l Gregg stationed himself near his batteries, where he could see
the field and direct the battle; one of these was Randol's and the other
commanded by A. C. M. Pennington, both famous batteries, Randol's to the
right and Pennington's to the left. In this engagement the fire of these
batteries, especially Pennington's, was remarkably accurate, compelling
the enemy at times to shift their guns, and contributed in no small
measure to our success.

After the fighting had been in progress for some little time, Custer
took off his cap, placed it in his saddle-pocket and led the Seventh
Michigan cavalry in a charge, his yellow hair flying and his uniform
making him a conspicuous object. The Seventh was a new regiment and was
armed with a Spencer rifle which carried one cartridge in the barrel and
seven in the breech; this was the first time I had seen this weapon.
This charge was over a very considerable distance, with the result that
the lines were somewhat extended so that when they came close to the
enemy behind a fence and were met by a fresh body of Confederate cavalry
charging them, they were repulsed. Being a new regiment, many of the men
rode wildly past McIntosh's command and up to and beyond our guns. I
think it was during this affair that General Custer's horse was shot. I
heard him remark after the fight that he would have been captured except
for the fact that one of his buglers caught a horse for him and held off
the man who wanted him to surrender. Meanwhile I had been sent to
Colonel McIntosh and was with him when the Seventh Michigan men came
back past his dismounted lines. He was making heroic efforts to rally
them, fairly frothing at the mouth and yelling, "For God's sake, men,
if you are ever going to stand, stand now, for you are on your free
soil!"

It was just before this that we discovered Stuart's final advance, by
Hampton's and Fitz-Hugh Lee's brigades, which Hampton led past
McIntosh's dismounted men, charging right up to within about fifty yards
of our guns. Believing that, if the guns were taken, there was nothing
to prevent the enemy from getting at the reserve artillery and
ammunition trains in our rear, it seemed the crisis for us, as it was
also about the time Pickett was advancing against the centre of our
army's line of battle. I took a position between two guns, which I think
were in charge of Lieutenant Chester, who excited my admiration by his
coolness, and there awaited the expected stru