Second Battle of Rappahannock Station-- Part 1

I keep coming across this battle as I go through the list of North Carolina Confederates buried at Arlington National Cemetery and have never heard of it before.  I have heard of the Rappahannock River, though, and know a lot of action took place around it.  I now know that this one is called the Second Battle of Rappahannock Station, with an earlier one taking place in 1862.

After the Battle of Gettysburg, Lee's Army of Northern Virginia returned to Virginia and sparred with Union forces in northern Virginia until withdrawing south of the Rappahannock River for the winter, but he left a pontoon bridge across the river at Rappahannock Station.

At the north end of it he formed a bridgehead with the construction of redoubts and connecting trenches occupied by elements of his army.  they could be covered by batteries on the south side of the river.

On November 7, 1863, this bridgehead came under Union attack. This resulted in the North Carolinians being taken prisoners and dying. Eventually, they were buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

More to Come.  --Old Secesh