the First
Michigan on the 16th strong reserves were revealed. As a matter of fact,
Stuart was at Buckland Mills with Hampton's division, and Fitzhugh Lee
was at or near Auburn, but a few miles away. They had their heads
together and devised a trap for Kilpatrick, into which he rode with his
eyes shut.

Sunday evening, October 18, the Third division moved out across Bull
Run, Kilpatrick in command, Custer's brigade leading, Davies[16] with
the First brigade bringing up the rear. Stuart's cavalry was attacked
and driven rapidly until dark by the First Vermont cavalry[17] under
Lieutenant Colonel Addison W. Preston, acting as advance guard. Early on
Monday morning, October 19, the march was resumed, the Sixth Michigan in
advance.

About midway between Bull Run and Broad Run the confederate rear guard,
a regiment of Young's brigade of Hampton's division, was encountered
which fell back before the advance of the Sixth Michigan making but
slight resistance and retreating across Broad Run, where it was found
that Stuart had taken up a strong position, forming the three brigades
of Gordon, Rosser and Young in line on the opposite side, as if to
contest the crossing.

The stream was deep and difficult, spanned at the pike by a stone
bridge. Its banks were wooded. Stuart stationed a piece of artillery on
the high ground so as to command the bridge and its approaches. A
portion of the regiment was dismounted and advanced to engage the
dismounted confederates across the stream. Captain George R. Maxwell of
the First Michigan, whose regiment was at the time in the rear, rode up
and asked permission to take a carbine and go on foot with the men of
the Sixth who were in front. The permission was granted and, giving his
horse into the charge of an orderly, he was in a few moments justifying
his already well established reputation as a man of courage, by fighting
like an enlisted man, on the skirmish line of a regiment not his own,
thus voluntarily exceeding any requirements of duty.

Custer rode up with his staff and escort, and halted in the road, making
a conspicuous group. Stuart's cannoneers planted a shell right in their
midst, which caused a lively scattering, as they had no desire to be
made targets of for that kind of artillery practice. Fortunately no one
was killed.

Custer then brought up his entire command and formed a line of battle,
the Sixth Michigan in the center across the pike, the Fifth Michigan on
the right,