Today from Rappahannock Bridge: October 16, 1863

A dispatch posted October 14 has made the Richmond Daily Dispatch. The story provides and update on the advances of Lee's army into Fauquier County.  The O&A bridge was burned by the retreating Federals on October 13 (as was the depot in Bealeton). The firing that was heard was probably the early morning fight at Auburn, Va (known as the Battle of Coffee Hill). The dead horses are from the fighting on the 13th and John Minor Botts was being John Minor Botts, again.


From Northern Virginia.
Rappahannock Bridge, Oct.14.

--The bridge at this point was badly burned by the enemy in his retreat, and the ruins are still smoking.

Alfred Waud's drawing of the buring of the Rappahannock Station Bridge on October 13, 1863

Rapid firing was heard during to-day in the direction of Warrenton. There was a cavalry skirmish at Catlett's station on Tuesday. The enemy are still fleeing.

Our cavalry surrounded a body of Yankee dismounted cavalry, acting as sharpshooters, at Jeffersontown, on Tuesday, and, after wounding several of them, took over three hundred prisoners.--More prisoners are coming in.

The country from Culpeper C. H. to this point is completely desolated. Negroes, stock, and everything, have been carried off. Most of the houses left untenanted were pulled to pieces, and Yankee huts built of their material.

The battle-field about Brandy Station is literally covered with dead horses.

John Minor Botts has again been paroled, to appear in Richmond.

Random Death

Today at Brandy Station: May 2, 1864

The Army of the Potomac was consolidating it's forces in and around Brandy Station and Culpeper. The Fifth Corps, which had been guarding the Orange & Alexandria Railroad between the Rappahannock River and the Bull Run were marching along the railroad into Culpeper. Some regiments were fortunate enough to grab a ride on a train that was heading south. Such was the case of the 91st Pennsylvania.

Camped in the vicinity of Warrenton Junction (today's Calverton), the regiment moved down the line to Brandy Station. All did not complete the journey.

Benjamin Redheffer of company A, was in of one of the cars, and while the train was crossing the Rappahannock, one of his feet, which was dangling over the side of the car, hit part of the truss that crossed the bridge. He was quickly pulled out of the car and killed. Gone in an instant.

It is not like combat, when instant, random death can be explained. But literally one second sitting in a boxcar, and the next...

Over 1100 Union soldiers died in and around the Winter Encampments, Private Redheffer is just one of the more tragic, preventable deaths that occurred.

The Second Burning of the Rappahannock River Bridge

Today along the Rappahannock: August 23, 1862

In the morning Gen. Longstreet drove the enemy across the Rappahannock Bridge, with a loss to them, but they succeeded in burning the bridge. Gen. Jackson remained at Lee’s Springs all day and took infantry and artillery over to the hills across the river. The enemy came up late in the P.M. and we opened on them; they replied and a fierce artillery duel took place. When the enemy’s infantry advanced a Georgia regiment charged on them with a yell and drove them away. I came up in the afternoon and found all engaged on fixing to cross the river. Gen. Stuart got back from an expedition to the enemy’s rear at Catlett’s, he captured wagons; some 300 prisoners, money, Pope’s Hd. Qr.s papers, etc. There was a heavy rain in the P.M. and the streams are getting up.

The Orange & Alexander bridge over the Rappahannock River at Rappahannock Station would suffer the fate of being destroyed throughtout the war. This episode was the second burning of the year. The first was done by the Confederates the previous spring, when they evacuated Culpeper in April.