Battleof Aldie
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
Map of the Battle of Aldie

Marker on site of battle in Aldie, Virginia

Marker honoring the 1st Massachusetts cavalry which was decimated during the battle.

Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Tensions arose between Union commander Joseph Hooker and his cavalry commander, Brigadier General Alfred Pleasontson, as the latter had been unable to break through Major General J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry. This was a crucial step to gain access to the Shenandoah Valley and locate General Lee’s army of Northern Virginia, which had been on the move since the battle of Chancellorsville in early May. In order to be able to break through Stuart’s shield, Pleasontson ordered Brigadier General David Mcm Gregg’s division to push westward from the Manassas Junction towards Aldie, which was tactically important as it was the intersection of three important turnpikes that led to several different parts of Virginia.
Sources
“Battle Summary: Aldie, VA.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/abpp/battles/va036.htm.
“Cavalry Battles of 1863.” Www.visitloudon.org, Loudon Convention & Visitors Association, www.visitloudoun.org/things-to-do/civil-war/the-story/cavalry-battles-of-1863/.