the Seventh Michigan on the left, the First Michigan and
First Vermont in reserve, mounted. After a somewhat stubborn
resistance. Stuart apparently reluctantly withdrew, permitting Custer to
cross though he could have held the position easily against ten times
his number whereas, as the sequel proved, he greatly outnumbered
Kilpatrick. The Seventh crossed at a ford about a mile below, the other
regiments at the bridge. Stuart retreated toward Warrenton. It was then
about noon, perhaps a little later than that. Kilpatrick came up and
ordered Custer to draw in his skirmishers and allow Davies to pass him
and take the advance. Custer massed his command on some level ground,
behind a hill, beyond the bridge, and adjacent to the stream. Davies
crossed the bridge, passed the Michigan brigade, and took up the pursuit
of Stuart. Kilpatrick, with his staff, followed along the pike in rear
of Davies's brigade. As he was moving off, Kilpatrick directed Custer to
follow the First brigade and bring up the rear.

This was the very thing that Stuart was waiting for. It had been
arranged between him and Fitzhugh Lee that he, with his three
brigades,[18] was to fall back without resistance before the two
brigades of the Third division, until they were drawn well away from the
bridge, when Lee, who was coming up from Auburn through the woods to the
left, with the brigades of Lomax, Chambliss and Wickham and Breathed's
battery would swing in across the pike, cut Kilpatrick off from the
bridge, and then, at the first sound of Lee's guns, Kilpatrick was to be
attacked simultaneously by Stuart in front and by Lee in rear, and
thoroughly whipped.

It was a very pretty bit of strategy and came very near being
successful. The plan was neatly frustrated by one of those apparent
accidents of war which make or unmake men, according as they are
favorable or unfavorable.

Custer respectfully but firmly demurred to moving until his men could
have their breakfast--rather their dinner, for the forenoon was already
spent. Neither men nor horses had had anything to eat since the night
before, and he urged that the horses should have a feed and the men have
an opportunity to make coffee before they were required to go farther.

Custer was a fighting man, through and through, but wary and wily as
brave. There was in him an indescribable something--call it caution,
call it sagacity, call it the real military instinct--it may have been
genius--by whatev