Decisive Confederate Victory
The Largest All-Cavalry Battle of the Western Hemisphere
The Battle of Trevilian Station
Confederate Gen. Wade Hampton's victory over Gen. Philip H. Sheridan at Trevilian Station on June 11-12, 1864, prevented Sheridan from joining Gen. David Hunter and destroying the Virginia Central Railroad at Charlottesville. Gen. Jubal A. Early's Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia then used the railroad to reach Lynchburg in time to repulse Hunter on July 17-18 [See more about this marker below]. Trevilian Station was the largest all-cavalry battle of the Civil War. "The Battle of Trevilians," wrote Hampton's chief of artillery, was important "because, if lost, General [Robert E.] Lee and his whole army would have been without supplies. Trevilians was so important to General Lee that he was enabled thereby to stay in Petersburg for nearly a year longer." A month after the battle, Lee requested that Hampton be promoted to permanent command of the cavalry corps because of his victory here.
Both sides suffered heavy losses. Of Sheridan's force of 9,000 cavalrymen, and 400 horse artillerists, 95 were killed, 445 wounded, and 410 missing. This total of 950 was more than 10 percent of his total force. Hampton and Fitzhugh Lee lost 813 men out of 6,000 cavalrymen and 400 horse artillerists engaged resulting in a casualty rate of more than 12 percent. Sheridan withdrew eastward and rejoined the Army of the Potomac on June 18, 1864. Hampton and his command followed, slowed by the exhaustion of his men and horse and the lack of supplies.
Marker is on West Street (County Route 666), on the right when traveling west.
Courtesy hmdb.org
