ore all others have confidence in his old brigade
and those officers with whom he had personally served. Davies was a
gallant officer and had some fine officers and regiments with him. There
were none better. It was an inglorious part that was assigned to us.
Still, there was as it turned out not much glory in the expedition for
anybody, least of all for Kilpatrick himself.

The march during the forenoon was along the Richmond and Potomac
railroad, to and across the Chickahominy river, to the Brook turnpike.
Davies advanced along the turnpike toward the city, driving in the
pickets and capturing a few of them. He crossed the "Brook"[24] and
succeeded in getting inside the outer entrenchments, within a mile of
Richmond. From the high ground overlooking the intervening plain it was
almost possible to look into the streets and count the spires on the
churches.

The time which it would take to make the ride from the Rapidan to the
"Brook" had been closely calculated. Ten o'clock, Tuesday morning, March
1, had been the hour set when Kilpatrick would arrive and begin the
assault upon Richmond from the north, while Dahlgren attacked it from
the south. The former was on time to the minute. But where was Dahlgren?
He made no sign. There was no way to determine whether he was or was not
carrying out his part of the prearranged plan. Signals did not work.
Kilpatrick was left to his own resources. A condition had developed in
which prompt decision and action were imperatively demanded. There was
no time for delay or careful deliberation. To do or not to do, that was
the question. And there was but one man who could settle it. The
rationale of the raid was a hurried ride, timely arrival, great daring,
a surprise, a sudden charge without a moment's hesitation--success.

Whatever was done must needs be done quickly. It was not conceivable
that Kilpatrick with three thousand men and six pieces of
artillery--Kilpatrick the bold, the dashing cavalryman, the hero of
Middleburg and Aldie--the conceiver of the expedition, who knew in
advance all about the perils he must meet, the chances he must
take--that he would permit uncertainty as to what Dahlgren with but five
or six hundred men and no artillery was doing to influence his own
immediate action. For all that he knew, Dahlgren was already in
position, ready to strike, but awaiting the sound of battle from the
north as the signal to begin.

And yet he hesitated. The object of the exp