eporting to General Burbridge on
this knoll, had been shot by a Confederate rifleman through
the head and fell dead at the General's feet. Orderlies,
horses and men were being shot down, and I begged General
Burbridge to retire. He asked me if there were no more
troops we could bring up and put into action. I told him all
we had left was the Sixth United States Colored Cavalry and
the horse-holders. He said:

"'Well, go and bring up the negroes and tell everybody to
tie the horses as well as they can. We might as well lose
them as to be whipped, when we will lose them anyway.'

"I made haste to bring up the Sixth Colored and all the
horse-holders I could get. The Sixth Colored was a fine
regiment, but few had faith in the fighting qualities of the
negroes. General Burbridge divided them into three columns,
and taking one himself gave the other two to General Wade
and myself. Wade had the right, Burbridge the left and I was
in the centre. Wade got off first and sailed in in gallant
style. Burbridge piled his overcoat on the ground, and
drawing his sword led his column forward. The men were all
on foot and most of the officers. But few were mounted. It
was unpleasant riding under fire where so many were on foot.
Wade's horse was soon shot, but he kept on with his men,
leading on foot. Looking to the left I saw Burbridge
surrounded by a black crowd of men, his form towering above
them and his sword pointing to the enemy. Wade was first to
strike the Confederate line. They fired and fired, but the
darkies kept straight on, closing for a hand-to-hand fight.
Then the cry was raised along the Confederate lines that the
negroes were killing the wounded. Wade went through the
Confederate line like an iron wedge, and it broke and fled.
Burbridge hit hard, but the insistence was less stubborn
than in Wade's front. Of my own part in the action I prefer
not to write. Suffice it to say that never did soldiers do
better on any battle-field than the black men I led that
day.

"When their guns were empty they clubbed them, and I saw one
negro fighting with a gun barrel, swinging it about his head
like a club, and going straight for the enemy. He did not
hit anybody for nobody waited to be hit, but some of the
Confederates jumped fully