ted States senate. This brigade
consisted of seven large regiments, numbering in all about four
thousand men. It was a brigade that honored the state which produced
Sumter, Marion, the Rutledges and the Hamptons.

All this cavalry had joined the army of Northern Virginia and was in
position to cover the movements which Lee was making to confront the
army of the Potomac. Sheridan's corps, now that it had returned to the
army, was once more somewhat dispersed. Wilson was still north of the
Pamunkey, covering the transfer of the several infantry corps and
guarding the fords. The First division, as we have seen, led the
crossing on the 27th and was covering the front and right of the
infantry along Crump's Creek. Gregg, who had followed Torbert, was at
Hanovertown.

On the morning of May 28, Gregg was sent out by Sheridan to discover the
movements of Lee, who was skilfully masking his designs behind his
cavalry. Gregg had advanced but a short distance beyond Haw's Shop when,
in a dense wood, protected by swamps, behind breastworks of logs and
rails, and with batteries advantageously posted, he found the enemy's
cavalry dismounted and disposed in order of battle. He promptly
attacked, notwithstanding the disparity in numbers and in position,
Davies going into action first, followed by Irvin Gregg, and the entire
division was quickly engaged. Gregg was resolute, Hampton determined,
and for hours the battle was waged with the most unyielding bravery on
both sides. The list of killed and wounded was unexampled in any
other cavalry contest of the Civil war, aggregating in the Second
division alone two hundred and fifty-six officers and men. Davies's
brigade lost twenty-three officers. The First New Jersey cavalry had two
officers killed and nine wounded. The enemy's losses were even greater.

[Illustration: M.C. BUTLER]

It was an unequal contest--one division against two, two brigades
against four--with the odds in favor of the confederates. Hampton who,
in the beginning, maintained a posture of defense, began to assume a
more aggressive attitude and showed a disposition to take the offensive.
In the afternoon, towards four o'clock, he brought up Butler's brigade
to reinforce the center of his line. These troops were armed with long
range rifles and many of them had not been under fire before. This was
their first fight. They came on the field with the firm purpose to win
or die, and preferred death to defeat or surrender,