July 25, 2025 • 6 mins
Embark on a historical journey as Abner Doubleday, a Union officer in the Civil War, recounts his experiences from the frontlines. Beginning with the bombardment opened on Ft. Sumter in 1861, Doubledays memoirs unravel the tale of two pivotal campaigns - Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. Delve into the strategic errors at Chancellorsville that led to a Union defeat and explore the leadership crisis that plagued the camp. After Chancellorsville, Doubleday covers the unexpected clash of the armies at Gettysburg. When he takes command following the death of his superior, he leads his outnumbered division with courage and resilience. Despite being replaced due to a mistaken report of his divisions defeat, Doubledays narrative doesnt falter. Instead, he critiques the missed opportunities post-battle that could have ended the war. This book is not just a memoir, but Doubledays resolute response to the injustices he faced.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Part one, Chapter ten of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. This LibriVox
recording is in the public domain and is read by
Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. Chancellorsville and Gettysburg by
Abner Doubleday, Part one, Chapter ten, Battle of Brandy Station Fleetwood.
(00:24):
The eighth of June was a day of preparation on
both sides. Pleasanton was engaged in collecting his troops and
getting everything in readiness to beat up the enemy's quarters
the next morning, and Stuart was preparing to cross for
the purpose of either making a raid on the railroad,
as Pleasanton states, or to take up a position to
guard the right flank of the invading force as it
(00:46):
passed by our army. Major McLellan, Stuart's adjunet general, asserts
the latter. Pleasanton's information was founded on captured dispatches and
on interviews held by some of our officers with the
con Federicks. Under a flag of truce, the four batteries
of Jones's cavalry brigade moved down near the river opposite
(01:07):
Beverly Ford on the seventh to cover the proposed crossing.
They were imperfectly supported by the remainder of Stuart's force.
Jones's brigade was posted on the road to beverly Ford,
that of fitz Lee on the other side of Hazel River,
that of Robertson along the Rappahannock blowed the railroad, that
of W. H. F Lee on the road to Melford Ford,
(01:31):
and that of Hampton in Reserve near Fleetwood Hill, all
too far off to be readily available. In fact, the
batteries were entirely unsuspicious of danger, although they were a
quarter of a mile from the nearest support, and there
was only a thin line of pickets between their guns
and the river. Just a note here, fitz Lee is
(01:52):
a familiar abbreviation for Fitzhugh Lee, adopted in the rebel reports.
In the meantime, Pleasanton's three divisions stiffened, to use one
of Hooker's expressions, by two brigades of infantry stole down
to the Fords and lay there during the night, quietly
and without fires, ready at the first dawn of day
(02:13):
to spring upon their two confident adversaries and give them
a rude awakening. Pleasanton in person remained with Buford's division,
the first which was lying near beverly Ford with Ames
Infantry Brigade. The other two divisions, the second under Colonel
Duffy and the third under General Gregg, supported by Russell's
(02:34):
Infantry Brigade, were imbivouac opposite Kelly's Ford. As each commander
is apt to overstate the enemy's force and under rate
his own, it is not always easy to get at
the facts. Pleasanton claims that the rebels had about twelve
thousand cavalry and twelve guns. Major mcleodan of Stuart's staff
(02:54):
puts the number at nine thousand, three hundred and thirty
five men on paper and twenty guns, but states there
were nearly three thousand absentees. General Gregg estimates the Union
cavalry at about nine thousand men and six batteries, But
as will be seen hereafter a third of this force
(03:14):
was detached towards Stevensburg, and their operations had little or
no effect on the general result. The batteries do not
seem to have been brought forward in time to be
of much service. At daybreak, Pleasanton's troops began to cross
Buford's division and Ames's Infantry at beverly Ford. The other
(03:34):
two divisions under greg and Duffy with Russell's infantry at
Kelly's Ford, six miles below. Each division was accompanied by
two light batteries. Pleasanton's plan was founded on the erroneous
supposition that the enemy were at Culpeper. He used the
infantry to keep the lines of retreat open and directed
(03:54):
the cavalry to rendezvous at Brandy's Station. They were to
arrive there at the same time time and attack together.
Duffy's column was to make a circuit by way of Stevensburg. Unfortunately,
Stewart was not at Culpeper, but at Brandy's Station. That is,
he occupied the point where they were to rendezvous, and
(04:15):
the plan therefore appertained practically to the same vicious system
of converging columns against a central force. What happened may
be briefly stated as follows. The first division under Bauford
came upon the enemy between Brandy Station and Beverly Ford.
A battle ensued at Saint James's Church, and as their
whole force confronted him, and they had twenty pieces of artillery,
(04:39):
he was unable to break their line. After fighting some hours,
he was obliged to turn back with a portion of
his command to repel an attempt against his line of retreat.
Gregg next appeared upon the scene and succeeded in getting
in Stuart's rear before the rebel general knew he was there, Buford,
having gone back toward beverly Ford as Greg in his turn,
(05:02):
fought the whole of Stuart's force without the cooperation of
either Buford or Duffy. It can hardly be said that
Duffy's column took any part in the action, for he
did not reach Brandy's station until late in the day,
and then as the rebel infantry were approaching pleasant in
order to retreat. For the future instruction of the Reader,
(05:24):
it may be well to state that every cavalry charge,
unless supported by artillery or infantry, is necessarily repulsed by
a counter charge, for when the force of the attack
is spent, the men who make it are always more
or less scattered, and therefore unable to contend against the
impetus of a fresh line of troops who come against
(05:44):
them at full speed and strike in mass. Stuart's headquarters
were twice taken by Greg's division, and a company desk captured,
with very important dispatches, but the enemy had the most
men and most artillery near the point attacked, and therefore
always regained by a counter charge the ground that had
(06:05):
been lost. Stewart claims to have repulsed the last attack
of Pleasanton against Fleetwood Hill, and to have taken three guns,
besides driving our cavalry back across the river. Pleasanton claims
to have fully accomplished the object of his reconnaissance, to
have gained valuable information which enabled Hooker to thwart Lee's plans,
(06:26):
and to have so crippled the rebel cavalry that its
efficiency was very much impaired for the remainder of the campaign,
so that Lee was forced to take the indirect route
of the valley instead of the direct one along the
eastern base of the Blue Ridge, behind his cavalry as
a screen, his original intention having been to enter Maryland
(06:46):
at Poolsville and Monocacy. End of Chapter ten
Part one, Chapter ten of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. This LibriVox
recording is in the public domain and is read by
Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. Chancellorsville and Gettysburg by
Abner Doubleday, Part one, Chapter ten, Battle of Brandy Station Fleetwood.
(00:24):
The eighth of June was a day of preparation on
both sides. Pleasanton was engaged in collecting his troops and
getting everything in readiness to beat up the enemy's quarters
the next morning, and Stuart was preparing to cross for
the purpose of either making a raid on the railroad,
as Pleasanton states, or to take up a position to
guard the right flank of the invading force as it
(00:46):
passed by our army. Major McLellan, Stuart's adjunet general, asserts
the latter. Pleasanton's information was founded on captured dispatches and
on interviews held by some of our officers with the
con Federicks. Under a flag of truce, the four batteries
of Jones's cavalry brigade moved down near the river opposite
(01:07):
Beverly Ford on the seventh to cover the proposed crossing.
They were imperfectly supported by the remainder of Stuart's force.
Jones's brigade was posted on the road to beverly Ford,
that of fitz Lee on the other side of Hazel River,
that of Robertson along the Rappahannock blowed the railroad, that
of W. H. F Lee on the road to Melford Ford,
(01:31):
and that of Hampton in Reserve near Fleetwood Hill, all
too far off to be readily available. In fact, the
batteries were entirely unsuspicious of danger, although they were a
quarter of a mile from the nearest support, and there
was only a thin line of pickets between their guns
and the river. Just a note here, fitz Lee is
(01:52):
a familiar abbreviation for Fitzhugh Lee, adopted in the rebel reports.
In the meantime, Pleasanton's three divisions stiffened, to use one
of Hooker's expressions, by two brigades of infantry stole down
to the Fords and lay there during the night, quietly
and without fires, ready at the first dawn of day
(02:13):
to spring upon their two confident adversaries and give them
a rude awakening. Pleasanton in person remained with Buford's division,
the first which was lying near beverly Ford with Ames
Infantry Brigade. The other two divisions, the second under Colonel
Duffy and the third under General Gregg, supported by Russell's
(02:34):
Infantry Brigade, were imbivouac opposite Kelly's Ford. As each commander
is apt to overstate the enemy's force and under rate
his own, it is not always easy to get at
the facts. Pleasanton claims that the rebels had about twelve
thousand cavalry and twelve guns. Major mcleodan of Stuart's staff
(02:54):
puts the number at nine thousand, three hundred and thirty
five men on paper and twenty guns, but states there
were nearly three thousand absentees. General Gregg estimates the Union
cavalry at about nine thousand men and six batteries, But
as will be seen hereafter a third of this force
(03:14):
was detached towards Stevensburg, and their operations had little or
no effect on the general result. The batteries do not
seem to have been brought forward in time to be
of much service. At daybreak, Pleasanton's troops began to cross
Buford's division and Ames's Infantry at beverly Ford. The other
(03:34):
two divisions under greg and Duffy with Russell's infantry at
Kelly's Ford, six miles below. Each division was accompanied by
two light batteries. Pleasanton's plan was founded on the erroneous
supposition that the enemy were at Culpeper. He used the
infantry to keep the lines of retreat open and directed
(03:54):
the cavalry to rendezvous at Brandy's Station. They were to
arrive there at the same time time and attack together.
Duffy's column was to make a circuit by way of Stevensburg. Unfortunately,
Stewart was not at Culpeper, but at Brandy's Station. That is,
he occupied the point where they were to rendezvous, and
(04:15):
the plan therefore appertained practically to the same vicious system
of converging columns against a central force. What happened may
be briefly stated as follows. The first division under Bauford
came upon the enemy between Brandy Station and Beverly Ford.
A battle ensued at Saint James's Church, and as their
whole force confronted him, and they had twenty pieces of artillery,
(04:39):
he was unable to break their line. After fighting some hours,
he was obliged to turn back with a portion of
his command to repel an attempt against his line of retreat.
Gregg next appeared upon the scene and succeeded in getting
in Stuart's rear before the rebel general knew he was there, Buford,
having gone back toward beverly Ford as Greg in his turn,
(05:02):
fought the whole of Stuart's force without the cooperation of
either Buford or Duffy. It can hardly be said that
Duffy's column took any part in the action, for he
did not reach Brandy's station until late in the day,
and then as the rebel infantry were approaching pleasant in
order to retreat. For the future instruction of the Reader,
(05:24):
it may be well to state that every cavalry charge,
unless supported by artillery or infantry, is necessarily repulsed by
a counter charge, for when the force of the attack
is spent, the men who make it are always more
or less scattered, and therefore unable to contend against the
impetus of a fresh line of troops who come against
(05:44):
them at full speed and strike in mass. Stuart's headquarters
were twice taken by Greg's division, and a company desk captured,
with very important dispatches, but the enemy had the most
men and most artillery near the point attacked, and therefore
always regained by a counter charge the ground that had
(06:05):
been lost. Stewart claims to have repulsed the last attack
of Pleasanton against Fleetwood Hill, and to have taken three guns,
besides driving our cavalry back across the river. Pleasanton claims
to have fully accomplished the object of his reconnaissance, to
have gained valuable information which enabled Hooker to thwart Lee's plans,
(06:26):
and to have so crippled the rebel cavalry that its
efficiency was very much impaired for the remainder of the campaign,
so that Lee was forced to take the indirect route
of the valley instead of the direct one along the
eastern base of the Blue Ridge, behind his cavalry as
a screen, his original intention having been to enter Maryland
(06:46):
at Poolsville and Monocacy. End of Chapter ten
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