ion.

When the movement began, on the evening of the 9th, Fitzhugh Lee was
left to hold the line along the south bank of the Rapidan river,
Buford's cavalry division confronting him on the north side. Stuart,
with Hampton's division of three brigades, Hampton being still disabled
from the wounds received at Gettysburg, spent the 10th swarming on the
right flank of the confederate army, in the country between Madison
Court House and Woodville on the Sperryville pike. Kilpatrick was in the
vicinity of Culpeper Court House. Stuart succeeded not only in veiling
the movements of the confederate army completely, but on the morning of
the 11th, found time to concentrate his forces and attack Kilpatrick at
Culpeper. Buford crossed the Rapidan to make a reconnoissance, and
encountering Fitzhugh Lee, recrossed at Raccoon Ford, closely followed
by the latter. The pursuit was kept up through Stevensburg, Buford
retreating toward Brandy Station.

When Stuart heard Fitzhugh Lee's guns, he withdrew from Kilpatrick's
front and started across country, intending to head off the federal
cavalry and reach Fleetwood, the high ground near the Brandy Station, in
advance of both Buford and Kilpatrick. The latter, however, soon
discovered what Stuart was trying to do, and then began a horse race of
three converging columns toward Brandy Station, Stuart on the left,
Buford followed by Fitzhugh Lee on the right, and Kilpatrick in the
center. Buford was in first and took possession of Fleetwood. Rosser
with one of Lee's brigades, formed facing Buford, so that when the head
of Kilpatrick's column approached, Rosser was across its path, but
fronting in the direction opposite to that from which it was coming.
Kilpatrick, beset on both flanks and in rear, and seeing a force of the
enemy in front also, and ignorant of Buford's whereabouts, formed his
leading regiments and proceeded to charge through to where Buford was
getting into position. This charge was led by Pleasonton, Custer and
Kilpatrick, in person. Rosser, seeing what was coming, and caught
between two fires, dextrously withdrew to one side, and when the rear of
Kilpatrick's division was opposite to him, charged it on one flank while
Stuart assaulted it on the other, and there was a general melee, in
which each side performed prodigies of valor and inflicted severe damage
on the other. The First and Fifth Michigan regiments were with the
advance, while the Sixth and Seventh helped to bring