Club's annual Civil War battlefield trip heads to Brandy Station, Va., July 15

Brandy Station, near Culpeper, Va., site of the largest cavalry battle of the Civil War, will be the destination for the National Press Club’s 13th annual Civil War battlefield trip on Saturday, July 15.

Club members and guests will depart by bus from the National Press Building at 8:30 a.m., returning at approximately 4:30 p.m. There is no charge for attendees, but Club members are asked to bring only one guest each.

Reservations are required and can be made with Suzanne Struglinski at 202-662-7516 or [email protected].

The fierce all-day fighting in the fields and hills around Brandy Station occurred on June 9, 1863. It involved 20,000 troops, 17,000 of them cavalry. The battle, regarded as the opening engagement of the Gettysburg campaign, pitted a Union cavalry corps under Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton against the forces of storied Confederate cavalry leader Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart.

A National Park Service tour guide will review highlights of the battle and its significance.

The tour is hosted by the Civil War Trust pursuant to a payment-in-kind agreement with the Club.