The Battle of Trevilian Station

Rick Britton

Rick Britton

Regular listeners of our podcast or our live streaming feed might know Rick Britton. He’s a historian and cartographer and a frequent guest on WINA’s Charlottesville Right Now with Coy Barefoot. Rick also organizes a Civil War lecture and day-trip series in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On Wednesday, May 20th, Rick Britton himself gave a presentation on the June 11–12, 1864, Battle of Trevilian Station fought in Louisa County, Virginia. Often called the Civil War’s "largest all-cavalry battle," Trevilians pitted Union Gen. Philip Sheridan—that "bandy-legged Irishman"—and his 9,300 cavalrymen against Confederate Gen. Wade Hampton, perhaps the South’s wealthiest plantation owner, in command of about 6,700. The Southern victory saved Charlottesville from "Little Phil’s" raiders and made quite a name for Hampton.

This is part two of a seven part series. The event is held every third Wednesday at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

The Battle of Monocacy

Marc Leepson

Marc Leepson

Regular listeners of our podcast or our live streaming feed might know Rick Britton. He’s a historian and cartographer and a frequent guest on WINA’s Charlottesville Right Now with Coy Barefoot. Rick also organizes a Civil War lecture and day-trip series in conjunction with the Charlottesville Senior Center.

On April 15th, 2009 journalist and historian Marc Leepson—author of Desperate Engagement: How a Little-Known Civil War Battle Saved Washington, D.C., and Changed American History—spoke on the July 9th, 1864, Battle of Monocacy, which took place just south of historic Frederick, Maryland. If Union Gen. Lew Wallace (who later penned Ben Hur), had not thrown together a 6,000-man scratch force and fought the delaying action, Confederate Gen. Jubal Early’s 15,000-man veteran corps may well have marched into the Federal capital, seized the U.S. Treasury along with millions of dollars-worth of military supplies, and forced the Lincoln administration to flee.

This is part one of a seven part series. The event is held every third Wednesday at the Charlottesville Senior Center.