In Search of JEB Stuart

Clark "Bud " Hall
Published: February 21, 2008

My father was a quiet, dignified man, but looking back, I don't recall that he ever laughed.

Following my mother's tragic death, he raised me from infancy in a farmhouse centered in a dusty Mississippi cotton patch. My mother's sisters and the Pearl Valley Baptist ladies routinely stopped by to feed us, but mostly our little family included dad, me, two old mules, a milk cow, a yard full of chickens and the farm's reigning potentate, my alpha cat, Percy.

From earliest memory, I observed over our mantle an old image of a bearded soldier gazing down at me. At some early point, I inquired as to the man's identity. A rare, knowing smile came over dad's face as he proudly replied, "Son, that's JEB Stuart," adding, "and of course, there was only one JEB Stuart." So at that precise instant my fascination began with the "bold cavalier," and he inexorably entered my life via John Thomason's splendid, Jeb Stuart and H.B. McClellan's definitive, Campaigns of Stuart's Cavalry.

Fast forward to 1984 upon my transfer as an Organized Crime Supervisor to FBI Headquarters in Washington. As with central offices anywhere, we did not accomplish much of substance at FBIHQ, and for the first time in my career, I enjoyed weekends off-an opportunity exploited to the hilt.

Considering we now lived in Virginia, I yanked down my old books and set off to track Stuart's campaigns wherever his feather led me. And that personal odyssey soon led me to a county I had never visited.

It is a fact that no Confederate general officer spent more time in Culpeper County during the war than James Ewell Brown Stuart, and a summary of Stuart's Culpeper tenure is herein appropriate.

Gen. Stuart first appeared in Culpeper in March 1862 as his cavalry protected the rear of Joe Johnston's army, then falling back from Centreville. The Battle of Cedar Mountain in early August 1862 brought Stuart back to Culpeper, and in late August, Stuart's legions led Lee's army through Culpeper to initiate the 2nd Manassas Campaign. After Antietam, Stuart reverted in November to Culpeper prior to the Fredericksburg Campaign.

In March 1863, Stuart alighted in Culpeper concurrent with the Battle of Kelly's Ford and in April, Stuart's cavalry nipped away at massive Federal columns crossing at Kelly's Ford on their way to Chancellorsville. From June to November 1863, Stuart spent many weeks fighting huge battles at Brandy Station, Stevensburg and Culpeper Court House. Stuart left Culpeper for the last time on Nov. 8, 1863 when crossing the Rapidan into Orange County. At that point, the 31- year-old general had six months to live.

During the months Stuart lodged in Culpeper, his headquarters camps were mostly situated on the high ground south of the courthouse, and also at Afton, Beauregard, Fleetwood Hill and Farley. Stuart named his various Culpeper campsites after lamented aides killed in action, to wit: "Camp Pelham" (John); "Camp Price" (Channing) and "Camp Farley" (William).

So beginning in the mid-'80s, I started visiting Culpeper, and the generosity of many folks aided my research into JEB Stuart, Brandy Station and Civil War Culpeper. I will in fact offer a column expressing gratitude to these generous souls who helped guide my boots straight into the footsteps of JEB Stuart-they certainly know who they are. At least three of these friends know more about the Civil War than me, herein referring to the gentlemanly Dr. Russ Aylor; Brandy Station's peerless B.B. Mitchell; and Bob Hudson, an honest lawyer, with Cedar Mountain wedged in his DNA.

Many times, unfortunately, we find out too late that our heroes have feet of clay, usually revealed when they miserably fail the test of time and character. In my own case, however, JEB Stuart has always been "yours to count on," and Gen. Stuart remains a steadfast, personal icon yet today.

So young people, take heed! Select your heroes carefully and remember that your own parents; good teachers; Abraham Lincoln; and Robert E. Lee offer far greater role model opportunities than flash-in-the-pans Britney Spears, Roger Clemens and Tom De Lay. Above all, any hero must be worthy of being a hero.

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