... And The Horse They Rode On

A Look at Trevilian Station, Site of the Largest All-Cavalry Battle in the Civil War

Trevilian Station Battlefield Park, Louisa County, Va. Shenandoah Sanchez

Hallowed Ground, Spring 2014

To draw off the Confederate cavalry and open the door for a general movement to the James River, Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan mounted a large-scale cavalry raid into Louisa County, Va. On June 11, Sheridan sent two divisions to attack Confederate horsemen at Trevilian Station. The Union assault drove a wedge into the Confederate line, throwing it into confusion. On June 12, fortunes were reversed. Dismounted Southern troopers drew a defensive line across the railroad and the road to Gordonsville and beat back several determined dismounted assaults from this advantageous position. Instead of joining Union forces in the Shenandoah Valley, Sheridan withdrew after destroying about six miles of the Virginia Central Railroad.

Working with the Trevilian Station Foundation, the Trust has saved large portions of this battlefield — including the historic Trevilian House, where Union Brig. Gen. George Custer established his headquarters on the porch. See all Land Saved by the Civil War Trust »