Description
Very nice carte view of Brigadier General William Averell. William would see a considerable amount of fighting prior to war while serving on the frontier. Averell first saw action at the First Battle of Bull Run as a lieutenant while acting as assistant adjutant general to Brigadier General Andrew Porter. In August 1861, he was appointed colonel of the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry, which he led through the Peninsula Campaign and the Seven Days Battles. Immediately after that campaign, on July 6, 1862, he was given command of the 1st Cavalry Brigade in the Army of the Potomac. Abraham Lincoln appointed Averell to a Brigadier General of Volunteers in September of that same year. He would fight at Fredericksburg, Kelly’s Ford and Chancellorsville but was relieved of his command following the battle by General Hooker who claimed he was to slow in carrying out his duties during the fight. Later he would fight a series of minor engagements in the Department of West Virginia at the brigade and division level. Averell proved to be the only Union commander to achieve victory against the Confederates in the Shenandoah Valley. He routed General Stephen D. Ramseur at the Battle of Carter’s Farm on July 20, inflicting 400 casualties and capturing a four-gun battery, in spite of being significantly outnumbered. When General John McCausland burned Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, to the ground on July 30, Averell tracked him down at Moorefield, West Virginia. Using intelligence gathered from his scouts, Averell routed McCausland in a sunrise attack upon the Confederate camp capturing hundreds of prisoners and another four-gun battery. During the Valley Campaigns of 1864 against Early, Averell fought under General Philip Sheridan. He was relieved of command a second time in his career on September 23, 1864, following a dispute with Sheridan about his actions at the Battle of Fisher’s Hill. His second removal from command left Averell broken and depressed and he would not see any further service during the war. He would resign following Lee’s surrender. This example bears a canceled tax stamp on the reverse dated “SEP 22 1864” and is back marked by Anthony.
