the hill, on
the top of which on the right stood a large white building, called, as
I recollect, the Randolph House; in the field around were gathered and
gathering large bodies of our cavalry, under the command of General
F.H. Lee, General Rosser and other distinguished cavalry officers. We
took our position among them. As before stated, our column, artillery
and wagon train, were pouring in a steady stream across the bridge,
and the enemy were pressing up their artillery, and already throwing
long shots at it from batteries not near enough to do much if any
harm, and too much under cover to admit of an effectual attack from
us.

General Lee dismounted the most of his command and formed a line of
battle along the road looking toward the point from which the enemy
were advancing.

We (our brigade) were kept in the saddle at the point we first
occupied on the right of the road. There was a house some three
hundred yards from the road on the left, directly in front of General
Lee's line, in a grove of oak, with a lane or avenue leading to it
from the main road. Behind the house a battery seemed gradually
advancing and already throwing its shells at or about the bridge. So
far they were completely masked by the house, and we could only judge
of their movements from their fire, which seemed closer every moment.

In pursuance of some order we changed our position, and rode to
General Lee's dismounted line of battle. As we rode up--our regiment,
the Seventh, leading--we were the right flank regiment in the brigade
formation, and in column with the right in front were necessarily in
advance. The battery seemed by this time to have gotten immediately
behind the house, and was pitching shells about the bridge and into
the town (the bridge was at the foot of the street) with precision and
rapidity. Expecting to see it unmask itself in front of the house
every moment, General Lee said to our colonel, "Haskell, as soon as
that battery shows itself take it with your regiment; you can do it."

We moved at once down the avenue toward the house up to the edge of
the oak wood, with which the lawn in front was surrounded, formed the
regiment in column of fours in the road. The colonel rode along the
side of the column, the adjutant detailing three of the best mounted
men from each company--the horses were the animals specially
selected--the _men_ at that stage of the game were all known to be
good--making thirty men, and the senior