vision from the rebel cavalry in pursuit of our column. Thence marched to the South Anna, crossing it at the Ground Squirrel Bridge, near which place the corps bivouacked for the night.

On the 11th the march was continued toward Richmond, the First Division in advance, and the Second covering the rear. Although both front and rear of the column were annoyed by the enemy, my division was not engaged until the afternoon. The First Division having encountered the enemy's cavalry in force near the Yellow Tavern, I was ordered to support Custer's brigade. With Chapman's brigade I moved to a field near the tavern and took position on the left of Custer, the First Vermont, Colonel Preston, commanding, mounted on the right, and the balance of the brigade dismounted and deployed as skirmishers. The enemy had evidently crossed the South Anna farther to the east than we had, and marched rapidly on the most direct line for Richmond. He had reached a point on the Hanover Court-House road near its junction with the road to Louisa Court-House, and occupied a strong position in the woods and fields with artillery posted in the road, with his line faced toward Richmond. As soon as the enemy opened his guns upon General Custer the latter charged with his brigade, mostly mounted. In pursuance of my instructions, Chapman, with his brigade, charged at the same time. His dismounted men struck the extreme right of the enemy's line, and drove them from their rail breast-works, taking 30 or 40 prisoners, while Colonel Preston, with his regiment mounted, moved so as to strike from 50 to 100 yards to the left of General Custer. The charge was entirely successful. General Custer captured the enemy's guns, and in conjunction with Chapman's brigade drove the rebels completely from the field. It was in this charge and the melee which followed that the rebel cavalry leader, J. E. B. Stuart, was killed, and from it may be dated the permanent superiority of the national cavalry over that of the rebels.

In pursuance of verbal instructions from General Sheridan, I took the advance at 11 p. m. with my division, the balance of the corps following for the purpose of crossing the Chickahominy and marching between it and the defenses of Richmond by the way of Fair Oaks Station to Hawall's Landing on the James River. After marching on the Brook turnpike, across the Chickahominy to within 5 miles of the city, I turned the head of the column to the left, and by a country road through the farms crossed the Virginia Central Railroad, and reached the Mechanicsville turnpike without difficulty or unusual delay. A small picket of the enemy was encountered near the latter road and a torpedo planted in the Brook pike exploded while the column was marching. With these exceptions, there was no indication of any disposition on the part of the enemy to prevent the march of our column to its destination. But just before daybreak, having halted on the Mechanicsville pike for a guide, while the division was massing, the enemy opened a fire of musketry upon the advance guard from the inner line of the Richmond defenses. A few minutes after they opened a battery of large guns from the fortifications not over 300 yards from the main force. Colonel Chapman hastily dismounted his brigade and sent the horses back. Colonel McIntosh brought up his brigade and dismounted. The batteries were put in position and opened upon the enemy's works. By this time it was daylight. I soon learned that it would be exceedingly difficult to push on in the direction of Fair Oaks, and