s, until at last we of the cavalry had to cry "Halt." Nor
did we hear anything from our government historian, Colonel Batchelder,
except about the first and the second and the third day's fights, the
Round Tops, the Emmittsburg road, Culp's Hill, Cemetery Hill, Seminary
Ridge, and John Burns, but nothing about the cavalry.

And here I must return thanks to the Comte de Paris and to his able
assistant, Colonel John P. Nicholson, who in their investigations went
more thoroughly into the history of the battle than any previous
historians, for it was they who were instrumental in bringing to the
notice of the world what we always knew to be the case, that the
cavalry under the command of General Gregg were the means of saving the
Army of the Potomac at the time Pickett was moving up to the
"high-water mark" of the Rebellion.

The rebel general J. E. B. Stuart came upon the field early on the
morning of July 3, with about seven thousand mounted men under him.
After he had made disposition of his command on or near the Stallsmith
farm, about three miles east of Gettysburg, he caused several random
shots to be fired in various directions. This firing no doubt was
prearranged with Lee, signaling that his position was favorable and
that he was ready to move in conjunction with Pickett to strike our
infantry in rear. Colonel McIntosh, on whose brigade staff I was
serving, concluded that something was up, and, having relieved a
portion of Custer's Michigan Brigade, he ordered an advance of our line
dismounted. This movement of McIntosh's brought on the engagement
before Stuart expected, and exposed his whole design. Gregg, seeing the
situation, recalled Custer, who had previously received orders to move
over to the left flank of our army near Round Top. He then put in
position all of his artillery, under cover of a wheat-field, ordering
the guns to be double-shotted with canister and await his further
orders. Our dismounted lines were refused in the centre, in front of
the artillery, forming an inverse wedge. After we had held them back
for about an hour, heavy bodies of the rebel cavalry burst into view
over a rise of ground. They came on in magnificent style. It was
terribly grand to witness. In two parallel columns, charging in
squadron front, little knowing what was awaiting them, they came on,
yelling and looking like demons. Canister and percussion-shell were
poured into them until they reached within one hundred yards of o