June 11, 1863, The New York Herald
We give to our readers this morning such details as have come to hand of the late severely contested and sanguinary cavalry fight on the Rappahannock. As the force on the Union side engaged was probably not less than ten thousand men, and as the struggle – hand to hand – continued from an early hour in the morning until noon, and as the losses on our side are represented to be heavy, and on the part of the enemy fearful, this contest, compared with any of our previous wars, would be a battle of the first magnitude. In this gigantic war, however, it dwindles down in importance to a chance collision between a reconnoitering detachment from each of the two great armies confronting each other some twenty-five miles lower down the river.
But the main result of this engagement – the repulse and retreat of Stuart’s cavalry force – is claimed to be a matter of very considerable moment. It was discovered that Stuart was organizing on the Upper Rappahannock an immense cavalry expedition, with the evident design of a dashing and destructive raid into Maryland and Pennsylvania, and that, unless speedily checked, the expedition would be off and probably beyond pursuit. Accordingly General Hooker detailed the detachments of cavalry, artillery and infantry indicated in our despatches to defeat this scheme of Stuart, by meeting him and cutting him up while yet within striking distance. In this view it is claimed a very important object has been achieved, being no less, for the time being at least, than the defeat of the contemplated destructive rebel foray into Maryland and the rear of Washington, and perhaps into some of the richest counties of Pennsylvania.
In connection with this cavalry battle up the river there have been some very mysterious movements on both sides down in the neighborhood of Fredericksburg. All that we can make out of them is that the opposing generals – like Napoleon and the Austrian General Melas – have been moving their columns about simply to deceive each other. It is probable that the real object of Lee in strengthening his works on Fredericksburg heights is to leave them in charge of a small force for the amusement of his adversary, while, with the main body of his army, headed by Stuart’s cavalry, an attempt is to be made to sweep round and get in between General Hooker and Washington. But it is also conjectured that all these menacing demonstrations of Lee are merely intended to deceive Hooker with the idea of a heavily reinforced rebel army, while in reality it has perhaps been heavily reduced in order to strengthen Joe Johnston in Mississippi.
At all events we are gratified that the main result of this late stubborn and sanguinary cavalry fight is a positive advantage to the Army of the Potomac, and a positive defeat of the forces and the plans of the enemy; and we hope that before long affairs on the Rappahannock will assume such a shape as to relieve the heads of the War Office and the people of Washington, Maryland and Pennsylvania of all apprehensions of danger.