na river and the railroad was
covered with timber and a dense undergrowth, except where there were
occasional patches of cleared farm lands. When Torbert with his two
brigades came into contact with Hampton, his line was found strongly
posted in woods so dense that it was difficult to make headway against
the defense. From the start, however, Sheridan was the aggressor and
Hampton was forced to fight a defensive battle.

In view of the rule laid down by General Sheridan himself (quoted in a
footnote on page 241) a criticism might be made on the tactics of the
battle. But whether the error, if it was an error, should be laid at the
door of the chief of cavalry or of General Torbert there is no way of
finding out, though there is reason to believe that the former left the
tactics on the field to be worked out by the division commanders. Custer
was ordered to take a country road and pass around the flank to the rear
of the enemy confronting Torbert. The exact location of this road was
unknown and Torbert states in his report that he was under a
misapprehension about it; that it did not come out where he supposed it
did; and that Custer by taking it lost touch with the other brigades
which he was not able to regain until it was too late to accomplish the
best results.

Such "combinations rarely work out as expected" and Custer should have
been put into action on the left of the line of battle; should have
advanced with the division, keeping touch to the right, all the brigades
in position to support each other. Then, by directing the entire
movement in person, it is probable that Sheridan might have thrown his
left forward, completely enveloping Hampton's right and crushing it
before there was any possibility of receiving reinforcements. In that
event, this turning movement would have been Custer's part of the
battle, his regiments would have been kept together, under his eye, and
well in hand for a combined movement at the right moment. Complete
success must have followed.

The road which Custer took leaves the North Anna river at New bridge,
and runs to Trevilian Station. It crosses the Louisa Courthouse and
Clayton store road east of Buck Chiles's farm. It intersects the direct
road from Louisa Courthouse to Trevilian Station at a place designated
on the map as "Netherland."

When Custer started out in the morning the chances were that he would
have a hard fight with Fitzhugh Lee at the outset. But it has been shown