that Heth was to attack in front, while W. H. F. Lee's cavalry division was to take a road running east, advance on it until he arrived in Warren's rear, then he was to charge him from that direction, making an attack from front, left flank, and rear all at the same time. It was Mahone's idea that Warren could thus be driven from the Weldon Railroad. Whether to conceal the movements of Mahone or not, A. P. Hill, with his own corps, part of Hoke's division, and five batteries had attacked Warren in the forenoon, but was repulsed. When Mahone advanced later in the day, our artillery opened such a deadly fire on his infantry that the charge was broken so near our works that the Confederate troops were greatly confused, and Hagood's South Carolina Brigade was in the act of surrendering to Col. D. B. Dailey, when Hagood rushed up to Dailey, who sat on his horse, and demanded that he (Dailey) should give up the Confederate colors and return to his own lines.

But a moment more and Hagood's whole brigade would have surrendered. Dailey told Hagood it was no use to hold out as the brigade was nearly surrounded. As Dailey declined to give him a positive answer, Hagood shot him through the body. Dailey falling from his horse on one side, Hagood vaulted into the saddle from the other, and by that daring act saved a part of his brigade. Since the war these two officers have been devoted friends;. Dailey urged me to have Hagood's portrait in my work. I forwarded his letter to General Hagood, and would have complied with it cheerfully had Hagood responded.

It was a hard fought battle, and skillfully managed on both sides; but Warren "held the fort." There were many gallant acts performed which I would be glad to mention, but I must content myself by noticing an aid on Bragg's staff, who did faithful work there when Mahone was driving back our people, J. Newport Potts; he had served on Wadsworth's and Warren's staffs, and later on for a brief period on Grant's.

CHAPTER XXIV.

CAVALRY OPERATIONS OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.

FROM THE CROSSING OF THE JAMES RIVER, JUNE 25-27, 1864, TO HATCHER'S RUN, FEBRUARY, 1865.

ΟΝ

N the night of the 24th and morning of the 25th, the trains were moved back through Charles City Court House to Douthat's Landing, and ferried across the James, followed by the cavalry on the 26th and 27th.

Before this crossing was completed, General Sheridan received orders from General Meade to hasten to the support of General Wilson, who, during the absence of the First and Second Divisions, had, with Kautz' small cavalry brigade, been sent on an expedition to destroy the South Side and Richmond and Danville Railroads, in which he was successful, having done great damage to those thoroughfares over which the supplies for General Lee's army in and around Petersburg had to be transported.

Having reached, however, the left of our army, near Ream's Station, his march was intercepted by a large infantry force moving down the Weldon Railroad from Petersburg, and, at the same time was attacked on his flank by their cavalry. His command was defeated and forced south across the Nottoway River, in the vicinity of Poplar Hill; here he was comparatively safe, but obliged to march by a roundabout way to reach the army.

Sheridan, immediately on receipt of the order, moved rapidly, with Torbert's and Gregg's divisions, by way of Prince George Court House and Lee's Mills to Ream's Station, where he found the Sixth Corps; but both forces

were too late to render Wilson any assistance. Wilson's failure to return in triumph to the army was probably due to General Meade's inability to carry out his plans in reference to the occupation of the Weldon and South Side Railroad. After this move the cavalry returned to the vicinity of Light-House Point to rest and refit, after marching and fighting for fifty-six consecutive days; here it remained comparatively at rest, except the picket duty required of it, until the 26th of July.

On the afternoon of that day, Sheridan, with Torbert's and Gregg's divisions, crossed the Appomattox, and, marching all night, crossed the James River at Deep Bottom, in rear of the Second Corps; here, Kautz' cavalry division, of the Army of the James, joined us, and thus reenforced, Sheridan proceeded to the right of the Second Corps, where he found the enemy strongly intrenched across the New Market and Central roads leading to Richmond.

Torbert's division was immediately deployed on the high ground in front of Ruffin's house, whilst Gregg continued the line to the right across the road leading from Malvern Hill to Richmond. The enemy advanced across the open fields in magnificent line of battle, on a front of two divisions; but was unable to dislodge the First Division and Davies' brigade of the Second. The ground in. front of the Second Brigade being open, and favorable to a mounted charge, its commander was directed to make it.

The pioneers advanced and leveled the fences; the brigade formed in three lines, on a front of two regiments, and were in the act of moving to the charge, when, for some reason, the order was countermanded, and the division moved off in the direction of Malvern Hill.

During the 28th and 29th, the cavalry remained in position on the right of the Second Corps, their line extending across Strawberry Plain to Malvern Hill, Kautz skir mishing lightly on the extreme right. On the night of the 29th, as soon as it was dark, the Second Corps recrossed