"Texas brigade," well remembered by some of us in 1861 on
the Occoquon at Dumfries--first commanded by Wigfall, then a short
time by Archer, then by Hood, then Gregg, who was killed October 26th,
1864, at the fight on the Darbytown road. At this time the brigade
counted about one hundred and thirty muskets, commanded by Colonel
Duke. We had been fighting with them all summer, from Deep Bottom to
New Market heights, to the lines around Richmond, and they recognized
the brigade as we rode along their front, and with a yell as fierce
and keen as when their three regiments averaged a thousand strong, and
nothing but victory had been around their flag, they shouted to us,
"Forward, boys, forward, and tell them Texas is coming!"

When we got into the open field we found that General Lee's division
of cavalry had engaged the enemy, driven him from his attack on our
train, and taken the Federal General Gregg prisoner.

The enemy were occupying in force, apparently, the woods on the light of
the field with infantry and artillery. We were holding the open field
which had been the scene of the skirmish before we came up, and threw
out skirmishers, and returned the fire of their sharpshooters--both
sides using a piece or two of artillery at long range.

After this had gone on for a while, "ours," the Seventh, was ordered
to charge in line on horseback, through a piece of old field, grown up
in scattering pines, upon the battery that was working on us from the
edge of the oak woods. The line was formed and we went at it very
handsomely, our men keeping up their line and fire astonishingly,
considering we were armed with "muzzle loaders" (the greatest possible
of all drawbacks to the efficiency of cavalry).

We drew on ourselves at once a heavy fire of artillery and small arms,
which told smartly on our line, knocking over men and horses, until
the left flank of the regiment came upon a ravine, or deep wash,
covering nearly half of its front. The horses could not cross. We
moved by the right flank to clear the obstruction, and then found that
the object of our demonstration had been answered. It had been made to
cover the withdrawal of a body of our infantry that had been advanced
on our right. It was sundown. We left a strong line of pickets, or
rather a skirmish line, under command of Lieutenant Munerlyn, upon the
ground we had occupied, and drew off into the open field, waiting for
dark before going into camp, or rather lying