The book I read (by Allen Guelzo) refers to the engagement at the John Rummel Farm. However he questions the real purpose of Stuart being there, since cavalry attacking infantry went against the tactics used at the time. His men also had just arrived in Gettysburg the afternoon before and were exhausted, having had smaller engagement in nearby Hunterstown just before they arrived in Gettysburg. He gives Stuart only 4,800 men and another Confederate brigade to support him had an additional 1,100 men, not near enough to attack the fixed infantry and artillery positions of the main Union line of defense. He also gives the time of the cavalry engagement was between 12:30 and 1:30 pm. The cannonade that preceded Pickett's charge began at 1:00 pm, a half-hour after the cavalry engagement began. Pickets charge was about 2:00 pm, and thus a half-hour after the end of the cavalry engagement. The casualties in the engagement were minimal compared with other Gettysburg engagements. Most of the casualties were Custer's men. The engagement itself had no impact in the overall battle and was a draw. ************* You raise some questions that I will need to check - I based my information on a visit to the Rummel Farm, owned by one of the main guides for the Battlefield. He showed me around, and invited me inside his house to show me his information, including that Spencer Rifle (it was in beautiful condition - and it was HEAVY). (I was a Rummel - and an historian - I had led a few tours to Gettysburg myself, so I did have knowledge about what happened there - he went into detail about the battle, especially there, that third day.) (I had pastored at the Beaver Dam Church - near Frederick MD - lived at New Windsor - a little more than 20 miles away from Gettysburg - and worked at the Brethren Service Center - and had visited the Gettysburg Battlefield. I was searching for the George Rummel Farm [bought in 1780] - which was not found till he gave me information on this particular visit. - it is located about a half mile southeast of the Cavalry Field, which was owned by George's grandson, John Rummel. The George Rummel Farm is about the location of George Custer's Cavalry as the battle started.) His main statement was that the historians of Gettysburg were just beginning to find the importance of the battle there at Rummel's Farm. That General Lee was not stupid, that Stuart was ordered to attack the back of the Union Lines in conjunction with Pickett hitting the front. He was well aware that Pickett's men faced severe danger, but that Stuart was to attack the back of the line taking much attention away from Pickett. He said that the actual orders by Lee had recently (then) been found, and battle historians were beginning to revise their opinion of the battle at the East Cavalry Field. I do not know if Lee knew it, but Meade's headquarters were just about where Stuart was to hit. Lee was moving north, intending to go east to hit York PA - to distract the north from fighting in Virginia. He was at Chambersburg, the start of the conflict at Gettysburg pulled him down. General Forbes old road went more directly from Chambersburg to York, although the Great Wagon Road, included Gettysburg, with a branch to Chambesburg. Rumors of a trainload of shoes at Gettysburg (a manufacturing place for such, with resulting horse farms around) - and the many Confederate soldiers who were marching barefooted - led one group, ending with 2 corps, down that way, where they had run into a unit of the Union Army, which was then re-enforced from the Union Battle Line down in northern Maryland (from Thurmont to Manchester - Brethren Churches being prominent at both areas). Yes, after the crossing at Harpers Ferry, Stuart had been sent off to observe the Union Army which was moving north in parallel to Lee, on the other side of the Blue Ridge Mountains (keeping between Lee and Washington DC). Stuart was obstructed, and ended up circling the Union Army, which meant he was not with Lee at Chambersburg. He had several minor engagements with units of the Union Army, including the one at Hunterstown. He arrived at Gettysburg around noon on the second day, and was not engaged - his 3 brigades of cavalry had rested somewhat by the next morning. But the Battle had not gone according to plans. The first day drew both armies to Gettysburg. Planned morning Confederate attacks on the second day, took far too long to achieve. Longstreet delayed for the arrival of one of his brigades (most of the day) to make the move on the the Emmittsburg Road (the Peach Orchard and Little Round Top), with the Union Army taking position there against him. An intended simultaneous late morning attack on Culp's Hill was to divide the Union Army efforts - but instead Culp's Hill was later even than Longstreet's attack (and engagements there continued into the next day). Stuart's attack from the East on the 3rd Day was a similar effort to divide the Union effort with Pickett coming from the West with a major force (12,000 men). Just as the day before, the battle did not occur as planned, due to Rummel's Farm. JEB Stuart came out on Cress Ridge earlier than expected (11 AM), immediately north of the Rummel Farm. He so signalled Lee, with the four cannon shots. These alerted Union generals, Gregg and Custer, who then ignored their orders to return to the battle at Cemetery Ridge. I had been told that Stuart had 8000 men - he had 3 brigades of cavalry - you say they were considerably less. The actual battle was very short in length - less than an hour, and total casualties were not heavy - maybe three hundred men or slightly more, there were two major clashes of horse cavalry - with direct collisions of horses. Stuart was stopped from his goal, and it resulted in Pickett's Charge being nearly annihilated. Lee was unaware of the engagement at Rummel's Farm, and had proceeded with the original plans of Pickett's Charge. Lee withdrew to Virginia the next day, the Union Army was not able to pursue them (which caused Meade to receive considerable attacks in Washington). One of my favorite fictions, If the South had won Gettysburg, is based on Longstreet moving as ordered and occupying Little Round Top, on the Second Day - thus rolling up the Union Lines on Cemetery Ridge from the south - resulting in Lee marching east and south, taking surrender of Philadelphia and truculent Baltimore, then on to Washington DC - 1863. Merle C Rummel