The Battle of Buckland Mills
Leopold's Preserve
Quote by General Davies
"I sent forward my wagons, artillery, and the rest of my column to the left, with the instructions to cross Broad Run and make toward Hay Market, and then, with the First West Virginia Cavalry and Second New York, attacked and drove back the rebel cavalry that were charging my rear. I ordered the whole command across Broad Run, and moved through the fields and woods toward Hay Market."
The Battle of Buckland Mills, also known as The Buckland Races, was fought on October 19, 1863, between Union and Confederate forces in the American Civil War. Union cavalry led by Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick were caught in Confederate ambush and defeated.
The Battle of Buckland Mills involved more than 10,000 troops and centered along Route 29 between the New Baltimore and the Cerro Gordo plantation, which overlooks the town of Buckland from the bluffs of Broad Run. The Confederates succeeded in routing the entire federal cavalry across a wide swath of territory and as a result, referred to the affair as "the Buckland Races". An estimated 230 casualties were recorded.
Confederate
General J.E.B. Stuart, supported by Maj. Gen. Wade Hampton's cavalry division, was shielding Gen. Robert E. Lee's retirement from his defeat at Bristoe to the Rappahannock River. The Union cavalry under the command of Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick pursued Stuart, who lured them through Buckland and into Warrenton, where Lee's troops were waiting in ambush.The Union cavalry was divided in two; Custer was pursued back to Gainesville and Davies was routed and pursued across the county by Confederate cavalry to Haymarket and Gainesville, passing through the eastern portion of this property in close proximity to where you are now standing, following the current Route 15 alignment.
It is clear from every account of the battle on either side that the Confederate victory at Buckland depended on possession of the buckland bridge and the Warrenton turnpike; access to "unpicketed" avenues of approach, such as the Greenwich Road from Auburn and the Thoroughfare Gap Road where it met the turnpike just east of new Baltimore; and, perhaps most significantly, the unintentional but complete separation of Davies' and Custer's brigades on the battlefield.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil.
Location. 38° 48.633′ N, 77° 39.181′ W. Marker is near Haymarket, Virginia
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. On Hallowed Ground (approx. ¼ mile away); Aldo Leopold (approx. 0.3 miles away); St. Paul's, Episcopal (approx. ¾ mile away); In This Area Are Buried (approx. ¾ mile away); In Memory of the Union Soldiers (approx. ¾ mile away); Colonial Roads (approx. 0.9 miles away); Haymarket During the War (approx. 0.9 miles away); a different marker also named Haymarket During the War (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Haymarket.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 2, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 2, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 52 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 2, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.