[2] The original roster of the regiment may be found in appendix "A" to this volume.

[3] Grand Rapids, Michigan, so named on account of its location in the heart of the valley of Grand river. Also known as the "Furniture City," referring to its chief industry.

[4] Robert Williams, a Virginian, grandson of James Williams, of the Virginia line in the Revolution. He married the widow of Stephen A. Douglas.

[5] Third Michigan infantry. It served three years, and was then reorganized as the "New Third."

[6] Since the above was written I have become satisfied that this man was really taken prisoner and that he died as such in the Confederate prison at Andersonville. His name appears on one of the markers in the national cemetery there.

[7] September, 1907.

[8] Official Records, Series 1, Vol. XXVII, Part III, page 276.

[9] The Michigan cavalry brigade was the outgrowth of the reorganization of the Federal cavalry that followed Lee's invasion of the North and Hooker's consequent movement into Maryland. It consisted originally, as has been shown, of three regiments—the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh. They were all organized in 1862, spent the winter of 1862-63 in camp on Meridian and Capitol Hills, Washington, D. C., and during the spring months of the latter year, were engaged in doing outpost duty in Fairfax County, Va., within the defenses of Washington. They were, therefore, in the language of another, "fresh from pastures green" when General Hooker, en route to Maryland in June, 1863, picked them up in passing and made them a part of that grand Army of the Potomac which, on the battle-field of Gettysburg, won a renown as lasting as history itself.

The commanding officer was Brigadier General J.T. Copeland, a Michigan man, promoted from the colonelcy of the Fifth. The battalion commanders were, respectively, Colonels Russell A. Alger, George Gray and William D. Mann. The first had seen service in the Second Michigan as captain and major, under Colonels Gordon Granger and P.H. Sheridan; the last in the First Michigan, under Brodhead and Town. Colonel Gray was appointed from civil life, and was having his first experience of "war's rude alarums."

[10] Custer in his report mistook the York for the Hanover road.

[11] General Custer mistook the Low Dutch for the Oxford road.

[12] A letter from General Gregg to the writer says: "There is no conflict between your recollection and mine as to the events of that day."—J.H.K.

[13] A possible solution of this difficulty has come to my mind. It is this. That Custer originally wrote "1 o'clock" and that in copying the "1" and the "o" were mistaken for "10," and o'clock added—J.H.K.

[14] In this connection it may be stated that Colonel Fox's history of the casualties in the war shows that there were 260 cavalry regiments in the service of the Union. Of these, the First Michigan lost the largest number of men killed in action of all save one—the First Maine. In percentage of killed, in proportion to numbers the Fifth and Sixth Michigan rank all the rest, not excepting the two first named, and it must be remembered that the Fifth and Sixth went out in 1862 and did their first fighting in the Gettysburg campaign. They stand third and fourth in the number killed, being ranked in that respect by the First Maine and First Michigan alone. The four regiments in the Michigan brigade during their terms of service lost twenty-three officers and 328 men killed; eight officers and 111 men died of wounds; nine officers and 991 men died of disease—a grand total of 1470 officers and men who gave up their lives during those four years of war.—J.H.K.

[15] It may be proper to state that during the Gettysburg campaign the Michigan brigade lost thirty officers killed and wounded, whose names are here given.

KILLED

First Michigan—Capt. W.R. Elliott, Capt. C.J. Snyder, Lieut. J.S. McElhenny—3.

Fifth Michigan—Major N.H. Ferry—1.

Sixth Michigan—Major P.A. Weber, Capt. D.G. Royce, Lieut. C.E. Bolza, Acting Adjutant A.C. Jewett—4.

WOUNDED

First Michigan—Capt. D.W. Clemmer, Lieut. E.F. Baker, Capt. A.W. Duggan, Capt. George W. Alexander, Capt. H.E. Hascall, Capt. W.M. Heazlett, Capt. G.R. Maxwell, Lieut. R.N. Van Atter—8.

Fifth Michigan—Col. R.A. Alger, Lieut. Col. E. Gould, Lieut. T. Dean, Lieut. G.N. Dutcher—4.

Sixth Michigan—Lieut. George W. Crawford; Capt. H.E. Thompson, Capt. J. H. Kidd, Lieut. E. Potter, Lieut. S. Shipman—5.

Seventh Michigan—Lieut. J.G. Birney, Lieut. J.L. Carpenter, Lieut. E. Gray, Lieut. C. Griffith, Capt. Alex. Walker—5.

[16] Brigadier General Henry E. Davies, formerly colonel Second New York cavalry, assigned as permanent successor of Farnsworth, killed at Gettysburg.

[17] Attached to the Michigan brigade.

[18] Rosser, Young and Gordon.

[19] Since reporting for duty, October 12, I had been in command of the regiment.

[20] Campaigns of Stuart's Cavalry.

[21] Fitzhugh Lee was Custer's instructor in West Point before the war broke out.

[22] Kilpatrick's Report, Official Records, series I. vol. XXXIII. p. 133.

[23] "Unless the separate commands in an expedition of this nature are very prompt in movement, and each equal to overcoming at once any obstacle it may meet combinations rarely work out as expected."—Personal Memoirs of P.H. Sheridan, vol. I, p. 373.

[24] A small stream crossing the turnpike and after which the historical pike was named.

[25] On page 813, Vol. XXXVI, Series I, Part 1, of the War Records, in the report of General Merritt appears the following: "A charge made, mounted, by one regiment of the First brigade, (the Fifth Michigan)." The words in parenthesis should be the First Michigan. It is a pity that the official records should thus falsify history.

[26] I am not positive that these were the particular tunes the bands played.

[27] Personal Memoirs of P.H. Sheridan, Vol. I: page 417. Also Records, Series I, Vol. XXXVI, part 1.

[28] Taken from the official records in the office of the adjutant general of Michigan, Lansing, Michigan.

[29] Taken from the official records in the office of the adjutant general of Michigan, Lansing, Michigan.

[30] Official Records, Series I, Vol. XXXVI, part I, page 851.

[31] Official Records, Series I, Vol. XXXVI, part I, page 810.

[32]

"Headquarters 1st Brig. 1st Div. Cavalry Corps,
June 3, 1864.

To His Excellency
Governor Blair,

I most cheerfully and earnestly recommend that the foregoing petition may be granted. Major Kidd has commanded his regiment for several months. He has distinguished himself in nearly all of the late severe engagements of the corps. Michigan cannot boast of a more gallant or efficient officer than Major Kidd, and I am confident that his appointment as colonel of the 6th would not only produce entire satisfaction in his regiment, but would serve to increase the already high but well earned fame of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade."

"Very respectfully, etc.,
G.A. CUSTER,
Brig. Gen'l Comdg."

[33] The title given to the department over which Sheridan was to have supreme command, and which included West Virginia.

[34] Torbert had been created "chief of cavalry," and Merritt assigned to command of the First division. Colonel Charles R. Lowell, Second Massachusetts cavalry succeeded Merritt in command of the Reserve brigade.

[35] Attached temporarily to the Michigan brigade.

[36] Second division of cavalry from West Virginia, General W.W. Averell.

[37] Written in 1886.

[38] The only order I had received at the time was to support the picket line with the entire brigade. See General Merritt's report, Official records, Vol. XLIII, series I, part I, page 449.

[39] The Fifth United States cavalry, General Merritt's escort. General Merritt's report.

[40] General Sheridan's report states that it was Getty's division of the Sixth corps only that was in this position when he came up—that the other divisions were farther to the rear but were brought up to the alignment.

"On arriving at the front, I found Merritt's and Custer's divisions of cavalry, * * * and Getty's division of the Sixth corps opposing the enemy. I suggested to General Wright that we would fight on Getty's line, and that the remaining two divisions of the Sixth corps, which were to the right and rear about two miles, should be ordered up, * * before the enemy attacked Getty."—Sheridan's report, Records, Vol. XLIII, part I, page 53.

[41] "The First brigade, in column of Regiments in line, moved forward like an immense wave, slowly at first, but gaining strength and speed as it progressed, overwhelmed a battery and its supports amidst a devastating shower of canister and a deadly fire of musketry from part of Kershaw's division, at short range from a heavy wood to our left. Never has the mettle of the division been put to a severer test than at this time, and never did it stand the test better. The charge was made on an enemy well formed and prepared to receive it with guns double-shotted with canister."—General Merritt's official report, Records, Vol. XLIII, Part I, page 450.

[42] Records, Series I, Vol. XLIII, part I, page 136.

[43] Records. Series I, Vol. XLIII, part I. pages 136-37.

[44] Records. Series I, Vol. XLIII, part I. page 453.