d bravery. Its position at Ream's Station, on
August 25, was on the left of a new division of the Second Corps. A
German brigade in this division deliberately abandoned a new line of
intrenchments with seven guns, leaving their loaded muskets standing up
against the earthworks. Some of our dismounted cavalrymen used these
muskets as long as they could find ammunition for them. General Hancock
and General Gregg were present in person, for they were anxious to save
the guns, and the slaughter in Mahone's division must have been
terrible, as the repeating rifles wiped out line after line. No
supports coming, the cavalry was compelled to give way when Mahone made
his fourth charge, capturing the guns of the Second Corps. In the last
charge my horse was killed and I was severely injured, and was sent
home for thirty days in consequence.

Returning to the front on October 1, I was relieved from staff duty and
ordered to take command of my regiment, now composed of reenlisted
veterans who had passed through the furnace of war from 1861 to 1864.

In the latter part of October our brigade did some very effective work
in the engagement at the Davis farm, on the left and rear of our lines
at Petersburg. General Fitz-Hugh Lee threw his whole command upon us,
compelling our brigade to change front three times, but we repulsed him
at every point, driving him from the field. We did not know what force
we were engaged with until we captured the adjutant-general of Young's
brigade. That handsome officer remarked to General Davies that it was
fearfully bad weather for moving about and for cavalry fighting. Davies
replied, "Yes, you people were not contented in your camps, but must
come out here for a fight, and I guess you got one." The
adjutant-general, noticing the troops his people were fighting, asked
General Davies how many brigades he had under him. Upon being informed
that there was but one brigade of five regiments, he exclaimed,
"Impossible! Why, we had three brigades against you." He was then
started for the rear, apparently much chagrined.

A few days after this Gregg's division was ordered out to join the
Second Corps in a reconnoissance in force to the left of our army,
beyond Hatcher's Run. These reconnoissances were generally accompanied
by Generals Grant and Meade in person, and our engagements with the
enemy sometimes resulted in a heavy battle. During this particular
movement the First Pennsylvania Veteran Cavalry cov