4. The Battle of Aldie occurred on June 17, 1863
The small Virginia village of Aldie straddled three of the most important roads in the area, the Little River Turnpike, Ashby’s Gap Turnpike, and Snickers Gap Turnpike. The latter two roads provided access to gaps in the Blue Ridge and Bull Run Mountains. On the morning of June 17, Pleasanton ordered a cavalry division under General James McMurtrie Gregg to Aldie. At the same time, Confederate cavalry regiments occupied the town, established a defense line, and encamped on a farm to the northwest. The Confederates were on a reconnaissance mission. When Gregg’s advanced units arrived at Aldie they encountered the Confederate defenses, and the Battle of Aldie began in the mid-afternoon. The battle spread out during the late afternoon and early evening hours, covering a battlefield which stretched over several miles.
In terms of the numbers of men involved the Battle of Aldie was a small affair. But it was particularly sharp combat, with both sides suffering relatively high casualty rates. The 1st Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment lost 198 men out of the 294 engaged, an over 50% casualty rate. Overall the Union lost 305 men, the Confederates lost about 120. The Union held the field though, allowing them to claim a victory. On the other hand, the Confederates delayed Pleasanton’s move to locate the bulk of Lee’s army by the action of June 17. Confederate cavalry commander Jeb Stuart established his headquarters at nearby Middleburg, and a skirmish there coincident with the larger fight at Aldie led to other actions between the contending cavalries over the next two days.