war；　if　not　when　I　first　came　to　his　notice；　and　a　more　intimate
  association　convinced　me　that　the　cold　and　cruel　characteristics
  popularly　ascribed　to　him　were　more　mythical　than　real。
  When　the　interview　with　the　Secretary　was　over；　I　proceeded　with
  General　Halleck　to　the　White　House　to　pay　my　respects　to　the
  President。　　Mr。　Lincoln　received　me　very　cordially；　offering　both　his
  hands；　and　saying　that　he　hoped　I　would　fulfill　the　expectations　of
  General　Grant　in　the　new　command　I　was　about　to　undertake；　adding
  that　thus　far　the　cavalry　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　had　not　done　all
  it　might　have　done；　and　wound　up　our　short　conversation　by　quoting
  that　stale　interrogation　so　prevalent　during　the　early　years　of　the
  war；　〃Who　ever　saw　a　dead　cavalryman？〃　　His　manner　did　not　impress
  me；　however；　that　in　asking　the　question　he　had　meant　anything　beyond
  a　jest；　and　I　parted　from　the　President　convinced　that　he　did　not
  believe　all　that　the　query　implied。
  After　taking　leave　I　separated　from　General　Halleck；　and　on　returning
  to　my　hotel　found　there　an　order　from　the　War　Department　assigning　me
  to　the　command　of　the　Cavalry　Corps；　Army　of　the　Potomac。　　The　next
  morning；　April　5；　as　I　took　the　cars　for　the　headquarters　of　the　Army
  of　the　Potomac；　General　Grant；　who　had　returned　to　Washington　the
  previous　night　from　a　visit　to　his　family；　came　aboard　the　train　on
  his　way　to　Culpeper　Court　House；　and　on　the　journey　down　I　learned
  among　other　things　that　he　had　wisely　determined　to　continue
  personally　in　the　field；　associating　himself　with　General　Meade's
  army；　where　he　could　supervise　its　movements　directly；　and　at　the
  same　time　escape　the　annoyances　which；　should　he　remain　in
  Washington；　would　surely　arise　from　solicitude　for　the　safety　of　the
  Capital　while　the　campaign　was　in　progress。　　When　we　reached　Brandy
  Station；　I　left　the　train　and　reported　to　General　Meade；　who　told　me
  that　the　headquarters　of　the　Cavalry　Corps　were　some　distance　back
  from　the　Station；　and　indicated　the　general　locations　of　the
  different　divisions　of　the　corps；　also　giving　me；　in　the　short　time　I
  remained　with　him；　much　information　regarding　their　composition。
  I　reached　the　Cavalry　Corps　headquarters　on　the　evening　of　April　5；
  1864；　and　the　next　morning　issued　orders　assuming　command。　　General
  Pleasonton　had　but　recently　been　relieved；　and　many　of　his　staff…
  officers　were　still　on　duty　at　the　headquarters　awaiting　the　arrival
  of　the　permanent　commander。　　I　resolved　to　retain　the　most　of　these
  officers　on　my　staff；　and　although　they　were　all　unknown　to　me　when　I
  decided　on　this　course；　yet　I　never　had　reason　to　regret　it；　nor　to
  question　the　selections　made　by　my　predecessor。
  The　corps　consisted　of　three　cavalry　divisions　and　twelve　batteries
  of　horse　artillery。　　Brigadier…General　A。　T。　A。　Torbert　was　in
  command　of　the　First　Division；　which　was　composed　of　three　brigades；
  Brigadier…General　D。　McM。　Gregg；　of　the　Second；　consisting　of　two
  brigades；　and　Brigadier…General　J。　H。　Wilson　was　afterward　assigned
  to　command　the　Third；　also　comprising　two　brigades：　Captain　Robinson；
  a　veteran　soldier　of　the　Mexican　war；　was　chief　of　artillery；　and　as
  such　had　a　general　supervision　of　that　arm；　though　the　batteries；
  either　as　units　or　in　sections；　were　assigned　to　the　different
  divisions　in　campaign。
  Each　one　of　my　division　commanders　was　a　soldier　by　profession。
  Torbert　graduated　from　the　Military　Academy　in　1855；　and　was
  commissioned　in　the　infantry；　in　which　arm　he　saw　much　service　on　the
  frontier；　in　Florida；　and　on　the　Utah　expedition。　　At　the　beginning
  of　hostilities　in　April；　1861；　he　was　made　a　colonel　of　New　Jersey
  volunteers；　and　from　that　position　was　promoted　in　the　fall　of　1862
  to　be　a　brigadier…general；　thereafter　commanding　a　brigade　of
  infantry　in　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　till；　in　the　redistribution　of
  generals；　after　Grant　came　to　the　East；　he　was　assigned　to　the　First
  Cavalry　Division。
  Gregg　graduated　in　1855　also；　and　was　appointed　to　the　First
  Dragoons；　with　which　regiment；　up　to　the　breaking　out　of　the　war；　he
  saw　frontier　service　extending　from　Fort　Union；　New　Mexico；　through
  to　the　Pacific　coast；　and　up　into　Oregon　and　Washington　Territories；
  where　I　knew　him　slightly。　　In　the　fall　of　1861　he　became　colonel　of
  the　Eighth　Pennsylvania　Cavalry；　and　a　year　later　was　made　a
  brigadier…general。　　He　then　succeeded　to　the　command　of　a　division　of
  cavalry；　and　continued　in　that　position　till　the　close　of　his
  service；　at　times　temporarily　commanding　the　Cavalry　Corps。　　He　was
  the　only　division　commander　I　had　whose　experience　had　been　almost
  exclusively　derived　from　the　cavalry　arm。
  Wilson　graduated　in　1860　in　the　Topographical　Engineers；　and　was
  first　assigned　to　duty　in　Oregon；　where　he　remained　till　July；　1861。
  In　the　fall　of　that　year　his　active　service　in　the　war　began；　and　he
  rose　from　one　position　to　another；　in　the　East　and　West；　till；　while
  on　General　Grant's　staff；　he　was　made　a　brigadier…general　in　the　fall
  of　1863　in　reward　for　services　performed　during　the　Vicksburg
  campaign　and　for　engineer　duty　at　Chattanooga　preceding　the　battle　of
  Missionary　Ridge。　　At　my　request　he　was　selected　to　command　the　Third
  Division。　　General　Grant　thought　highly　of　him；　and；　expecting　much
  from　his　active　mental　and　physical　ability；　readily　assented　to
  assign　him　in　place　of　General　Kilpatrick。　　The　only　other　general
  officers　in　the　corps　were　Brigadier…General　Wesley　Merritt；
  Brigadier…General　George　A。　Custer；　and　Brigadier…General　Henry　E。
  Davies；　each　commanding　a　brigade。
  In　a　few　days　after　my　arrival　at　Brandy　Station　I　reviewed　my　new
  command；　which　consisted　of　about　twelve　thousand　officers　and　men；
  with　the　same　number　of　horses　in　passable　trim。　　Many　of　the　general
  officers　of　the　army　were　present　at　the　review；　among　them　Generals
  Meade；　Hancock；　and　Sedgwick。　　Sedgwick　being　an　old　dragoon；　came　to
  renew　his　former　associations　with　mounted　troops；　and　to　encourage
  me；　as　he　jestingly　said；　because　of　the　traditional　prejudices　the
  cavalrymen　were　supposed　to　hold　against　being　commanded　by　an
  infantry　officer。　　The　corps　presented　a　fine　appearance　at　the
  review；　and　so　far　as　the　health　and　equipment　of　the　men　were
  concerned　the　showing　was　good　and　satisfactory；　but　the　horses　were
  thin　and　very　much　worn　down　by　excessive　and；　it　seemed　to　me；
  unnecessary　picket　duty；　for　the　cavalry　picket…line　almost
  completely　encircled　the　infantry　and　artillery　camps　of　the　army；
  covering　a　distance；　on　a　continuous　line；　of　nearly　sixty　miles；
  with　hardly　a　mounted　Confederate　confronting　it　at　any　point。　　From
  the　very　beginning　of　the　war　the　enemy　had　shown　more　wisdom
  respecting　his　cavalry　than　we。　　Instead　of　wasting　its　strength　by　a
  policy　of　disintegration　he；　at　an　early　day；　had　organized　his
  mounted　force　into　compact　masses；　and　plainly　made　it　a　favorite；
  and；　as　usual；　he　was　now　husbanding　the　strength　of　his　horses　by
  keeping　them　to　the　rear；　so　that　in　the　spring　he　could　bring　them
  out　in　good　condition　for　the　impending　campaign。
  Before　and　at　the　review　I　took　in　this　situation；　and　determined　to
  remedy　it　if　possible；　so　in　due　time　I　sought　an　interview　with
  General　Meade　and　informed　him　that；　as　the　effectiveness　of　my
  command　rested　mainly　on　the　strength　of　its　horses；　I　thought　the
  duty　it　was　then　performing　was　both　burdensome　and　wasteful。　　I　also
  gave　him　my　idea　as　to　what　the　cavalry　should　do；　the　main　purport
  of　which　was　that　it　ought　to　be　kept　concentrated　to　fight　the
  enemy's　cavalry。　　Heretofore；　the　commander　of　the　Cavalry　Corps　had
  been；　virtually；　but　an　adjunct　at　army　headquartersa　sort　of　chief
  of　cavalryand　my　proposition　seemed　to　stagger　General　Meade　not　a
  little。　　I　knew　that　it　would　be　difficult　to　overcome　the　recognized
  custom　of　using　the　cavalry　for　the　protection　of　trains　and　the
  establishment　of　cordons　around　the　infantry　corps；　and　so　far
  subordinating　its　operations　to　the　movements　of　the　main　army　that
  in　name　only　was　it　a　corps　at　all；　but　still　I　thought　it　my　duty　to
  try。
  At　first　General　Meade　would　hardly　listen　to　my　proposition；　for　he
  was　filled　with　the　prejudices　that；　from　the　beginning　of　the　war；
  had　pervaded　the　army　regarding　the　importance　and　usefulness　of
  cavalry；　General　Scott　then　predicting　that　the　contest　would　be
  settled　by　artillery；　and　thereafter　refusing　the　services　of
  regiment　after　regiment　of　mounted　troops。　　General　Meade　deemed
  cavalry　fit　for　little　more　than　guard　and　picket　duty；　and　wanted　to
  know　what　would　protect　the　transportation　trains　and　artillery
  reserve；　cover　the　front　of　moving　infantry　columns；　and　secure　his
  flanks　from　intrusion；　if　my　policy　were　pursued。　　I　told　him　that　if
  he　would　let　me　use　the　cavalry　as　I　contemplated；　he　need　have
  little　solicitude　in　these　respects；　for；　with　a　mass　of　ten　thousand
  m