vance guard of Sixth New York Cavalry, and he was so careless that he liked to have ridden into them unaware of their presence. He wheeled, but it became a matter of "legs" between their horses, and with great difficulty he extricated himself. (I have not Major Heros Von Borcke's diary here. He was riding with General Stuart, being his Aid and Inspector-general, and he tells the full story of the race General Stuart and himself had, which is very amusing, and of the narrowness of their escape.)

Coming back to Fitz Lee's brigade, he called for the leading regiment, which happened to be Fifth Virginia Cavalry (commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Tyler of the "Regular Confederate Cavalry," temporarily assigned to command the Fifth). They moved up with alacrity and in a very short time encountered the Sixth New York Cavalry. They went in as usual with a dash, but were hurled back, bleeding and with considerable loss; meantime the rest of the command had moved up. General Stuart seemed greatly worried and ordered the next regiment to move in and renew the attack. This was the Third Virginia Cavalry. In they dashed, but back they came, having suffered quite as severely. Much time had elapsed while this fighting was going on; the sun had disappeared and General Stuart was still held at arms length.

During the time that this fighting was going on, the gallant Colonel of the Sixth New York Cavalry had been killed, and still they held the road and blocked the way, which made it impossible for Stuart to pass and to communicate what was most important for General Lee to know, who was in his rear. Stuart was his Chief of Cavalry and upon him Gen. R. E. Lee relied for information on the outposts.

It was now quite dark when my regiment, Second Virginia Cavalry, was ordered to take the road, and open it if possible. General Stuart informed me personally of the importance of his reporting in person to General R. E. Lee, and urged me to open the way. It was a serious matter to

stand as we had done and see two good regiments go in cheerfully and come out bloody and wounded, leaving their dead. These troops could give us no definite information; this we knew they had been whipped back, and I do not hesitate to say it was an impressive scene and occasion. "The whippoor-wills and the screech owls" made the piney woods ring with their songs and hooting and nothing more.

My regiment was strong in numbers, and in good plight, but a cavalry regiment mounted in a narrow road, thickly flanked with pine trees, had a poor show at an enemy flushed with victory and success, though at a heavy cost. They had whipped two good regiments. This made it an uninviting anticipation for "glory" for us. We were soldiers, and the order was accepted in the spirit it was given. By my order, word was passed along the column that absolute silence was to be preserved, that each squadron was to be kept well closed up and under no circumstances were firearms to be used; each squadron was to charge in succession, each giving the full yell, and it mattered not what was in the road, in advance, the following squadron was to deliver its charge. The advance guard was especially selected to locate the enemy's picket, and when discovered, the charge would be sounded.

We moved in promptly; the road was sandy and nothing but the click of a scabbard or the snorting of the dust from the horses' noses would indicate that 500 mounted men were again advancing against an unknown force as to numbers.

The Sixth New York, after a most determined and gallant fight, throwing two good regiments back, had made a gallant defense of a strategic point of great importance, for Gen. R. E. Lee relied upon Stuart implicitly as a guard to his rear. The Sixth New York, however, had sustained a heavy blow in the death of its brave Commander (Sir Walter Scott immortalized the McVicars and McGregors). Colonel McVicar was now stretched out dead, at the Alsop house, killed or mortally wounded, by which of the two regiments we never knew. His successor had withdrawn his regiment, leaving a

squadron under as gallant a soldier as I ever met with on the Northern side, Capt. William L. Heermance. They had barricaded the road with fence rails and were preparing to go into camp on picket, when the head of my regiment closed in upon their vidette on the outpost. His shrill, distinct "Yankee voice" called out to us, "Who comes there? Who comes there?" and bang rang his carbine, the bullet whistling over the head of my column. The charge was sounded and he was pressed from the start to the finish, each squadron taking up the yell successively, and the very woods seemed to be alive. Without losing a man, we captured fifty-one of Captain Heermance's picket and opened the way for Stuart.

Learning that the body of Colonel McVicar was at the Alsop house, I rode there, to find him

"After life's fitful fever he sleeps" well, for
"He lay like a warrior taking his rest,
With his martial cloak around him."

We had not time to delay, but were hurried on with General Stuart, accompanied by Captain Heermance and his men as prisoners. The bearing of the gallant Heermance impressed me most favorably. We seemed to have taken a mutual fancy for each other, for in after years he wrote me a letter, and when on a visit to New York, we became friends and continued so to his death. He was a soldier and a gentleman worthy of his command.

A curious fact occurred during the night of this fight. A scouting party of the Sixth New York, returning to join its regiment, ran into the First Virginia Cavalry accidentally, which was following in our rear, and a panic like to have occurred, as sharp firing was heard in our rear, which was at first supposed to be a rescuing party. After some firing between First and Second Regiments, quiet was restored, and we pressed on to join Gen. R. E. Lee.

The next night orders were received from headquarters of the army for Second Regiment of Cavalry to report to Gen.

"Stonewall" Jackson, and we all reported to him.

his advance every step of the way until his line of battle was formed, when, by his direction, I took post on the left of Iverson's infantry brigade (Eighth North Carolina troops) and pressed toward Ellis' Ford en route. We captured ten splendid slaughtered cattle for Howard's corps, any other statement to the contrary notwithstanding.

In closing this poor description of what came under my personal observation, it affords me great pleasure to add, if it was not Duncan McVicar, it was Fergus A. Easton, his Adjutant and executive officer, who represented him in carrying out the orders which gave General Stuart so much trouble. Very respectfully,

(Signed)

T. T. MUNFORD.

HEADQUARTERS FIRST CAVALRY DIVISION,
ARMY OF POTOMAC, May 10th, 1863.

General Orders No. 27.

The General commanding takes this occasion to commend the conduct of the Second Brigade and Martin's Sixth Independent New York Battery in the late engagement near Chancellorsville.

The distinguished gallantry of the Eighth Pennsylvania Regiment in charging the head of the enemy's column, advancing on the Eleventh Corps on the evening of the 2d inst. the heroism of the Sixth New York Regiment in cutting its way back to our own lines through treble its force of the enemy's cavalry on the 1st inst., and the coolness displayed by the Seventeenth Pennsylvania Regiment in rallying fugitives and supporting the batteries (including Martin's) which repulsed the enemy's attack under Jackson on the evening of the 2d inst., have excited the highest admiration.

These noble feats of arms recall the glorious days of Middletown, Boonsboro, Antietam, Martinsburg, Upperville, Barber's and Amosville, where the First Brigade shared with us

the triumphs of victory, and they will now, while exulting in this success, join in sorrow for the brave who have fallen.

The gallant McVicar, the generous, chivalric Keenan, with 150 killed and wounded from your small numbers, attest to the terrible earnestness that animated the midnight conflict of the 2d of May.

Comrades:

A. PLEASANTON, Brigadier-general Commanding.

After several trips South and much correspondence, I have gleaned the foregoing facts and reports. There may be errors and omissions. If so, forgive me. They are not intentional. The only excuse for this detailed account lies in the fact that the engagement and its results were as much a surprise to us as to our friends, the enemy. The event stands unique in the history of cavalry. Fought by early moonlight until nearly midnight by forces unknown to either side. Our gallant McVicar had often expressed the wish that, should he fall, it would be in charging Stuart. He had his wish. We shall never forget the ringing cheers which followed his "Sixth New York, follow me. Charge!"

Respectfully submitted,

FERGUS A. EASTON,

Formerly Adjutant Sixth New York Cavalry.

May 1st. The Battle of Chancellorsville commenced early in the morning and raged in all its fury throughout the day. Division headquarters moved at daylight from Hartwood Church to near Ely's Ford, and was ordered to the front. During the early hours of the day quite a number of the men, having escaped from Lee's cavalry, found their way through the woods from Nye River and rejoined the regiment. With the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry and Battery