citizens；　and　from　prisoners　taken　during　the　day　by　scouting　parties
  sent　toward　Hanover　Court　House；　that　Lee　had　been；　forced　from　his
  position　near　Spottsylvania　Court　House　and　compelled　to　retire　to
  the　line　of　the　North　Anna。　　I　then　determined　to　rejoin　the　Army　of
  the　Potomac　at　the　earliest　moment；　which　I　did　by　making　for
  Chesterfield　Station；　where　I　reported　to　General　Meade　on　the　24th
  of　May。
  Our　return　to　Chesterfield　ended　the　first　independent　expedition　the
  Cavalry　Corps　had　undertaken　since　coming　under　my　command；　and　our
  success　was　commended　highly　by　Generals　Grant　and　Meade；　both
  realizing　that　our　operations　in　the　rear　of　Lee　had　disconcerted　and
  alarmed　that　general　so　much　as　to　aid　materially　in　forcing　his
  retrograde　march；　and　both　acknowledged　that；　by　drawing　off　the
  enemy's　cavalry　during　the　past　fortnight；　we　had　enabled　them　to
  move　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　and　its　enormous　trains　without
  molestation　in　the　manoeuvres　that　had　carried　it　to　the　North　Anna。
  Then；　too；　great　quantities　of　provisions　and　munitions　of　war　had
  been　destroyedstores　that　the　enemy　had　accumulated　at　sub…depots
  from　strained　resources　and　by　difficult　means；　the　railroads　that
  connected　Lee　with　Richmond　broken；　the　most　successful　cavalry
  leader　of　the　South　killed；　and　in　addition　to　all　this　there　had
  been　inflicted　on　the　Confederate　mounted　troops　the　most　thorough
  defeat　that　had　yet　befallen　them　in　Virginia。
  When　the　expedition　set　out　the　Confederate　authorities　in　Richmond
  were　impressed；　and　indeed　convinced；　that　my　designs　contemplated
  the　capture　of　that　city；　and　notwithstanding　the　loss　they　sustained
  in　the　defeat　and　death　of　Stuart；　and　their　repulse　the　succeeding
  day；　they　drew　much　comfort　from　the　fact　that　I　had　not　entered
  their　capital。　　Some　Confederate　writers　have　continued　to　hold　this
  theory　and　conviction　since　the　war。　　In　this　view　they　were　and　are
  in　error。　　When　Stuart　was　defeated　the　main　purpose　of　my
  instructions　had　been　carried　out；　and　my　thoughts　then　turned　to
  joining　General　Butler　to　get　supplies。　　I　believed　that　I　could　do
  this　by　cutting　across　to　the　Mechanicsville　pike　and　Fair　Oaks　on
  the　south　side　of　the　Chickahominy；　but　the　failure　of　Wilson's
  column　to　get　possession　of　the　outwork　which　commanded　the　pike
  necessitated　my　crossing　at　Meadow　bridge；　and　then　moving　by
  Mechanicsville　and　Gaines's　Mills　instead　of　by　the　shorter　route。
  Moreover；　my　information　regarding　General　Butler's　position　was
  incorrect；　so　that　even　had　I　been　successful　in　getting　to　Fair　Oaks
  by　the　direct　road　I　should　still　have　gained　nothing　thereby；　for　I
  should　still　have　been　obliged　to　continue　down　the　James　River　to
  Haxall's。
  CHAPTER　XX。
  GENERAL　WILSON'S　ADVANCE　TOWARD　HANOVER　COURT　HOUSECROSSING　THE
  PAMUNKEYENGAGEMENT　OF　HAWE'S　SHOPFIGHT　AT　MATADEQUIN　CREEK
  CAPTURE　OF　COLD　HARBORTHE　FIGHT　TO　RETAIN　THE　PLACEMOVEMENTS　OF
  GENERAL　WILSON。
  When　I　rejoined　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　near　Chesterfield　Station；
  the　heavy　battles　around　Spottsylvania　had　been　fought；　and　the
  complicated　manoeuvres　by　which　the　whole　Union　force　was　swung
  across　the　North　Anna　were　in　process　of　execution。　　In　conjunction
  with　these　manoeuvres　Wilson's　division　was　sent　to　the　right　flank
  of　the　army；　where　he　made　a　reconnoissance　south　of　the　North　Anna
  as　far　as　Little　River；　crossing　the　former　stream　near　Jericho
  Mills。　　Wilson　was　to　operate　from　day　to　day　on　that　flank　as　it
  swung　to　the　south；　covering　to　New　Castle　ferry　each　advance　of　the
  infantry　and　the　fords　left　behind　on　the　march。　　From　the　26th　to
  the　30th　these　duties　kept　Wilson　constantly　occupied；　and　also
  necessitated　a　considerable　dispersion　of　his　force；　but　by　the　31st
  he　was　enabled　to　get　all　his　division　together　again；　and　crossing
  to　the　south　side　of　the　Pamunkey　at　New　Castle　ferry；　he　advanced
  toward　Hanover　Court　House。　　Near　Dr　Pride's　house　he　encountered　a
  division　of　the　enemy's　cavalry　under　General　W。　H。　F。　Lee；　and　drove
  it　back　across　Mechamp's　Creek；　thus　opening　communication　with　the
  right　of　our　infantry　resting　near　Phillips's　Mills。　　Just　as　this
  had　been　done；　a　little　before　dark；　Wilson　received　an　order　from
  General　Meade　directing　him　to　push　on　toward　Richmond　until　he
  encountered　the　Confederates　in　such　strength　that　he　could　no　longer
  successfully　contend　against　them；　and　in　compliance　with　this　order
  occupied　Hanover　Court　House　that　same　day。　　Resuming　his　march　at
  daylight　on　June　1；　he　went　ahead　on　the　Ashland　road　while　sending
  Chapman's　brigade　up　the　south　bank　of　the　South　Anna　to　destroy　the
  bridges　on　that　stream。　　Chapman　having　succeeded　in　this　work；
  Wilson　re…united　his　whole　command　and　endeavored　to　hold　Ashland；
  but　finding　the　Confederate　cavalry　and　infantry　there　in　strong
  force；　he　was　obliged　to　withdraw　to　Dr。　Price's　house。　　Here　he
  learned　that　the　army　had　gone　to　the　left　toward　Cold　Harbor；　so　on
  the　2d　of　June　he　moved　to　Hawe's　Shop。
  While　Wilson　was　operating　thus　on　the　right；　I　had　to　cover　with
  Gregg's　and　Torbert's　divisions　the　crossing　of　the　army　over　the
  Pamunkey　River　at　and　near　Hanovertown。　　Torbert　having　recovered
  from　the　illness　which　overtook　him　in　the　Wilderness；　had　now
  returned　to　duty。　　The　march　to　turn　the　enemy's　right　began　on　the
  26th。　　Torbert　and　Gregg　in　advance；　to　secure　the　crossings　of　the
  Pamunkey　and　demonstrate　in　such　manner　as　to　deceive　the　enemy　as
  much　as　possible　in　the　movement；　the　two　cavalry　divisions　being
  supported　by　General　D。　A。　Russell's　division　of　the　Sixth　Corps。
  To　attain　this　end　in　the　presence　of　an　ever…watchful　foe　who　had
  just　recently　been　reinforced　in　considerable　numbers　from　Richmond
  and　further　southalmost　enough　to　make　up　the　losses　he　had
  sustained　in　the　Wilderness　and　at　Spottsylvaniarequired　the　most
  vigorous　and　zealous　work　on　the　part　of　those　to　whom　had　been
  allotted　the　task　of　carrying　out　the　initial　manoeuvres。　　Torbert
  started　for　Taylor's　ford　on　the　Pamunkey　with　directions　to
  demonstrate　heavily　at　that　point　till　after　dark；　as　if　the　crossing
  was　to　be　made　there；　and　having　thus　impressed　the　enemy；　he　was　to
  leave　a　small　guard；　withdraw　quietly；　and　march　to　Hanovertown　ford；
  where　the　real　crossing　was　to　be　effected。　　Meanwhile　Gregg　marched
  to　Littlepage's　crossing　of　the　Pamunkey；　with　instructions　to　make
  feints　in　the　same　manner　as　Torbert　until　after　dark；　when　he　was　to
  retire　discreetly；　leaving　a　small　force　to　keep　up　the
  demonstration；　and　then　march　rapidly　to　Hanovertown　crossing；　taking
  with　him　the　pontoon…bridge。
  At　the　proper　hour　Russell　took　up　the　march　and　followed　the
  cavalry。　　The　troops　were　in　motion　all　night；　undergoing　the　usual
  delays　incident　to　night　marches；　and；　early　on　the　morning　of　the
  27th　the　crossing　was　made；　Custer's　brigade　of　Torbert's　division
  driving　from　the　ford　about　one　hundred　of　the　enemy's　cavalry；　and
  capturing　between　thirty　and　forty　prisoners。　　The　remainder　of
  Torbert's　division　followed　this　brigade　and　advanced　to　Hanovertown；
  where　General　Gordon's　brigade　of　Confederate　cavalry　was　met。
  Torbert　attacked　this　force　with　Devin's　brigade；　while　he　sent
  Custer　to　Hawe's　Shop；　from　which　point　a　road　leading　to　the　right
  was　taken　that　brought　him　in　rear　of　the　enemy's　cavalry；　when　the
  Confederates　discovered　this　manoeuvre；　they　retired　in　the　direction
  of　Hanover　Court　House。　　Pursuit　continued　as　far　as　a　little　stream
  called　Crump's　Creek；　and　here　Torbert　was　halted；　Gregg　moving　up　on
  his　line　meanwhile；　and　Russell　encamping　near　the　crossing　of　the
  river。　　This　completed　our　task　of　gaining　a　foothold　south　of　the
  Pamunkey；　and　on　the　28th　the　main　army　crossed　unharassed　and　took
  up　a　position　behind　my　line；　extending　south　from　the　river；　with
  the　Sixth　Corps　on　the　right　across　the　Hanover　Court　House　road　at
  Crump's　Creek；　the　Second　Corps　on　the　left　of　the　Sixth；　and　the
  Fifth　Corps　about　two　miles　in　front　of　Hanovertown；　its　left
  extending　to　the　Tolopotomy。
  There　was　now　much　uncertainty　in　General　Grant's　mind　as　to　the
  enemy's　whereabouts；　and　there　were　received　daily　the　most
  conflicting　statements　as　to　the　nature　of　Lee's　movements。　　It
  became　necessary；　therefore；　to　find　out　by　an　actual　demonstration
  what　Lee　was　doing；　and　I　was　required　to　reconnoitre　in　the
  direction　of　Mechanicsville。　　For　this　purpose　I　moved　Gregg's
  division　out　toward　this　town　by　way　of　Hawe's　Shop；　and　when　it　had
  gone　about　three…fourths　of　a　mile　beyond　the　Shop　the　enemy's
  cavalry　was　discovered　dismounted　and　disposed　behind　a　temporary
  breastwork　of　rails　and　logs。
  This　was　the　first　occasion　on　which；　since　the　battle　of　Yellow
  Tavern；　the　Confederate　troopers　had　confronted　us　in　large　numbers；
  their　mounted　operations；　like　ours；　having　been　dependent　mo