Hanover Junction, he burned the stations,
destroyed the tracks, and daringly attacked the enemy wherever he could
find him. These events took place during July and August, 1862, and the
boldness of the operations, in the very heart of the enemy's country,
filled the North with Kilpatrick's fame....

"When Hooker was placed at the head of the Army of the Potomac, the
cavalry was reorganized under Stoneman as chief, and that general, in
the following campaign, assigned to Kilpatrick the work of destroying
the railroad and bridges over the Chickahominy. Four hundred and fifty
men were given him for the work; but with this small force he brought to
the difficult mission his usual skill, and, avoiding large forces of the
enemy, raided to within two miles of Richmond, where he captured
'Lieutenant Brown, aide-de-camp to General Winder, and eleven men within
the fortifications.' He says: 'I then passed down to the left to the
Meadow Bridge on the Chickahominy, which I burned, ran a train of cars
into the river, retired to Hanover-town on the Peninsula, crossed just
in time to check the advance of a pursuing cavalry force, burned a train
of thirty wagons loaded with bacon, captured thirteen prisoners, and
encamped for the night five miles from the river,' This was the manner
of his conquering quest, until on the seventh he again struck the Union
lines at Gloucester Point, having made a march of about 'two hundred
miles in less than five days, and captured and paroled over eight
hundred prisoners.' In the accomplishment of this splendid feat he lost
only one officer and thirty-seven men.

"At Chancellorsville, when Lee came into Maryland and massed his cavalry
at Beverly Ford, Pleasonton was sent forward on a reconnaissance, and
met the enemy in battle at Brandy Station. This is renowned as the
greatest cavalry battle of the war. General Gregg arrived upon the field
at half-past ten in the morning, and though his noble squadrons fought
well and bravely, these columns were rolled back, and for a moment, all
seemed lost, and overwhelmed by the superior numbers of the foe. But at
this crisis, Kilpatrick, posted on a slight rise of ground, unrolled his
battle-flag to the breeze, and his bugles sounded the charge. He had
under his command, the Harris Light, Tenth New York, and First Maine.
The formation for an onset was quickly made, and the disciplined
squadrons of these three regiments were hurled upon the enemy. But the
Tenth Ne