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by Brig. Gen. R. L. T. Beale
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 From the introduction... The following narrative of the operations of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry during the Civil War was written by the late Brigadier-General R. L. T. Beale, their old commander, in 1865. It was found among his papers at his death, on April 17, 1893, written upon the consecutive pages of a thin blank-book. It has been carefully copied, and arranged in chapters with headings to indicate their contents. As full and accurate a roster of the regiment as it has been possible to obtain has been added. It has been possible to secure only a very imperfect list of the casualties. If this record of the regiment had been commensurate with the admiration and affection in which the author held its officers and men, it would have been far more extended than It is. Comparatively few of the veterans whose names appear on these pages now survive. The narrative will, however, interest their children, and, perhaps, many others who cherish the record of Southern devotion and valor, as displayed by the daring horsemen who wielded the sabre and followed the plumes of Stuart, Hampton, and the Lees. HEATHSVILLE, VA., February, 1899. Beale was born at Hickory Hill, Westmoreland County, Virginia. He attended two local private schools, Northumberland Academy and Rappahannock Academy, before attending Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He studied law and graduated from the University of Virginia in 1837. Two years later, he was admitted to the bar and established a law practice at Hague, Virginia. Beale was elected as a Democrat to the Thirtieth Congress (March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849). However, he declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1848. He served as a member of the Virginia constitutional reform convention in 1850–51 and in the State senate from 1858–1860. Upon the secession of Virginia in 1861, Beale enlisted in the cavalry as a lieutenant. He was soon promoted to captain and then major, and placed in command of Camp Lee, near his hometown of Hague, on the lower Potomac River. Being commended for his intelligence and excellent judgment, he subsequently served under Col. W. H. F. "Rooney" Lee in the 9th Virginia Cavalry in what became the Army of Northern Virginia. When Lee was promoted to brigadier general, Beale was advanced to the rank of colonel and given command of the regiment, which included his sons. In December 1862, he led a bold expedition throughout the countryside near the Rappahannock River, capturing the Federal garrison at Leeds without losing a man. Beale's service in 1863 earned him several written commendations and praises. On April 16, he won the praise of Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart for repelling the threatened raid of Maj. Gen. George Stoneman's Federal cavalry division, capturing several prisoners during a week of nearly continual fighting. During the Gettysburg Campaign, Beale led the 9th Virginia in a charge on Fleetwood Hill at the Battle of Brandy Station in June. He participated in Stuart's subsequent ride around the Army of the Potomac and the raid through Maryland and Pennsylvania. He participated in hard fighting at Gettysburg's East Cavalry Field in early July and during the army's retreat to Virginia. He briefly assumed command of Rooney Lee's brigade during fighting at Culpeper Court House and participated in the Bristoe and Mine Run Campaigns. In March 1864, he made a forced march to intercept Union Col. Ulric Dahlgren and his raiders. A detachment of his 9th Virginia Cavalry successfully ambushed the Federals, and, with other units, captured about 175 men and killed Dahlgren. The papers found upon Dahlgren's person, revealing a design to burn Richmond and kill President Jefferson Davis and his Cabinet, were forwarded through Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee to the Confederate government. These controversial papers discovered by Beale's troopers may have been a factor that influenced John Wilkes Booth in his decision to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Beale led his regiment during the Overland Campaign, and captured two Union flags at the Second Battle of Ream's Station during the Siege of Petersburg. In August, upon the death of John R. Chambliss, Beale was assigned to command of Chambliss's brigade, although still with the rank of colonel. It was not until February 6, 1865, that he was finally promoted to brigadier general. He led the brigade through the end of the war. After the war, Beale resumed his political career during Reconstruction. He was elected to the Forty-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Beverly B. Douglas. He was reelected and served in the Forty-sixth Congress from January 23, 1879 to March 3, 1881. Finally retiring from public service, Beale resumed the practice of law. Beale died near Hague, Virginia, and was buried there at Hickory Hill Cemetery.
REF: Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_L._T._Beale
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History of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry
by Brig. Gen. R. L. T. Beale
361 pgs.
Paperback - $35.00
CD-ROM - $15.00
EBOOK (PDF) - $9.49
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