162 years ago this month, the Gettysburg Campaign got underway.
It was the first time a Confederate army had attempted a full-scale invasion of the North. The result was a decisive Union victory at Gettysburg. Most historians agree that the Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the American Civil War.
Lee's army began the movement northward on June 3, 1863.
Before the Confederates crossed the Blue Ridge into the Shenandoah Valley, the largest cavalry battle of the war was fought at Brandy Station on this day (June 9) in 1863. For several hours, desperate fighting took place on the slopes of a prominent ridge called Fleetwood Hill. The battle ended up being a tactical draw, though an embarrassed Jeb Stuart claimed victory. The Battle of Brandy Station established the reputation of the Union cavalry as the peer of Stuart's mounted troopers.
Brandy Station is a little-known battlefield today. It is preserved by the American Battlefield Trust (proud member!) and owned by the Virginia State Parks (grateful user!).
It's been said that there isn't any piece of land found anywhere in North America that witnessed more combat than Fleetwood Hill in Culpeper County, VA. It was the site where the Gettysburg Campaign played its opening scene.
It's well worth a visit today.