Hanover
June 30, 1863
The Battle of Hanover was fought exclusively by cavalry and horse artillery and served as a prelude to the major battle at Gettysburg. The battle began when the Confederate cavalry division under Major General J. E. B. Stuart attempted to rejoin the main body of the Army of Northern Virginia. The battle lasted for several hours, involving two Union and three Confederate brigades, and resulted in 332 casualties. By late afternoon, Stuart elected to withdraw and marched his command northeast toward York, where he hoped to find a Confederate infantry division.
The Battle of Hanover was tactically inconclusive. However, it prevented Stuart’s cavalry from rejoining the Army of Northern Virginia any earlier than July 2, by which time the Battle of Gettysburg had already begun.