oad at a point about two miles from Sailor's Creek on the
left and about the same distance from Deatonville on the right, on
which Ewell's wing of Lee's army was retreating. Ewell was heading
towards Rice's Station to form a junction with Longstreet, both
intending to move _via_ Prince Edward's Court-House south. Ord,
with the Army of the James, late on this day confronted Longstreet
at Rice's Station. The Third Division of the Sixth was in advance,
and my brigade went into line of battle and rapidly into action,
with scarcely a halt for formation, and, together with the cavalry,
charged and drove the enemy across the road, capturing many prisoners,
wagons, and some pieces of artillery, including General Heth's
headquarters wagons.

An incident occurred soon after we gained this road. Another road
from the west intersected at this point the one we had just seized,
and on which the enemy had a battery which opened on us furiously.
I hastened to the intersecting road to direct some of my regiments
to charge and capture the battery or drive it away. Generals
Sheridan and Wright, with their staffs, soon galloped up. Sheridan
was accompanied by a large mounted brass band that commenced playing
_Hail to the Chief_, or some other then unwelcome music. This drew
the fire from the battery with increased fury on the whole party.
Both Sheridan and Wright were too proud spirited to retire in the
presence of the troops or each other, though not needed at that
place. The dry limbs of pine trees rattling down around us and
the bursting of shells rendered the situation embarrassing in the
extreme, and the lives of others were being sacrificed or imperilled
by the presence of the distinguished party. Being in immediate
charge of the forces there, I invited the Generals to get out of
the way, but as they did not retire I ordered a charge upon the
"_noisy band_," and thus caused the whole party to retire to a
place of greater safety. Some of them were quite willing to go.

I gave Colonel Binkley such an imperative order to silence the
battery, that he pursued it with a detachment to such a distance
that he did not rejoin the brigade in time to participate in the
principal battle of the day yet to be fought.

Ewell's wing of the Confederate Army had mainly passed on towards
its destination. Pursuit was promptly ordered by Sheridan and
conducted by Wright. Ewell's rear-guard fought stubbornly and fell
back slowly through the