During the early morning of 14 Oct. 1863, just northwest of here, Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart and two cavalry brigades, cut off from the Army of Northern Virginia by Federal infantry, attacked Union Brig. Gen. John C. Caldwell’s forces as they brewed coffee and prepared breakfast on the hill. Confederate Maj. Robert F. Beckham’s Horse Artillery fired on Caldwell’s troops to begin Stuart’s attempted breakout. This surprised Caldwell’s men, but the Federals turned their artillery around and responded. During the ensuing conflict, Caldwell’s troops repulsed a Confederate cavalry charge. Stuart’s actions, however, enabled him to break through the Union lines. Ever since, this hill has been known as Coffee Hill.
