Eyewitness to the Last Moments of J.E.B. Stuart

One of the larger than life figures in the Confederate army, Heros von Borcke, came from his native Prussia to America in 1862 for the singular purpose of fighting for the South. He landed on the staff of Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, and became his Chief of Staff. In the passage from von Borcke's memoirs, he recounts the last moments of his commander after his mortal wounding at Yellow Tavern in 1864.
"Life on the Civil War Research Trail" is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com.
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[@richiephillips1541]

Thank you for the video. I find as I age that I enjoy reading about the war less and less because I give more thought to the pain and suffering of so many people and animals.

[@johndavenport8843]

I have never heard of Von Borcke so this was very interesting. Thanks

[@althesmith]

Borcke was something of a bodyguard for Stuart as well. He was a very proficient swordsman and shot.

[@tbone4646]

Mortally wounded by a dismounted cavalryman of Custer's Michigan Brigade...most likely Private John A Huff of Company E, Fifth Michigan cavalry, who was also a veteran of the Second U.S. Sharpshooters. Huff was reported to have shot Stuart within pistol range with a Colt .44 caliber round into Stuart's abdomen. Stuart died the following day. Others have also claimed Stuart was killed by cavalrymen from the First and/or Seventh Michigan. However, most recorded accounts point to Huff as Stuart's killer.

[@actionjackson1stIDF]

Interesting as I read Stuart was killed by a Michigan Cavalry trooper who stuck a shotgun in his stomach and pulled the trigger. I believe there is even a painting showing the death of Stuart at Yellow Tavern.

[@42WasTheAnswer]

Thought I read somewhere that some newspaper maybe in Richmond, said old Huff lost his Virginia privileges, and told em basically yer not welcome, and don’t ever come back to Woolworths. 😀

[@KennethMachnica-vj3hf]

​@@actionjackson1stIDFThat's ridiculous. Was probably written by one of those Lincoln-lovers.

[@tims6970]

Read the autobiography of William Willis Blackford.😊

[@grdnzrnic]

Such aplomb

[@npdcpa]

A very interesting view into the room during Stuart's last moments. Thanks for finding and sharing!

[@dixieleeranch]

excellent Ron!

[@Enfield-1853]

His book is great. As this was the first time he had been in America,he described everything he saw and experienced. As we would not comment on alot of this, because we grew up here. He and Stuart were a pair. The both had a sense of humor. The german vandalized his grave in Europe during World War 2.

[@lemonator8813]

Yup. You summed it up perfectly, im on chapter 5 so far. but his tombstone has since been remade. The NC Volunteers flew all the way out there and had a ceremony with lots of old prussians and his distant family. God Bless the South, God Bless Poland. Respect and love forever.

[@sharons5714]

I always thought that Robert E Lee was the man Stuart loved most. They had a very close relationship, more like father and son.

[@davidowens1675]

Thank you

[@redtomcat1725]

Thank you !

[@nathanfisher1826]

Thanks

[@FuzzyWuzzy75]

When Jeb Stuart was younger, his mother made him swear to never touch alcohol. He kept that promise even as he suffered in agony on his death bed. I read Von Borcke's book many years ago. It truly was an excellent book. He was an ardent defender of General Stuart's reputation in the years after the war when others attempted to make a scapegoat of him for the Confederate loss at Gettysburg. He returned to Germany after the war and kept a Confederate battle flag flying over the castle he resided at until his death.

[@KennethMachnica-vj3hf]

I read that he drank some whiskey after he was wounded, cuz the doctors told him that he would go into shock, if he didn't. So he drank some, but didn't want to

[@lemonator8813]

It is one of the best war memoirs of ALL TIME. Let alone of the Civil War. The only one that comes close imo is "Le soldat oublié" by Guy Sajer, Eastern Front WW2. Or "One Very Hot Day" by David Halberstam. Vietnam.

[@Baseballnfj]

Heros Von Borcke's sword is on display in Gettysburg National Military Park visitor center

[@lindanorris2455]

why does nobody have a decent microphone that does not fade or cut out?

[@vm.999]

❤

[@markherron1407]

Jeb Stuart is 6 of Spades ♠♠♠♠♠♠REST IN POWER Blessings and HUGS! 👑💜

[@OscarMoreno-cg1og]

So long boys.

[@UNBIASEDMEDIA]

I found a Portrait of J.E.B. Stuart in a thrift store.

[@lifeonthecivilwarresearchtrail]

Or he found you!

[@Chiller11]

That’s a god tier moustache.

[@JohnnyButtons]

Stuart was something special 😉

[@robertschultz6922]

Didn't they sing his favorite hymn before he died rock of angels and he tried to follow but didn't have the strength?

[@althesmith]

Von Borcke was in his 20s, not his 30s. He was born 1835.

[@amain325]

Dear Sir, have watched several of your videos; nicely done, well researched. I have one suggestion for you. Have you not noticed how lopsided your goatee is? Center the patch beneath your lip over the patch on your chin, and shave the right side of it to match the left. Appearance matters! Respectfully, your fellow Civil War buff.

[@lifeonthecivilwarresearchtrail]

Duly noted. I think my face is asymmetric, which is part of the cause. Clearly I need a makeup crew.

[@N.Earl2850]

Humans are not symmetrical

[@MsLane61]

All sources in this contemporary generation erroneously refer to J.E.B. Stuart's full given name as James Ewell Brown. His name was James ELWELL Brown, not EWELL.

[@wmschooley1234]

Ah yes! Von Borcke take on the “good death” Victorian trope. Not a very creative fiction. But at the time it did sell.

[@therealfronzilla]

Rope a trope later used by Muhammad Ali.

[@OutnBacker]

It was no trope. You dishonor those men by reducing their stories and lives to derision. People were much different than we are now. Courage was very common, and faith in the salvation of the soul upon death was almost universally accepted. They lived in the last era of the chivalric tradition. Stoicism was the norm especially among gentlemen and officers. Even the rank and file soldiers were extremely accepting of the risk of death or mutilation in battle, and wrote thousands of letters using understated language describing their hopes as opposed their possible fate. We have to be aware thatthey all lived in a time when half the children born would die before the age of six. Little kids would get infant sized coffins as gifts, with a facsimilie of their little baby sister inside who passed. Family funerals were very common and close acquiantance with death was normal. I don't think Borcke wrote this account for dramatic effect.

[@emmgeevideo]

Odd smile at the intro to the subject of "Last Moments of J.E.B. Stuart". I am a military history buff and acknowledge that reading about history and watching videos is very intellectually stimulating and even entertaining. But when speaking of death and destruction, I think it should be approached with more solemnity.

[@lifeonthecivilwarresearchtrail]

Duly noted.

[@jeff_underscore9244]

The man died more than a hundred years ago

[@emmgeevideo]

@@jeff_underscore9244 The Civil War was a horrendous time in our country. It has reverberations to this day. It was the first industrial war that the US fought -- and it was brother against brother. I can't quote the percentage of the population that died or were maimed, but it was a huge percentage. Almost everyone was affected. Yes, it was seemingly a long time ago, but these were human beings and Americans. I think death and loss needs to be treated with respect and a degree of solemnity. Our host is a marvelous historian. I especially enjoy his focus on individuals and their stories, often in their own words. He brings the past to life in a way that makes you feel you were there. If you or I were there, I guarantee many of these stories would bring a tear to our eyes, not a smile to our lips. I think it's right to approach the subject the same way today.

[@jeff_underscore9244]

@@emmgeevideo tldr sorry that guy on KZbin was excited to make content about events and people we haven’t physically met

[@emmgeevideo]

@@jeff_underscore9244 Sorry not sorry, right?

[@bamabuckeye5489]

One has to wonder if he (Von Borke) didn't make all this up to sell a book.

[@andygossard4293]

In 1864, he was shot in the neck at Middletown, VA, but survived. However, the ball he had been struck with remained in his lung. He was promoted to Lt. Col. by the Congress of the CSA in December 1864. *When he returned to Germany after the Civil War, he would always fly a Confederate flag from the roof of his home* -(Must have been racist!!) Von Borcke is buried in the family plot at his ancestral home in Giesenbrügge, Posen, Prußen (modern Gizyn), Poland.

[@greg7129]

Why do you assume he was racist ?

[@gregorybaltzer2736]

He named his daughter virginia

[@breakdown6181]

Stuart wimped out at Gettesburg and let Lee down .The Cheyenne and Sioux took. care of Custer but Stuart couldn`t handle it in my view.Ran out of ammunition?Sure.

[@donthrift9287]

I heard a historian speak of his revelation that there was a road to the ridge that Stuart was to attack the union flank upon. Now there is a lake and no sign of the road.

[@jaywinters2483]

too much face

[@markherron1407]

I found out that Jeb Stuart IS BLACK 🖤 from Israelite Truth Channel Blessings and Hugs 💖💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕!

[@galndixie]

I can't find it, do you have a link to that video that mentions this?

[@markherron1407]

It's The True World History Channel and when you come to the channel, you'll see a sign says Never Trust Thine Enemy this ìs the True World History Channel!

[@galndixie]

@@markherron1407Would you happen to have a link to it? I can't find it.

[@BrianRandolph-jt5vp]

Right, lol. We all are. Don’t you know the first people of the English Isles were black. So we’re the first Americans, Russian, Chinese even the Polarbears were.

[@willoutlaw4971]

Most unfortunate Stuart wasn't eliminated earlier in life. Another traitor.

[@breakdown6181]

A lot of people felt the same about emperor,king Lincoln,the rich lawyer who represented THE RAILROADS."The great divider",who would. Not. Free. Slaves up north because there owners voted for him in my opinion.

[@jonathandeeb2587]

Bless your heart there, brother.

[@MsLane61]

How I despise this generation of one-sided, tunnel-visioned, myopic armchair critics.

[@lottrobinson87]

Good riddance.

[@denniskwahl]

That's a pretty ignorant statement. Why don't you pick up a book , and learn your history?

[@jonathandeeb2587]

Bless your heart there, brother.

[@lottrobinson87]

@@jonathandeeb2587 I'm not your brother, your mammy should've told you that.

[@jonathandeeb2587]

@@lottrobinson87 clearly, the you do not cotton to the manners of the Old South

[@michaelratliff9449]

Same to you, when you die..as you have never have done nothing to admire in your life..like serve your country. 😊🇺🇲