A Strong and Sudden Onslaught

While the battle of Gettysburg remains the centerpiece of the June/July campaign of 1863, there is an increasing interest in less-studied peripheral events that were an integral part of the operation. One such event occurred the day before the battle of Gettysburg began – the cavalry action on June 30, 1863 at Hanover, Pa. This important event is worth examining more closely since it played a key role in the campaign’s outcome: it deflected Jeb Stuart’s main cavalry units away from the impending