J.E.B. Stuart was the Confederate cavalry commander absent from Gettysburg during the first two days of the battle. His main cavalry force was away on a wide-ranging raid around the Union Army and did not reach Robert E. Lee’s headquarters until the afternoon of July 2.
Stuart’s assignment was to gather intelligence and screen the Army of Northern Virginia, but the raid separated him from Lee’s army for crucial days. His command fought at places including Westminster, Hanover, and Carlisle before turning toward Gettysburg. The delay meant Lee lacked much of his best cavalry reconnaissance when the battle began on July 1.
Stuart eventually participated in the battle’s third day, commanding Confederate cavalry at East Cavalry Field while Pickett’s Charge struck the Union center. Historians still debate how much blame Stuart deserved for the Confederate defeat, because Lee’s orders were also open to interpretation. The key fact remains that Stuart arrived too late to influence the first two days’ main fighting.