Chapter I: Preface

In preparing this book it has not been the purpose of the author to write a complete historical sketch of the Michigan cavalry brigade. Such a history would require a volume as large for the record of each regiment; and, even then, it would fall short of doing justice to the patriotic services of that superb organization. The narrative contained in the following pages is a story of the personal recollections of one of the troopers who rode with Custer, and played a part--small it is true, but still a part--in the tragedy of the civil war. As such it is modestly put forth, with the hope that it may prove to be "an interesting story" to those who read it. The author also trusts that it may contribute something, albeit but a little, toward giving Custer's Michigan cavalrymen the place in the history of their country which they so richly earned on many fields.

Doubtless many things have been omitted that ought to have been included and some things written in that it might have been better to leave out. These are matters of personal judgment and taste, and no man's judgment is infallible. The chapters have been written in intervals of leisure during a period of more than twenty years. The one on Cedar Creek appeared first in 1886; the Gettysburg campaign in 1889; Brandy Station, Kilpatrick's Richmond expedition, the Yellow Tavern campaign, Buckland Mills, Hanovertown and Haw's Shop, The Trevilian Raid and some other portions have been prepared during the current year--1908. While memory has been the principal guide, the strict historical truth has been sought and, when there appeared to be a reasonable doubt, the official records have been consulted, and the writings of others freely drawn upon to verify these "recollections."

The Memoirs of P.H. Sheridan and H.B. McClellan's Campaigns of Stuart's Cavalry have been of especial value in this respect; the latter helping to give both sides of the picture, particularly in the accounts of the battles of Buckland Mills and Yellow Tavern. Wade Hampton's official reports were put to similar use in describing the battle of Trevilian Station.

So far as mention is made of individual officers and men there is no pretense that the list is complete. Those whose names appear in the text were selected as types. Hundreds of others were equally deserving. The same remark applies to the portraits. These are representative faces. The list could be extended indefinitely.

It was intended to include in an appendix a full roster of all the men who served in the Sixth Michigan cavalry and in the other regiments as well; but this would have made the book too bulky. By applying to the adjutant general of Michigan the books published by the state giving the record of every man who served in either of the regiments in the brigade can be obtained.

The Roll of Honor--a list of all those who were killed in action, or who died of wounds received in action--is as complete as it was possible to make it from the official records. In a very few cases, men who were reported "missing in action," and of whom no further record could be found, were assumed to have belonged in the list, but these are not numerous enough to materially affect the totals.

For the rest, the author cannot claim that he has done justice to either of these organizations, but he has made an honest effort to be fair and impartial, to tell the truth as he saw it, without prejudice. How well he has succeeded is not for him to say. "It is an interesting story," said an officer who served with distinction in the Fifth Michigan cavalry. If that shall be the verdict of all the comrades who read it, the writer will be satisfied.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I A NATIONAL AWAKENING 1

II AN EVENTFUL WINTER 12

III RECRUITING IN MICHIGAN 23

IV THE SUMMER OF 1862 29

V JOINING THE CAVALRY 35

VI IN THE REGIMENTAL RENDEZVOUS 46

VII THE DEPARTURE FOR WASHINGTON 69

VIII THE ARRIVAL IN WASHINGTON 72

IX THE STAY IN WASHINGTON 79

X FIELD SERVICE IN VIRGINIA 87

XI IN THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN 113

XII FROM GETTYSBURG TO FALLING WATERS 161

XIII FROM FALLING WATERS TO BUCKLAND MILLS 191

XIV THE BATTLE OF BUCKLAND MILLS 212

XV WINTER QUARTERS IN STEVENSBURG 227

XVI THE WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN 261

XVII THE YELLOW TAVERN CAMPAIGN 278

XVIII YELLOW TAVERN TO CHESTERFIELD STATION 307

XIX HANOVERTOWN AND HAW'S SHOP 318

XX THE TREVILIAN RAID 337

XXI IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY 373

XXII THE BATTLE OF CEDAR CREEK 403

XXIII A MYSTERIOUS WITNESS 434

XXIV A MEETING WITH MOSBY 444

LIST OF MAPS

1. ROUTE OF THE MICHIGAN CAVALRY BRIGADE IN THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN _Opposite Page 113_

2. BATTLEFIELD OF TREVILIAN STATION JUNE 11-12, 1864 _Opposite Page 337_

3. BATTLEFIELD OF WINCHESTER SEPTEMBER 19, 1864 _Opposite Page 385_

ILLUSTRATIONS

PORTRAIT OF AUTHOR _Frontispiece_

AUSTIN BLAIR _Opposite Page 18_

THORNTON F. BRODHEAD 24

JAMES H. KIDD (in 1864) 37

JACOB O. PROBASCO 41

GEORGE GRAY 51

RUSSELL A. ALGER (in 1862) 54

GEORGE A. CUSTER (in 1863) 129

GEORGE A. CUSTER (in 1864) 132

DAVID MCMUTRIE GREGG 139

WILLIAM D. MANN 148

GEORGE G. BRIGGS 150

LUTHER S. TROWBRIDGE 153

CHARLES H. TOWN 156

JUDSON KILPATRICK 165

AARON CONE JEWETT 175

PETER A. WEBER 187

CHARLES E. STORRS 201

GEORGE A. CUSTER (about 1872) 211

DON G. LOVELL 219

WESLEY MERRITT 237

LEVANT W. BARNHART AND WILLIAM HULL 253

A.C. LITCHFIELD 258

ANGELO E. TOWER 291

PHILIP H. SHERIDAN 297

FITZHUGH LEE AND STAFF (in Cuba) 313

M.C. BUTLER 323

THOMAS W. HILL 334

WADE HAMPTON 345

MANNING D. BIRGE 357

SERGEANT AVERY 362

MELVIN BREWER 395

CHARLES R. LOWELL 411

THOMAS C. DEVIN 428

WITH CUSTER'S MICHIGAN CAVALRY BRIGADE

PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS

OF A

CAVALRYMAN