Scenic Route
n the early of June 12, 1862, Confederate Brig. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart and about 1,200 cavalrymen headed north from Richmond, on General Robert E. Lee’s orders, to gather intelligence about Union Maj. Gen. George McClellan’s Army of the Potomac. Just days before, Lee had assumed command of the Army of Northern Virginia after General Joseph Johnston’s wounding on May 31 at the Battle of Seven Pines (Fair Oaks). Believing McClellan’s right flank was vulnerable to attack as it moved toward the outskirts of the Confederate capital, Lee ordered Stuart to quietly reconnoiter. The flamboyant cavalryman had other plans—a complete lap around McClellan’s entire army.
