ds. On the
morning after the capture of Beaver Dam Station, and just as day was
breaking, I called up one of the orderlies, who was a barber, to shave
me. He jumped to earn his quarter, while I looked around among my
brother officers who were sleeping and chuckled to myself in having
stolen a march on them. The barber had taken the beard from off one
side of my face when the enemy opened two batteries upon us, the shells
passing directly over our quarters. Such a scramble as we had to get to
our horses, and I only half-shaved! The joke was turned upon me, and I
did not have the balance finished until noon.

We again fought the rebel cavalry at Yellow Tavern on May 11 and gave
them a severe thrashing, capturing some of their artillery and many
prisoners. In this engagement the great rebel cavalry chieftain,
General J. E. B. Stuart, was mortally wounded while rallying his men.
During the attack in our front my brigade was having a lively time of
it in the rear. We were being pestered all day by a regiment of rebel
cavalry, and General Davies sent two of his staff back to look after
his extreme rear and watch these troublesome people, for they were very
annoying to our column. At last our opportunity came. We observed them
preparing for a mounted charge. Quickly dismounting the rear-guard, we
placed them in ambush on either side of a sunken road. The brave
fellows came boldly on, but not one of them returned. They were all
killed, wounded, or captured.

We continued our marching and fighting until we came into the defenses
of Richmond on the Brook road, a broad highway leading into the city.
Here were required skill, good generalship, and a cool head, but
"Cavalry Sheridan" was equal to the occasion. We fought front, flanks,
and rear against infantry and cavalry, repulsing charge after charge,
killing two rebel generals and scores of their men. Oh, how we prayed
for room to make a mounted charge, but could not! At one time our
situation was critical, and some of us became a little nervous. For a
while General Sheridan seemed at a loss what to do, and suggested that
General Gregg mount his division and try to break through the enemy's
lines, so as to draw off the forces attacking our other two divisions,
and thus allow Wilson's command to cross the Chickahominy, and that he
(Gregg) rejoin the Army of the Potomac the best way he could, leaving
his artillery with Sheridan and the rest of the corps. Gregg, however,
concluded