aign. Early in June information was received at
head-quarters that the rebel cavalry corps, numbering about twelve
thousand men, was to be reviewed on the 8th by General Robert E. Lee at
Culpeper Court-House. Lee expected great achievements from this mounted
force, for it was composed of the flower and pick of the "Southern
chivalry," the eyes and ears of the grand army he was about to lead
into Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Now came a good chance to pile up dead cavalrymen. On June 9, the day
after this grand review, General Buford crossed his division at Beverly
Ford early in the morning, intending to attack the enemy's cavalry in
front, while Gregg's and Duffie's (formerly Averell's) divisions
crossed farther down, at Kelly's Ford, to attack it in the rear. This
movement was not intended to bring on a general engagement between the
two armies, but merely to find out what was up, and at the same time to
take the conceit out of the rebel cavalry. Whole regiments came
together with tremendous shocks, we using our sabres with effect, while
the rebels used their revolvers, crying out to us, "Put up your sabres;
draw your pistols and fight like gentlemen!" At one time the dust was
so thick that we could not tell friend from foe. This hand-to-hand
business continued on and off for about a couple of hours, when we
retired from the field at our leisure, unfollowed. Many a brave man
fell that day; some of them in, and beyond, the rebel batteries. The
First New Jersey lost heavily; their colonel, Percy Wyndham, was
wounded, Lieutenant-Colonel Broderick and Major Shelmire killed, and
Captain Sawyer and others captured. Broderick's body was found with a
sabre sticking through it, and at his side lay a dead rebel with
Broderick's sabre through his body also.

General Gregg was so unfortunate as to lose three guns of the Sixth New
York Light Battery through the recklessness of Colonel Percy Wyndham,
who commanded my brigade. The latter had ordered the battery to follow
the First New Jersey Cavalry in a charge, and go into position on the
crest of Fleetwood Hill, to the left of the Barbour house. Just as the
guns were swung into position and unlimbered the enemy made a
countercharge, driving back a broken squadron of the First New Jersey
and a detachment of the First Pennsylvania Cavalry, both of which
passed through the battery to the rear. The men in charge of the
limbers were swept back in the confusion. The dust was so thick it w