Battles & Campaigns · 1863
Second Battle of Rappahannock Station
Remington (then Rappahannock Station), Virginia, USA
What happened
Union troops under John Sedgwick, part of George G. Meade's army, attacked Confederates under Jubal Early, part of Robert E. Lee's army. The Confederates held a fortified bridgehead on the north bank of the Rappahannock River. After shelling it, Sedgwick's troops attacked at dusk and broke through, and many of the defenders surrendered.
Why it matters
Lee lost his only foothold on the river's north bank, ending his plan to attack Union troops crossing downstream. He pulled his army south within hours.
What came next
Meade could now try to trap Lee's army against the Rapidan River.
Did you know?
Before the war the town was a railroad stop called Rappahannock Station; it is now Remington.
Timeline
- 14 Oct 1863Battle of Bristoe Station.
- 7 Nov 1863Second Battle of Rappahannock Station.
- Nov 2021Preservation groups have saved 869 acres of the battlefield.