ommand, which we found had been coming up in
rear of the line that was drawn up to cut us off. This doubtless had
something to do with their breaking before we reached them in the charge
I have described. We then crossed the Rappahannock and camped for the
night. This was the third engagement that I had been in at Brandy
Station.

On October 19th occurred the engagement at Buckland's Mills, near
Warrenton. In this Kilpatrick's command was defeated. In the advance
toward Warrenton there was an interval of about two miles between
General Davies's brigade, which had the advance, and General Custer's.
We had been driving the enemy during the morning toward Warrenton, and
had halted to feed when a force of the enemy came unexpectedly in
between Custer's and Davies's brigades, overwhelmed General Custer's
command, and drove it back across Broad Run; and by taking possession
of the bridge and the Warrenton pike, had cut off General Davies's
command, which was then vigorously attacked by Hampton's force, which
Davies had been pushing toward Warrenton up to this time.

Kilpatrick, when he found Custer was thus attacked, had sent one or two
staff-officers to Davies with orders for him to fall back and make a
junction with Custer. These apparently were unable to reach him, and
Kilpatrick, when he found that Custer could not hold his position,
became very anxious that word should be gotten to Davies of the real
situation and the danger that his brigade might be cut off and a large
portion of them captured. As he crossed the bridge with the rear of
Custer's command he turned to me, as I was riding near him, no
staff-officer being at the moment about, and remarked: "Meyer, somebody
must get to Davies and let him know that Custer has been driven across
Broad Run and that the enemy have got this bridge." On turning my horse
to go back, he called out: "Tell him to make his way the best he can to
Haymarket where he will find General Newton's corps."

[Illustration: CAPTAIN THEODORE F. NORTHROP]

I was unable to return across the bridge, as the enemy had the other end
of it and were moving up the stream so as to intercept Davies, whom they
knew was being driven back on them. Riding until beyond their line I saw
some of Custer's men, who had been cut off, come out of the woods at
that point and cross the stream to escape, when I took advantage of the
confusion to cross to the west side, trusting I would not be noticed and
that the wood