Corbit’s Charge (Battle of Westminster)

During Corbit’s Charge, Union Captain Charles Corbit led a spirited charge against Confederate Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry division at Westminster,Maryland.

On June 28, 1863 two companies from the First Delaware Cavalry arrived in Westminster, Maryland to guard the depot of the Western Maryland Railroad. Meanwhile, three brigades of Confederate Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry division had crossed the Potomac River on June 27 and were heading north to Pennsylvania. In the late afternoon of June 29 Union Captain Charles Corbit received notice that Confederate cavalry was approaching town. Unaware of the size of the force, Corbit led about sixty horsemen on a charge through the streets of town. Corbit initially drove the Confederates back and a fierce fight ensued with both pistol and saber. Additional Confederate cavalry came forward and quickly overwhelmed the small Union force. Corbit and another Union officer were taken prisoner. Two Delawareans died and eleven were wounded. On the Confederate side, two men died and ten were wounded. The wounded of both sides were tended by local citizens. After the battle, Stuart and his cavalry spent the night in and around Westminster.

The cavalry clash in Westminster is one of many factors that delayed the arrival of Stuart’s cavalry until late in the second day during the Battle of Gettysburg. Critics contend that Stuart’s tardiness may have contributed to the Confederate defeat in Pennsylvania