| The Dog Days | | | | boys sped by, drawing his revolver and emptying |
| The day was May 12, 1964. Jeb Stuart | | | | it into the surging troops. The Blue Coats were |
| dismounted and examined the ground around | | | | thrown back and soon disappeared out of sight. |
| Yellow Tavern. The message from Richmond had | | | | At that moment, Stuart felt a shock that threw |
| been wrong. Sheridan had not yet passed this | | | | him off balance. A cry went up from the men. |
| way. Stuart was in front of, not behind, the Union | | | | "General, you're hit." In the confusion, no one saw |
| cavalry. His troops were put into position. | | | | the Federal trooper sneak off down the fence |
| Wickham was on the right with most of his | | | | row, his pistol smoking. "Are you wounded badly, |
| troops parallel to the Telegraph Road. Lomax was | | | | General?" "I am afraid I am," Stuart said, never |
| on the left with his flank West of the road and | | | | changing his tone from the calm voice giving |
| almost at right angles to it. Gordon was off | | | | commands a few minutes earlier. He called for the |
| fighting a flanking action on the enemy's rear. | | | | courier and told him, "Go at once and tell General |
| Unless Bragg got reinforcements to him soon, | | | | Fitz Lee and Dr. Fontaine to come here." Captain |
| two brigades were all Stuart had to face the | | | | Dorsey took the reins of Stuart's horse and tried |
| strength of Sheridan's forces. | | | | to lead him but the one-man horse would not |
| The Lull before the Storm | | | | allow it. The animals became unmanageable. Stuart |
| For an hour or more, Stuart, McClellan, Venable, | | | | was in too much pain to sit the unruly horse and |
| Hullihen and other members of the staff sat in | | | | had to be helped down. Stuart told Captain |
| the shade out of sight near Yellow Tavern and | | | | Dorsey to prop him against the tree and to leave |
| waited. There was lull in the fighting but no one | | | | him there, but he would not do so. Fitz Lee |
| was fooled by it. Movement, in the woods first | | | | arrived on the scene and had Stuart taken back |
| and then the open field, was observed at 4:00 | | | | to a place he felt was safe from attack. At that |
| o'clock. It was caused by Union troops who were | | | | point Stuart ordered them all to leave him and go |
| advancing steadily and deliberately on the middle | | | | back to the battle. The enemy must not be |
| and to the right. Stuart called for his staff to | | | | allowed to break through. Richmond would be |
| follow and rode up to the gun on the hill above | | | | taken if it happened. |
| the road. The gunners were in a state of | | | | General Stuart is Taken to the Rear |
| depression and near panic. Dead horses and men | | | | Stuart waited quietly while Wheatley found an |
| were all around them. Stuart remained in the | | | | ambulance. Venable ordered the ambulance to |
| saddle, displaying his causal, good humored | | | | remove Stuart from the field. Stuart consented |
| composure, hoping to transfer some of it to the | | | | but did not give over the command just yet. "Go |
| men. He knew he was in danger sitting his horse | | | | back and do your duty, as I have done mine," he |
| on top of the hill, but he had to do it. Venable | | | | ordered the sorrowing officers. As they moved |
| yelled for him to get down, but Stuart laughed. "I | | | | off, he shouted after them, "I had rather die than |
| don't reckon I am in any danger," he said. "I never | | | | be whipped." Dr. K. B. Fontaine reached Stuart |
| was before." | | | | while the ambulance was still on its way. He had |
| A Desperate Situation | | | | Stuart gently turned on his side so he could |
| Stuart called for Venable to ride with him to see | | | | inspect his back. The surgeon then saw that |
| how it was happening on the left. They found the | | | | Stuart had been shot through the stomach and |
| line broken and the men close to their limit of | | | | would not live. He recommended that Stuart take |
| ability to resist. Stuart knew that a retreat was | | | | a drink of whisky but Stuart refused saying that |
| the end. He planned to attack and told Venable to | | | | he had promised his mother he would not take |
| go get Lomax and tell him to form up for a | | | | even a sip of the stuff. |
| counter. Stuart then rode on to the extremity of | | | | A Long, Painful Ride to Richmond |
| the left, whistling as he went, trying to calm the | | | | To avoid capture the ambulance had to make |
| men. Stuart stopped at a rail fence and observed | | | | numerous detours, going down bumpy lanes, on |
| that this flank was up in the air and would be | | | | its journey to Richmond. When Stuart had |
| wiped out by attack. There was nothing he could | | | | moments of relief, he talked with McClellan. His |
| do. | | | | first care was for his personal papers which must |
| There were no troops to cover. Stuart rode up | | | | be forwarded through secure and proper channels |
| to privates Oliver and Pitts of the First Virginia | | | | to safe keeping. "I wish for you to take one of |
| and placed the head of his horse between them. | | | | my horses," he told McClellan, "and Venable the |
| "What do you say, we just wait here for those | | | | other. Which ever of you is the heavier rider, |
| boys to attack?" The privates knew there was | | | | take the bigger horse." Stuart paused, then |
| little hope of survival but they were buoyed in | | | | continued. "My spurs which I have always worn in |
| spirit by Stuart and his calmness and joked with | | | | battle are promised to Lilly Lee of |
| him. | | | | Shepherdstown, Virginia...and...and the other spurs |
| The Fight is On | | | | to Lilly Parran." "But, Sir, Flo...Mrs. Stuart . . ." "To |
| The 5th and 6th Michigan were not long in obliging, | | | | Lilly Parran; is that understood?" McClellan was |
| and, while the attack was not designed to "drive | | | | troubled in his mind. How could he do that, even if |
| home," it was so fierce that it pushed the whole | | | | he could get the spurs from Flo, which he very |
| left and part of the center 400 yards back to a | | | | much doubted. It was said to be bad luck to fail |
| ravine. Stuart stood his ground as the Michigan | | | | to carry out dying man's request, but. . . |