On May 11, 1864, Confederate Cavalry General J.E.B. Stuart was mortally wounded at the Battle of Yellow Tavern, just north of Richmond. That spring, the Union had been pushing hard on the Confederates, tearing up their supply lines to try to force Lee to retreat. While the Battle of Yellow Tavern did not permit the Union to take Richmond then, they made inroads. The loss of Stuart was a serious blow to Lee and to the Confederacy.
