Dublin Core
Title
Sheridan's Camp at Clayton's Store
Description
After riding across Virginia for three days on a raid to destroy parts of the Virginia Central Railroad, Gen. Philip H. Sheridan’s 9,300 cavalrymen and horse artillerists crossed the North Anna River at Carpenter’s Ford about two miles north, and camped here the night of June 10, 1864. The house at the intersection just north marks the approximate location of Clayton’s Store, Sheridan's headquarters. Although Sheridan knew Confederate forces were in the area, he had no idea that two divisions of Southern cavalry, commanded by Gen. Wade Hampton, had camped nearby.
Gen. Wesley Merritt's brigade bivouacked south along the Marquis Road (Rte. 669), with Merritt's headquarters at the Buck Chiles farm. Gen. George A. Custer’s camps were farther south, toward Louisa Court House, while Col. Thomas C. Devin encamped his brigade on the Woolfolk Farm just north of here on the Fredericksburg Stage Road (Rte. 613).
Sheridan planned to continue to Gordonsville and Cobham Station on the Virginia Central Railroad the next day. Merritt’s and Devin’s brigades, along with Sheridan’s wagon train, followed by Gen. David M. Gregg’s division, would move down the Fredericksburg Stage Road toward Trevilian Station. Custer’s brigade would take the Nunn’s Creek Road to the Gordonsville Road, turn west onto the Gordonsville Road, and rejoin the rest of Sheridan’s force at Trevilian Station. Sheridan's plan put his force on a collision course with Hampton's divisions.
Gen. Wesley Merritt's brigade bivouacked south along the Marquis Road (Rte. 669), with Merritt's headquarters at the Buck Chiles farm. Gen. George A. Custer’s camps were farther south, toward Louisa Court House, while Col. Thomas C. Devin encamped his brigade on the Woolfolk Farm just north of here on the Fredericksburg Stage Road (Rte. 613).
Sheridan planned to continue to Gordonsville and Cobham Station on the Virginia Central Railroad the next day. Merritt’s and Devin’s brigades, along with Sheridan’s wagon train, followed by Gen. David M. Gregg’s division, would move down the Fredericksburg Stage Road toward Trevilian Station. Custer’s brigade would take the Nunn’s Creek Road to the Gordonsville Road, turn west onto the Gordonsville Road, and rejoin the rest of Sheridan’s force at Trevilian Station. Sheridan's plan put his force on a collision course with Hampton's divisions.