"Rally them Blackford" by Francis Barnum depicts JEB Stuart and Blackford prior to arriving in Gettysburg.
June 30th: The Battle of Hanover was a confused cavalry fight that see-sawed back and forth in charge and countercharged as reinforcements from both sides arrived on the field. In the end, Stuart’s greater numbers made their way around the Federal horsemen – then headed to the northeast, away from Lee and the Battle of Gettysburg that would start the next day. It would be another two days before Stuart’s exhausted cavalry found and rejoined the main army.
Blackford account "The road was lined on each side by an ill-kept hedge grown-up high, but at some places, fortunately for us, there were gaps of lower growth. Stuart pulled up and, waving his sabre with a merry laugh, shouted to me, ‘Rally them, Blackford!’ and then lifted his mare, Virginia, over the hedge into the field. I knew that he only said what he did to let me know that he was off, so I followed him"
H. B. McClellan, Stuart’s assistant adjutant-general, describes what happened next. “When the 2nd North Carolina broke and retreated under Farnsworth’s charge, this party maintained its position for some moments, firing with pistols at the flank of the enemy, who pursued the North Carolina regiment on the road. The position soon became one of extreme personal peril to Stuart, whose retreat by the road was cut off. Nothing remained but to leap the ditch. Splendidly mounted on his favorite mare Virginia, Stuart took the ditch at a running leap, and landed safely on the other side with several feet to spare.”
Sculptor: Francis Barnum
- Pewter
- Limited edition
- S/L# 5944