Littlestown and headed northeast
toward Hanover. Stuart’s men were advancing toward Hanover as well, with Chambliss’ brigade in the lead, Hampton’s brigade in the rear with the captured wagon train, and Fitz Lee’s brigade moving on the left flank near Baltimore Pike. Stuart, guided by a 16-year-old civilian volunteer, hoped to detour around the Union troops at Littlestown and link up with Ewell’s men at York. The last thing “Jeb” wanted was another firefight with Yankee cavalry.

Kilpatrick and his staff led the division in the direction of Hanover, followed by Custer and his Michigan regiments of the 2nd Brigade. Leading the 1st Brigade were the 1st Vermont, 1st West Virginia, 5th New York, 18th Pennsylvania and Battery E of the 4th U.S. Horse Artillery. The 18th had been in service for only a few weeks and had yet to see any fighting.

Around 8 a.m., Kilpatrick entered Hanover at the head of Custer’s 1st and 7th Michigan regiments. Custer’s brigade rested a short time, then resumed its march toward Abbottstown. Kilpatrick spent some time talking with local citizens, who filled him in about Elijah White’s 35th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry, which had ridden through Hanover three days earlier. At about 9 a.m., Kilpatrick left town with his staff to catch up with Custer’s column. Meanwhile, Farnsworth’s men arrived in Hanover and also rested briefly. By 10 a.m. the 1st Vermont and 1st West Virginia had departed. Only the 5th New York remained in town; the 18th Pennsylvania had not yet arrived.

On the road leading into Hanover, Pennsylvania Captain Henry C. Potter and 40 men from Companies L and M of the 18th formed the rear guard, about a mile behind their regiment. They suddenly ran into about 60 Southern troopers from Chambliss’ brigade, who ordered Potter’s men to surrender. A wild chase ensued, with the Rebel cavalrymen right on their heels, until the rear guard met up with dismounted members of the regiment, who opened fire and temporarily stopped the Confederates. More Rebels soon arrived, however, and the battle began in earnest.

Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to