Battle of Aldie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Aldie
Part of the American Civil War
Cavalry fight near Aldie, Va., by Edwin Forbes
Date June 17, 1863 (1863-06-17) Location Loudoun County, Virginia 38°58′57″N 77°39′32″W / 38.9826°N 77.6588°W / 38.9826; -77.6588 Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
United States (Union)	CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Judson Kilpatrick	Thomas T. Munford
Units involved
2nd and 4th New York Cavalry 6th Ohio Cavalry 1st Massachusetts Cavalry 1st Maine Cavalry 1st Rhode Island Cavalry	1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Virginia Cavalry
Strength
2,000	1,500
Casualties and losses
305	110–119

The Battle of Aldie happened on June 17, 1863. It took place in Loudoun County, Virginia. This battle was part of the larger Gettysburg Campaign during the American Civil War.

Confederate cavalry, led by Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, was protecting Gen. Robert E. Lee's army. Lee's soldiers were marching north through the Shenandoah Valley. They were hidden behind the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Union cavalry, led by Brig. Gen. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, was chasing them. Kilpatrick's troops met Confederate soldiers near the village of Aldie. These Confederate troops were commanded by Col. Thomas T. Munford.

The fight lasted for about four hours. Both sides attacked with their cavalry units. Later that afternoon, Kilpatrick received more soldiers. Munford's troops then pulled back towards Middleburg. The battle ended without a clear winner.

Why the Battle of Aldie Happened

In the spring of 1863, Union leaders were getting frustrated. General Joseph Hooker and his cavalry commander, Brig. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton, had a problem. They couldn't get past Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate cavalry. This "cavalry screen" kept them from finding Lee's army. Lee's army had been moving since June 3rd.

On June 17, General Pleasonton decided to break through this screen. He ordered Brig. Gen. David McMurtrie Gregg's cavalry division to move west. They marched from Manassas Junction to Aldie.

Aldie was an important location. Near the village, the Little River Turnpike met two other main roads. These roads, the Ashby's Gap Turnpike and Snicker's Gap Turnpike, led through gaps in the Blue Ridge Mountain into the Shenandoah Valley. Controlling Aldie meant controlling access to these important routes.

How the Battle Unfolded

Map of battlefield core and study areas.

"Sergeant Glazier at the Aldie" as depicted in Sword and pen - or, Ventures and adventures of Willard Glazier in war and literature (1890) by John Algernon Owens

On the morning of the battle, Colonel Munford led his cavalry regiments. These were the 2nd and 3rd Virginia Cavalry. They rode east from Upperville through Middleburg to Aldie. Their mission was to scout the area and find supplies.

Munford set up guards in Aldie to watch for enemy soldiers. Then, he moved his main force northwest of town. They camped on the farm of Franklin Carter.

Around 2 PM, Union cavalry arrived in Aldie. This was Brig. Gen. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick's advance group. It included soldiers from New York, Ohio, Maine, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

Just west of Aldie, the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry met Munford's guards. They pushed the guards back. Around the same time, more of Munford's soldiers arrived. These were the 1st, 4th, and 5th Virginia Cavalry. They were led by Col. Williams Carter Wickham.

Colonel Wickham ordered Col. Thomas L. Rosser to move the 5th Virginia closer to Aldie. As they moved, they ran into the Massachusetts soldiers. Rosser's men easily pushed the Union troops back through Aldie.

Rosser then set up his sharpshooters (skilled shooters) east of a farmhouse. He placed his main line west along a ridge. This ridge covered the two roads leading out of Aldie. He waited for the Union forces and his own commanders to arrive.

The 1st Massachusetts and 4th New York charged, thinking Rosser was retreating. But Rosser's line held firm. He counter-attacked with help from his sharpshooters. They easily pushed the Union soldiers back. This secured his control of the Ashby's Gap Turnpike.

Kilpatrick then focused on the Snicker's Gap Turnpike. Cannons began firing on both sides. More cavalry arrived for both armies. A fierce fight started. At first, Munford's side was winning. Union charges were stopped by sharpshooters hidden behind a stone wall.

The 1st Massachusetts Cavalry got trapped in a blind curve on the Snicker's Gap Turnpike. They suffered heavy losses, losing 198 out of 294 men. One group was almost completely wiped out in hand-to-hand combat.

The battle turned when Union reinforcements arrived. The 6th Ohio Cavalry attacked Rosser's sharpshooters. They captured or killed most of them. The fighting slowed down around 8 PM. Munford then pulled his troops back west towards Middleburg.

What Happened After the Battle

Monument to the 1st Massachusetts

Munford did not see Aldie as a defeat. He withdrew because he received an order from Stuart to retreat. More Union cavalry had been seen near Middleburg.

The Union army had 305 soldiers killed or wounded. The Confederates lost between 110 and 119 men. Aldie was the first of several small battles in the area. Stuart's forces successfully slowed down the Union advance. This prevented the Union from finding Lee's main army.

Luigi Palma di Cesnola, a Colonel in the 4th New York Cavalry, was captured during the battle. He was sent to Libby Prison until May 1864. Later, he received the Medal of Honor for his brave actions at Aldie.

The Battlefield Today

The Aldie battlefield is mostly still as it was during the battle. The village of Aldie and its mill look much the same. However, widening U.S. Route 50 has changed part of the battlefield. This part is along the Ashby's Gap Turnpike.

The stone wall and old farmhouses are still there along the Snicker's Gap Turnpike (Route 734 today). At the stone wall where the 1st Massachusetts suffered heavy losses, a monument stands. It was built by the soldiers who survived to honor their comrades.

In 2012, a five-acre part of the battlefield was preserved. The Civil War Trust bought the land. It will be used as a historic site. This land was very important in the battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville. The American Battlefield Trust and its partners have saved over 600 acres of the battlefield since 2001.