Cavalry　Corps　himselfthat　I　would　not　give　it　another　order。
  The　acrimonious　interview　ended　with　this　remark；　and　after　I　left
  him　he　went　to　General　Grant's　headquarters　and　repeated　the
  conversation　to　him；　mentioning　that　I　had　said　that　I　could　whip
  Stuart。　　At　this　General　Grant　remarked：　〃Did　he　say　so？　Then　let　him
  go　out　and　do　it。〃　　This　intimation　was　immediately　acted　upon　by
  General　Meade；　and　a　little　later　the　following　order　came　to　me：
  〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMY　OF　THE　POTOMAC
  〃May　8th；　1864　1　P。　M。
  〃GENERAL　SHERIDAN；
  〃Commanding　Cavalry　Corps。
  〃The　major…general　commanding　directs　you　to　immediately　concentrate
  your　available　mounted　force；　and　with　your　ammunition　trains　and
  such　supply　trains　as　are　filled　（exclusive　of　ambulances）　proceed
  against　the　enemy's　cavalry；　and　when　your　supplies　are　exhausted；
  proceed　via　New　Market　and　Green　Bay　to　Haxall's　Landing　on　the　James
  River；　there　communicating　with　General　Butler；　procuring　supplies
  and　return　to　this　army。　　Your　dismounted　men　will　be　left　with　the
  train　here。
  〃A。　A。　HUMPHREYS；
  〃Major…General；　Chief…of…staff。〃
  As　soon　as　the　above　order　was　received　I　issued　instructions　for　the
  concentration　of　the　three　divisions　of　cavalry　at　Aldrich's　to
  prepare　for　the　contemplated　expedition。　　Three　days'　rations　for　the
  men　were　distributed；　and　half　rations　of　grain　for　one　day　were
  doled　out　for　the　horses。　　I　sent　for　Gregg；　Merritt；　and　Wilson　and
  communicated　the　order　to　them；　saying　at　the　same　time；　〃We　are
  going　out　to　fight　Stuart's　cavalry　in　consequence　of　a　suggestion
  from　me；　we　will　give　him　a　fair；　square　fight；　we　are　strong；　and　I
  know　we　can　beat　him；　and　in　view　of　my　recent　representations　to
  General　Meade　I　shall　expect　nothing　but　success。〃　　I　also　indicated
  to　my　division　commanders　the　line　of　march　I　should　takemoving　in
  one　column　around　the　right　flank　of　Lee's　army　to　get　in　its　rear
  and　stated　at　the　same　time　that　it　was　my　intention　to　fight　Stuart
  wherever　he　presented　himself；　and　if　possible　go　through　to　Haxall's
  Landing；　but　that　if　Stuart　should　successfully　interpose　between　us
  and　that　point　we　would　swing　back　to　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　by
  passing　around　the　enemy's　left　flank　by　way　of　Gordonsville。　　At
  first　the　proposition　seemed　to　surprise　the　division　commanders
  somewhat；　for　hitherto　even　the　boldest；　mounted　expeditions　had　been
  confined　to　a　hurried　ride　through　the　enemy's　country；　without
  purpose　of　fighting　more　than　enough　to　escape　in　case　of
  molestation；　and　here　and　there　to　destroy　a　bridge。　　Our　move　would
  be　a　challenge　to　Stuart　for　a　cavalry　duel　behind　Lee's　lines；　in
  his　own　country；　but　the　advantages　which　it　was　reasonable　to
  anticipate　from　the　plan　being　quickly　perceived；　each　division
  commander　entered　into　its　support　unhesitatingly；　and　at　once　set
  about　preparing　for　the　march　next　day。
  CHAPTER　XIX。
  THE　EXPEDITION　STARTSDESTROYING　SUPPLIESOPENING　OF　THE　FIGHT　AT
  YELLOW　TAVERNGENERAL　CUSTER'S　BRILLIANT　CHARGEDEATH　OF　GENERAL
  STUARTREMOVING　TORPEDOESEXCITEMENT　IN　RICHMONDA　NIGHT　MARCH
  ENTERPRISING　NEWSBOYSTHE　EFFECTS　OF　STUART'S　DEFEAT　AND　DEATHEND
  OF　THE　FIRST　EXPEDITIONITS　GREAT　SUCCESS　AND　BENEFICIAL　RESULTS。
  The　expedition　which　resulted　in　the　battle　of　Yellow　Tavern　and　the
  death　of　General　Stuart　started　from　the　vicinity　of　Aldrich's　toward
  Fredericksburg　early　on　the　morning　of　May　9；　1864；　marching　on　the
  plank…road；　Merritt's　division　leading。　　When　the　column　reached
  Tabernacle　Church　it　headed　almost　due　east　to　the　telegraph　road；
  and　thence　down　that　highway　to　Thornburg；　and　from　that　point
  through　Childsburg　to　Anderson's　crossing　of　the　North　Anna　River；　it
  being　my　desire　to　put　my　command　south　of　that　stream　if　possible；
  where　it　could　procure　forage　before　it　should　be　compelled　to　fight。
  The　corps　moved　at　a　walk；　three　divisions　on　the　same　road；　making　a
  column　nearly　thirteen　miles　in　length；　and　marched　around　the　right
  flank　of　the　enemy　unsuspected　until　my　rear　guard　；　had　passed
  Massaponax　Church。　　Although　the　column　was　very　long；　I　preferred　to
  move　it　all　on　one　road　rather　than　to　attempt　combinations　for
  carrying　the　divisions　to　any　given　point　by　different　routes。
  Unless　the　separate　commands　in　an　expedition　of　this　nature　are　very
  prompt　in　movement；　and　each　fully　equal　to　overcoming　at　once　any
  obstacle　it　may　meet；　combinations　rarely　work　out　as　expected；
  besides；　an　engagement　was　at　all　times　imminent；　hence　it　was
  specially　necessary　to　keep　the　whole　force　well　together。
  As　soon　as　the　Ny；　Po；　and　Ta　rivers　were　crossed；　each　；of　which
  streams　would　have　afforded　an　excellent　defensive　line　to　the　enemy；
  all　anxiety　as　to　our　passing　around　Lee's　army　was　removed；　and　our
  ability　to　cross　the　North　Anna　placed　beyond　doubt。　Meanwhile
  General　Stuart　had　discovered　what　we　were　about；　and　he　set　his
  cavalry　in　motion；　sending　General　Fitzhugh　Lee　to　follow　and　attack
  my　rear　on　the　Childsburg　road；　Stuart　himself　marching　by　way　of
  Davenport's　bridge；　on　the　North　Anna；　toward　Beaver　Dam　Station；
  near　which　place　his　whole　command　was　directed　to　unite　the　next
  day。
  My　column　having　passed　the　Ta　River；　Stuart　attacked　its　rear　with
  considerable　vigor；　in　the　hope　that　he　could　delay　my　whole　force
  long　enough　to　permit　him　to　get　at　least　a　part　of　his　command　in　my
  front；　but　this　scheme　was　frustrated　by　Davies's　brigade；　which　I
  directed　to　fight　as　a　rear…guard；　holding　on　at　one　position　and
  then　at　another　along　the　line　of　march　just　enough　to　deter　the
  enemy　from　a　too　rapid　advance。　　Davies　performed　this　responsible
  and　trying　duty　with　tact　and　good　judgment；　following　the　main
  column　steadily　as　it　progressed　to　the　south；　and　never　once
  permitting　Fitzhugh　Lee's　advance　to　encroach　far　enough　to　compel　a
  halt　of　my　main　body。　　About　dark　Merritt's　division　crossed　the
  North　Anna　at　Anderson's　ford；　while　Gregg　and　Wilson　encamped　on　the
  north　side；　having　engaged　the　enemy；　who　still　hung　on　my　rear　up　to
  a　late　hour　at　night。
  After　Merritt's　division　passed　the　river；　Custer's　brigade　proceeded
  on　to　Beaver　Dam　Station　to　cut　the　Virginia　Central　railroad。
  Before　reaching　the　station　he　met　a　small　force　of　the　enemy；　but
  this　he　speedily　drove　off；　recapturing　from　it　about　four　hundred
  Union　prisoners；　who　had　been　taken　recently　in　the　Wilderness　and
  were　being　conducted　to　Richmond。　　Custer　also　destroyed　the　station；
  two　locomotives；　three　trains　of　cars；　ninety　wagons；　from　eight　to
  ten　miles　of　railroad　and　telegraph　lines；　some　two　hundred　thousand
  pounds　of　bacon　and　other　supplies；　amounting　in　all　to　about　a
  million　and　a　half　of　rations；　and　nearly　all　they　medical　stores　of
  General　Lee's　army；　which　had　been　moved　from　Orange　Court　House
  either　because　Lee　wished　to　have　them　directly　in　his　rear　or
  because　he　contemplated　falling　back　to　the　North　Anna。
  On　the　morning　of　the　l0th　Gregg　and　Wilson；　while　crossing　the　North
  Anna；　were　again　attacked；　but　were　covered　by　the　division　on　the
  south　side　of　the　stream；　the　passage　was　effected　without　much　loss；
  notwithstanding　the　approach　of　Stuart　on　the　south　bank　from　the
  direction　of　Davenport's　bridge。　　The　possession　of　Beaver　Dam　gave
  us　an　important　point；　as　it　opened　a　way　toward　Richmond　by　the
  Negro…foot　road。　　It　also　enabled　us　to　obtain　forage　for　our　well…
  nigh　famished　animals；　and　to　prepare　for　fighting　the　enemy；　who；　I
  felt　sure；　would　endeavor　to　interpose　between　my　column　and
  Richmond。
  Stuart　had　hardly　united　his　troops　near　Beaver　Dam　when　he　realized
  that　concentrating　there　was　a　mistake；　so　he　began　making
  dispositions　for　remedying　his　error；　and　while　we　leisurely　took　the
  Negro…foot　toad　toward　Richmond；　he　changed　his　tactics　and　hauled
  off　from　my　rear；　urging　his　horses　to　the　death　in　order　to　get　in
  between　Richmond　and　my　column。　　This　he　effected　about　10　o'clock　on
  the　morning　of　the　11th；　concentrating　at　Yellow　Tavern；　six　miles
  from　the　city；　on　the　Brook　turnpike。　　His　change　of　tactics　left　my
  march　on　the　l0th　practically　unmolested；　and　we　quietly　encamped
  that　night　on　the　south　bank　of　the　South　Anna；　near　Ground　Squirrel
  Bridge。　　Here　we　procured　an　abundance　of　forage；　and　as　the　distance
  traveled　that　day　had　been　only　fifteen　to　eighteen　miles；　men　and
  horses　were　able　to　obtain　a　good　rest　during　the　night。
  At　2　o'clock　in　the　morning；　May　11；　Davies's　brigade　of　Gregg's
  division　marched　for　Ashland　to　cut　the　Fredericksburg　railroad。
  Arriving　there　before　the　head　of　the　enemy's　column；　which　had　to
  pass　through　this　same　place　to　reach　Yellow　Tavern；　Davies　drove　out
  a　small　force　occupying　the　town；　burnt　a　train　of　cars　and　a
  locomotive；　destroyed　the　railroad　for　some　distance；　and　rejoined
  the　main　column　at　Allen's　Station　on　the　Frederick