s at that point would screen me from observation. Being
familiar with the country I made my way around their flank and rear,
having the sound of Davies's firing to direct me to his whereabouts. I
soon reached him and found him hard pressed. When I reported the
situation, his men were rallied for another charge, which was led by
Captain J. F. B. Mitchell, so as to gain time to permit a withdrawal, as
directed. We then galloped across the country, the forces opposing
following on our flanks, until we crossed Broad Run farther up towards
Haymarket. Davies's artillery had meanwhile been conducted away in
safety under the guidance of Doctor Capehart, of the First West Virginia
cavalry, who knew the country well. The brigade was thus saved from
serious loss; indeed, none other than the casualties in fighting.
Custer's and Davies's brigades formed a junction when they reached the
First Corps commanded by General Newton, and the enemy withdrew.

General Kilpatrick was quite chagrined that evening over the surprise
his command had been subjected to and the defeat it met, and claimed
that he never would have separated Davies's and Custer's brigades and
given the enemy a chance to get in between them by means of the road
from Auburn through the woods, had he not supposed that this road was
being looked after by some one else, whose name I do not now recall.

Custer's command, which was feeding when attacked, made a gallant fight
under very great disadvantages. The remarkably accurate firing by
Pennington's battery, however, checked the enemy's advance and Custer's
personal efforts saved his brigade from much greater losses. Stuart, the
Confederate commander, in his report, claimed that it was "the greatest
rout that any cavalry had suffered during the war," and the Richmond
papers described the fight as the "Buckland Races." This I think is an
exaggerated statement. Of course we were defeated, but as soon as Custer
got across the stream his men were rallied and as fit to take the
offensive as they were in the morning. Davies's brigade fought gallantly
to resist Hampton's assaults, which began as soon as the firing on
Custer in the rear was heard. It was only after I gave Davies the
information that Custer had been driven across Broad Run and that the
enemy had the bridge and were in his rear, moving towards Haymarket to
intercept him, that he started his command on the gallop across the
country to that village. When he had made a