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THE CAVALRY BATTLE NEAR GETTYSBURG.

1st Virginia advanced with, steadiness, and soon the two regiments were faceto face, the fence alone separating them. My squadron, which occupied theright center and which up to this time had not been engaged, opened a flankfire on the Virginians, which aided materially in holding them in check.The 1st North Carolina Cavalry and the Jeff Davis Legion coming up to theirsupport, they crowded the 7th Michigan back, and it was obliged to give way,the Confederates following in close pursuit. A more determined and vigor-ous charge than that made by the 1st Virginia it was never my fortune towitness. But they became scattered by the flank fire they received, togetherwith the shells from our artillery, and were in the end obliged to fall back ontheir main body.

About half a mile distant from the last-mentioned fence, where the cross-road passes through the woods on the Stallsmith farm, there appeared movingtoward us a large mass of cavalry, which proved to be the remaining por-tions of Hampton’s and Fitzliugh Lee’s brigades. They were formed in closecolumn of squadrons and directed their course toward the Spangler house. Agrander spectacle than their advance has rarely been beheld. They marchedwith well-aligned fronts and steady reins. Their polished saber-blades dazzledin the sun. All eyes turned upon them. Chester on the right, Kinney in thecenter, and Pennington on the left opened fire with well-directed aim. Shelland shrapnel met the advancing Confederates and tore through their ranks.Closing the gaps as though nothing had happened, on they came. As theydrew nearer, canister was substituted by our artillerymen for shell, and horseafter horse staggered and fell. Still they came on. Our mounted skirmishersrallied and fell into line; the dismounted men fell back, and a few of themreached their horses. The 1st Michigan , drawn up in close column of squadronsnear Pennington’s battery, was ordered by Gregg to charge. Custer, who wasnear, placed himself at its head, and off they dashed. As the two columnsapproached each other the pace of each increased, when suddenly a crash, likethe falling of timber, betokened the crisis. So sudden and violent was thecollision that many of the horses were turned end over end and crushedtheir riders beneath them. The clashing of sabers, the firing of pistols,the demands for surrender and cries of the combatants now filled the ah’.As the columns were drawing nearer to each other McIntosh sent hisadjutant-general, Captain "Walter S. Newliall, to the left with orders toTreicliel and Rogers to mount and charge, and also sent Captain S. GWagner, of his staff, to rally the headquarters staff, buglers, and orderlies,whilst he himself rode to the Lott bouse for the 1st Maryland . But Gregg?when he first arrived and looked over the field, had moved the 1st Mary-land over to the Low Dutch road, just north of the Hanover road, in orderto strengthen his right, and so failing to find this regiment where he hadexpected, McIntosh gathered up what loose men he could, joined themto his headquarters party and charged. My squadron was still deployedalong the edge of Lott’s woods. Standing in company with LieutenantWilliam Brooke-Rawle on a little rise of ground in front of his com-mand, and seeing that the situation was becoming critical, I turned to him