Brandy Station | June 9, 1863

The Opportunity

For nearly 40 years, preservationists have fought to protect Brandy Station from development. Now, another remarkable opportunity is within reach: 414 nearly pristine battlefield acres valued at more than $8 million can be permanently protected if we raise the final $62,500 needed for acquisition. These 414 acres represent one of the largest remaining unprotected pieces of the Brandy Station battlefield.

Thanks to expected federal and state grant funding, every $1 donated toward the acquisition represents approximately $132 in land value. That means a gift of just $150 can help secure the funding needed for roughly one acre of battlefield land.

But saving the land is only part of the long game. An additional $59,563 will support restoration work to help return portions of Brandy Station closer to their historic appearance — making the total goal $122,063 to save and restore this hallowed ground.

Want to learn more? Visit this page for more information and history related to this campaign.

Donate Now

The History

At the outset of the Gettysburg Campaign, Robert E. Lee sought to keep his advance hidden from the Union army. With his forces stationed at Culpeper, Virginia on the verge of turning north into the Shenandoah Valley, Lee ordered his Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart to launch a diversionary cavalry raid on June 9, 1863. However, Union cavalry commander Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton anticipated the raid and struck Stuart’s men in camp at Brandy Station on the day the Confederate incursion was set to begin. 

Despite the advantage of surprise, the ensuing battle ended in a narrow defeat for Pleasonton’s forces and Lee’s intentions remained unknown. Nevertheless, the Battle of Brandy Station, the largest predominantly mounted engagement to ever take place on the American continent, greatly improved the morale of the Union cavalry. J.E.B. Stuart was harshly criticized for his unpreparedness spurred by vanity, foreshadowing graver failures in the future.