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Battle of Yellow Tavern
Part of the American Civil War
Date May 11, 1864 Location Virginia Result Union victory
Combatants
United States of America	Confederate States of America
Commanders
Phillip Sheridan	J.E.B. Stuart Fitzhugh Lee
Strength
10,000 cavalry, 32 artillery pieces	4,500
Casualties
625	300 captured, Stuart mortally wounded

Grant's Overland Campaign
Wilderness – Spotsylvania Court House – Yellow Tavern – Meadow Bridge – Wilson's Wharf – North Anna – Haw's Shop – Totopotomoy Creek – Old Church – Cold Harbor – Trevilian Station – Saint Mary's Church

The Battle of Yellow Tavern was fought on May 11, 1864, as part of the Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. A clash between Union and Confederate cavalry forces, it is best known for the mortal wounding of legendary Confederate cavalry commander Major General J.E.B. Stuart.

Contents 1 Background 2 Battle 3 Aftermath 4 References

The Overland Campaign was Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 offensive against General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. The two had fought an inconclusive battle at the Wilderness and were engaged in heavy fighting at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. Up to this point, Union cavalry commander Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan was dissatisfied with his role in the campaign. His Cavalry Corps was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, under Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, who reported to Grant. Meade had employed Sheridan's forces primarily in the traditional role of screening and reconnaissance, whereas Sheridan saw the value of wielding the Cavalry Corps as an independently operating offensive weapon for wide ranging raids into the rear areas of the enemy. On May 8, 1864, Sheridan went over Meade's head and told Grant that if his Cavalry Corps were let loose to operate as an independent unit, he could defeat "Jeb" Stuart, long a nemesis to the Union army. Grant was intrigued and convinced Meade of the value of Sheridan's request.

On May 9, the most powerful cavalry force ever seen in the Eastern Theater—over 10,000 troopers with 32 artillery pieces—rode to the southeast to move behind Lee's army. They had three goals: first, disrupt Lee's supply lines by destroying railroad tracks and supplies; second, threaten the Confederate capital in Richmond, which would distract Lee; third, and most important, defeat Stuart.

The Union cavalry column, which at times stretched for over 13 miles, reached the Confederate forward supply base at Beaver Dam Station on the evening of May 9. The Confederate troops had been able to destroy many of the critical military supplies before the Union arrived, so Sheridan's men destroyed numerous railroad cars and six locomotives of the Virginia Central Railroad, destroyed telegraph wires, and rescued hundreds of Union soldiers who had been captured in the Wilderness.

Stuart moved his 4,500 troopers to get between Sheridan and Richmond. The two forces met at noon on May 11, at Yellow Tavern, an abandoned inn located six miles north of Richmond. Not only did the Union outnumber the Confederates by three divisions to two brigades, it had superior firepower—all were armed with rapid-firing Spencer carbines. The Confederate troopers tenaciously resisted from the low ridgeline bordering the road to Richmond, fighting for over three hours before the unthinkable happened. A dismounted Union cavalry private shot at General Stuart from 30 feet away and mortally wounded him. He died the following day.

The fighting kept up for an hour after Stuart was wounded, Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee taking temporary command. Sheridan disengaged his men and headed south toward Richmond. Although tempted to burst through the modest defenses to the north of the city, Sheridan continued south across the Chickahominy River to link up with Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler's force on the James River.

Sheridan's raid had been an unqualified success. They suffered 625 casualties, but they captured 300 Confederate prisoners and recovered almost 400 Union prisoners. Their most significant victory, however, was killing Stuart, which deprived Robert E. Lee of his most experienced cavalry commander.

• Nation Park Service battle description
• Battle description