Jeb Stuart

Jeb Stuart (1833-1864), American Confederate cavalry officer, whose exploits on reconnaissance missions made him a popular hero. James Ewell Brown Stuart was born in Patrick County, Virginia, and educated at the U.S. Military Academy. He was a cavalry officer in the U.S. Army until the outbreak of the American Civil War, when he joined the Confederate cavalry. Stuart was known for his flamboyant style and daring. The Confederate commander Robert E. Lee depended on him for knowledge of the Union army's movements and called him “the eyes of the army.”

The first of Stuart's legendary feats was his ride completely around the army of the Union general George McClellan in June 1862. The information Stuart gathered on the ride led to the defeat of McClellan in the Seven Days' Battle that followed. A month later Stuart raided the headquarters of the Union general John Pope, taking with him a list of the positions of Pope's troops. With this information Lee won the Second Battle of Bull Run, driving the Union forces from Virginia. Also in July, Stuart became a major general and was given command of the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Stuart was an outstanding cavalry commander and played an important part in the Confederate victories at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. At the start of the Battle of Gettysburg, however, he was absent on a raid and failed to inform Lee of Union positions in time. Stuart was blamed by many for the Confederate defeat. On May 10, 1864, he was mortally wounded during the Confederate defeat at Yellow Tavern, near Richmond, Virginia, and died two days later.