On May 11th, 1864, 12,000 Union troops under the command of General Philip Sheridan faced 4,000 Confederate cavalrymen commanded by General J.E.B. Stuart. After a day of intense fighting, Sheridan attacked on the high ground and successfully took the Yellow Tavern battlefield from the Confederates. It was during this struggle that Stuart was mortally wounded and died the next day in Richmond. J.E.B. Stuart and his troops had been badly outnumbered and outgunned, however, they held their positions long enough to allow Richmond defenders to man the fortifications and discourage any Union attacks on the Confederate Capital.
