broken and we marched by way of Charles City
Courthouse, across the Chickahominy at Long bridge to Baltimore
Crossroads, arriving there on the evening of the 18th when another halt
was made. May 19, I was sent with the Sixth Michigan to destroy Bottom's
bridge and the railroad trestle work near it. My recollection is that
this was accomplished.

The next morning General Custer was ordered with his brigade to Hanover
Courthouse, the object being to destroy the railroad bridge across the
South Anna river, a few miles beyond. This necessitating a ride of more
than twenty miles, an early start was made. The Sixth was given the
advance and it proved to be one of the most pleasant experiences of the
campaign. The road led past Newcastle, Hanovertown and Price's; the day
was clear, there was diversity of scenery and sufficient of incident to
make it something worth remembering. No enemy was encountered until we
reached the courthouse. A small body of cavalry was there, prepared to
contest the approach of the advance guard. The officer in command of the
advance did not charge, but stopped to skirmish and the column halted.
Foght, Custer's bugler, rode up and offered to show me a way into the
station from which the confederates could be taken in flank. Accepting
his suggestion, I took the regiment and dashed through the fields to the
left and captured the station, which brought us in on the left and rear
of the force confronting the advance guard. Seeing this they took to
flight, the advance guard pursuing them for some distance. A quantity of
commissary stores were captured here, some of which were issued to the
men, the balance destroyed. The railroad track was torn up and two
trestles destroyed where the railroad crossed the creek near the
station. Custer moved his brigade back to Hanovertown and encamped for
the night. The next morning he returned to Hanover Courthouse and,
sending the First and Fifth ahead, left the Sixth and Seventh to guard
the rear. They advanced to near the South Anna river and found the
bridge guarded by infantry, cavalry and artillery, which, en route from
Richmond to Lee's army, had been stopped there for the exigency. Custer
decided not to take the risk, as he learned that a force was also moving
on his flank, and returned leisurely to Baltimore Crossroads.

One incident of the first day seems to me worth narrating. The brigade
bivouacked on a large plantation, where was a colonial house of generou