Battle of Kelly’s Ford

At dawn on 17 March 1863, Brig. Gen. William W. Averell led 2,100 Union cavalrymen across the Rappahannock River at Kelly’s Ford. Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee with about 1,000 Confederate horsemen counterattacked northwest of here about noon. Noted Confederate artillerist Maj. John Pelham accompanied Lee’s men and fell mortally wounded while impetuously taking part in a charge. The battle ended in a draw, marking the first time Confederate cavalrymen had not defeated their Union opponents, resulting in new confidence for the Union cavalry. It foreshadowed another Union crossing at Kelly’s Ford during the much larger battle of 9 June 1863 at Brandy Station.