What is Battle of Yellow Tavern?
[[File:YellowTavern.jpg|thumb|right|250px|{{Center|Illustration of a [[cavalry]] [[Charge (warfare)|charge]] at the Battle of Yellow Tavern}}]] The '''Battle of Yellow Tavern''' was part of the [[Overland Campaign]] of the [[American Civil War]]. It was fought on May 11, 1864 in [[Henrico County, Virginia|Henrico County]], [[Virginia]]. [[Major general|Major General]] [[Philip Sheridan]], who commanded the cavalry of the [[Army of the Potomac]], wanted to launch a raid behind the Confederate [[Army of Northern Virginia]]. He thought he could keep supplies from reaching the Confederates and defeat the Confederate cavalry, commanded by Major General [[J.E.B. Stuart]]. == Battle == Sheridan started his raid on May 9. Stuart started after him right away. On May 11, they fought on May 11 at Yellow Tavern, six miles north of Richmond. The Confederates defeated several [[Union Army|Union]] attacks. But in the afternoon, [[George Armstrong Custer|General George A. Custer's]] [[Michigan Brigade]] broke through the Confederate center. Near the end of the battle Stuart was mortally wounded by one of Custer's men and died the next day.<ref>Paul D. Walker, ''The Cavalry Battle that Saved the Union: Custer Vs. Stuart at Gettysburg'' (Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Co., 2002), p. 144</ref> The Confederates then retreated from the battlefield. The battle, except for Stuart's death, was not of much note.<ref name=Salmon255>John S. Salmon, ''The Official Virginia Civil War Battlefield Guide'' (Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2001), p. 255</ref> There were a total of about 800 [[wikt:casualty|casualties]].<ref name=Salmon255/> ==References== {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Yellow Tavern, Battle of}} [[Category:American Civil War battles]] [[Category:May events]] [[Category:1864 events]] [[Category:1864 in Virginia]] {{history-stub}}