The Army of Northern Virginia was making impressive headway in the direction of Washington. It overcame its first obstacle by pushing through a detachment of dismounted Union cavalry at the Battle of Culpepper Courthouse on August 11, 1862. Lee’s plan was to continue to head north through Brandy Station and cross the Rappahannock River at Rappahannock Station. Once north of the Rappahannock, Lee planned on giving battle from a defensive position where Lee’s disadvantage of numbers could be marginalized. Lee had no illusions of totally destroying the Union Army but with any luck the main body of the Army of the Potomac, now approaching from the south, would be defeated and then retreat towards Washington. Lee would then turn south and reoccupy Richmond, returning the Confederate capital to Southern control and giving the South a desperately needed boost in morale.
Union commander Major General Sumner however was not merely chasing Lee north. Taking advantage of the railroad and river networks in Northern Virginia, Sumner had decided to dispatch I Corps north to be routed through Alexandria, Virginia to establish a blocking position north of the river at Rappahannock Station. I Corp was now under Major General Joseph Hooker who had recently replaced Major General Irvin McDowell as commander. Meanwhile the rest of the Union army would approached Lee from the South and box him in. In a sense it became a race against time to see who could arrive at this import river crossing first.
Major General Joseph Hooker
I Corps, Commander
Lee continued to advanced north capturing Brandy Station on August 12 but only after unexpectedly stiff resistance by the small Union garrison. The next day Lee arrived at the Rappahannock shocked to see a large number of Federal troops disembarking off trains and drawing themselves into position north of the river. Lee, it was reported, was surprised to see such a large element of the Army of the Potomac to his north instead of trailing him to the south. Lee was now faced with a decision, he could order a hasty attack across the river and keep advancing towards Washington, or remain in Brandy Station and await a Union attack. Lee chose the former but ordered a night reconnaissance of Union positions north of the river to ascertain their strength.
On the morning of August 13, Confederate scouts reported to Lee that the troops on the North bank of the Rappahannock consisted only of Hooker’s I Corps. The scouts also reported that Sumner with the rest of the Federal Army was fast approaching from the Southeast. Around 9:00 a.m. Lee assembled his commanders to discuss the situation. The Confederate forces did enjoy a numerical advantage against Hooker’s troops to the north and if they could be defeated the Army of Northern Virginia could then turn its attention to Sumner when he arrived with the Union main body. However, this plan was not without risks. Hooker’s men had spent the night entrenching and crossing the river would be tough. In the end it was decided that Hooker’s Corp should be eliminated before the arrival of Sumner. The only Confederate corps commander who voiced reservations was Major General James Longstreet who favored either skirting Hooker to the west or remain on the defensive and wait for a Union attack.
The Battle of Rappahannock Station began around noon on August 13. With only a few hours to prepare and after a brief artillery barrage, the attack commenced with Confederate troops surging against the Union positions. Yankee guns overlooking the river crossing caused considerable Confederate casualties. For over three hours Lee made steady by costly process as he managed to force the Federals back. The assault was hindered by Confederate Brigadier General J.E.B. Stuart who had been ordered to flank the Federal position from East. For reasons that remain unclear to this day, Stuart maneuvered his cavalry in a dashing but ultimate to wide of an arc around the Union position so that his forces did not join the battle for nearly four hours. As twilight approached Hooker ordered his battered corps to fall back, leaving the Confederates in possession of the northern bank. Lee had scored his much hoped for victory over a Union army. However, the Confederate triumph had come at an extremely high price. A price that Lee’s already outnumbered army could hardly afford as the main body of the Army of the Potomac approached from the South.
The morning following the Battle of Rappahannock Station was a bitter sweet moment for General Robert E Lee. He had scored a victory against the North but only after suffering severe casualties to his own force. He now contemplated his next move. He could cut his losses and head South to avoid being trapped, continue to follow his original plan and turn and face Sumner somewhere north of the Rappahannock, or advance towards Washington. Lee decided that he did not possess the forces to take Washington and if he continued on towards the Union capital he was going to be running the serious risk of becoming completely cut off from his line of retreat. Falling back to the southwest, which was favored by some on his staff, was ruled out because it would not allow them to reoccupy Richmond, their chief objective. Therefore, Lee decided to advance to the town of Warrenton, Virginia located 13 miles north of Rappahannock Station and give battle to the approaching Army of the Potomac. It was also rumored that Warrenton had Union depots. Depots with food and supplies that Lee’s army desperately needed.
. Any speculation as to the chances of Lee's success on his upcoming offensive?
