J. E. B. Stuart

The eyes and ears of Lee's army

Stuart gained renown as a cavalry leader for his skill in scouting and for employing mounted troops to aid offensive actions.^[1]

Last updated 2026-09-30 from the source article.

Quick Facts

Born: 6 February 1833
Died: 12 May 1864
Birth name: James Ewell Brown Stuart
Birthplace: Patrick County, Virginia, U.S.
Place of death: Richmond, Virginia, C.S.
Burial place: Hollywood Cemetery; Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Allegiance: United States, Confederate States
Branch: United States Army (USA), Confederate States Army (CSA)

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

Stuart was educated at home by his mother and tutors until the age of 12.^[2] They became engaged in September, less than two months after meeting.^[3] He was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel of Virginia Infantry in the Confederate Army on May 10, 1861.^[4] Early in the Northern Virginia Campaign, Stuart was promoted to major general on July 25, 1862.^[5]

Laurel Hill Farm, a plantation in Patrick County, Virginia, close to the North Carolina line, was Stuart's birthplace.^[6] At age fifteen, Stuart began studies at Emory and Henry College, remaining there from 1848 through 1850.^[2] In 1850, Stuart secured a place at the United States Military Academy in West Point.^[7] That same year, 1855, Stuart encountered Flora Cooke, whose father led the 2nd U.S. Dragoon Regiment.^[3]

September 24, 1861, marked Stuart's promotion to brigadier general.^[4]

What the cited sources add

A large wedding at Fort Riley, Kansas, had been arranged, but Stuart's father died on September 20, so the November 14 ceremony was modest, with only family present.^[8] Another daughter, also named Flora after her mother, was born to Flora on November 14, 1857.^[9] Until 1859, the couple held two slaves: one came from his father's estate through inheritance, and the other was bought.^[9]

References

Wikipedia, "J. E. B. Stuart" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Donald R. Jermann, Civil War Battlefield Orders Gone Awry: The Written Word and Its Consequences in 13 Engagements (McFarland, 2012) p. 129. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "J. E. B. Stuart" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Thomas, pp. 11–12; Wert, p. 8.; Wert, p. 10. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "J. E. B. Stuart" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Davis, p. 36. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "J. E. B. Stuart" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Eicher, pp. 517–18. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "J. E. B. Stuart" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Wert, pp. 125–29; Davis, pp. 167–72.; Wert, pp. 125–29; Davis, pp. 167–72. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "J. E. B. Stuart" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Wert, pp. 5–6, lists the children as Nancy Anne Dabney, born in 1818, Bethenia Pannill in 1819, Mary Tucker in 1821, David Pannill in 1823, William Alexander in; Wert, p. 5.; Thomas, p. 5. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "J. E. B. Stuart" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Wert, p. 11; Davis, p. 19. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "J. E. B. Stuart" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Thomas, pp. 41–43; Davis, p. 37; Wert, pp. 26–29. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "J. E. B. Stuart" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Wert, p. 35.; Wert, pp. 30–31. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article J. E. B. Stuart (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.