HANOVER, Pa., Cavalry Action at. During the Gettysburg campaign General Stuart, commanding the Confederate cavalry, was ordered by General Lee to observe the movements of the Army of the Potomac and harass its rear should it attempt to follow the Confederate army and pass into Maryland. Leaving two brigades south of the Potomac, to guard the passes of the Blue Ridge, Stuart, with the rest of his command, crossed the Poto mac at Seneca Creek, 20 miles north of Wash ington, on the night of 27 June 1863 and, learn ing that Hooker had crossed the river, marched north by way of Rockville, captured a train of 125 wagons and 400 prisoners between Rock ville and Washington, struck the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at Sykesville and Hood's Mills, and, ascertaining that the Union army was marching from Frederick northward, en deavored to get ahead of it, reaching West minster at 5 P.M. of the 29th, where he struck a squadron of the First Delaware Cavalry, which offered a stubborn resistance, but was finally dispersed, and Stuart, continuing his march, bivouacked at Union Mills, about midway be tween Westminster and Littlestown. Hearing that Union cavalry was at Littlestown, and that Early was on the Susquehanna, he marched by crossroads for Hanover, on the morning of the 30th and, at 10 o'clock, his head of column reached that place, 16 miles east of Gettysburg, and attacked the rear and flank of Kilpatrick's cavalry division, as it was passing through the town from Frederick and Littlestown, in ad vance of Meade's central column. His first
attack threw tke rear of Farnsworth's brigade into confusion, but Farnsworth rallied his men, Custer's brigade was recalled and thrown into action and, after two hours' fighting in and around the town, Stuart was driven back on the Littlestown road, having lost nearly 100 men. Kilpatrick reports his own loss at 59 killed and wounded, and 123 missing.
Stuart was now in a perilous position; he had thrust himself unwittingly between Kil patrick's cavalry and Meade's main body; Gregg's cavalry division was moving north on his right, but he extricated himself by march ing all night over a circuitous route through Jefferson to join Early at York. The latter, however, was on his way to Gettysburg, and Stuart passed almost within sight of him, with out knowing it. Finding that Early was not at York, Stuart continued his march to Carlisle, hoping to find Lee's main body there, but found the place occupied by Union troops, and heard that Lee was concentrating at Gettysburg, where by marching night and day, he joined him in the afternoon of 2 July. See GErrvsautto, CAM•