transported back to friendly lines, Sheridan
had no choice but to retreat. His expedi-
tion was a complete failure. He had not
destroyed the Virginia Central Railroad,
not made contact with Hunter, and would
not be able to escort Hunter’s force back
to the Army of the Potomac.
With Hampton following close behind
but unable to mount a major attack of his
own due to his men’s fatigue and lack of
supplies, Sheridan moved slowly eastward
toward White House Landing on the
Pamunkey River, arriving there on June 20
after marching 120 miles and skirmishing
daily with Hampton’s pursuers. Sheridan
crossed the James River and rejoined the
Army of the Potomac on June 25 after skir-
mishing with Hampton’s exhausted troop-ers at White House Landing, St. Peter’s
Church, and Samaria Church.
Sheridan’s Trevilian campaign had sig-
nificant repercussions. His failure to
destroy large parts of the Central Virginia
Railroad and James River Canal allowed
vital supplies to reach Lee’s entrenched
army at Richmond and Petersburg and
enabled other Confederate forces under
Maj. Gen. Jubal Early to move by rail to
the Shenandoah Valley and open a new
front that diverted vital Federal resources
from the fight against Robert E. Lee’s army.
The failure at Trevilian Station also called
into question Sheridan’s ability as a cavalry
commander. Rosser’s claim that Little Phil
had displayed no skill at the battle regard-
ing maneuver and that Hampton hadwhipped him was a criticism Sheridan
could never fully shake for the rest of the
war. Fairly or not, the accusations spilled
over to some of his division and brigade
leaders as well.
If Sheridan’s reputation was damaged by
the battle at Trevilian Station, Butler’s and
Rosser’s were enhanced. Their steady con-
trol of their men and coolness in the face of
fire marked both as able cavalry comman-
ders. As for Hampton, his stellar perfor-
mance earned him the overall command of
the Cavalry Corps on August 11. His sub-
sequent management of Robert E. Lee’s
horsemen throughout the rest of the war
reinforced the wisdom of that appoint-
ment. For that, Hampton had Phil Sheri-
dan to thank.Day one of the battle (right) saw two Union divisions attack north of Trevilian Station, driving back Confederate defenders to the Gordonsville Road. Mean-
while, other Confederates attacked Custer’s isolated brigade east of the station. On the second day (left), fighting centered on the Ogg House and Danne’s
Store, where Confederates beat back repeated Union frontal attacks on their L-shaped defensive line.Map © 2016 Meridian Mapping, Minneapolis, MNQ-Spr16 Trevilian Station *SILO_Layout 1 1/14/16 6:06 PM Page 97