Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 7.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[186] raking fire upon the enemy should the force sent forward be repulsed. The charge ordered was made, General Custer and Captain Thompson leading it. The company was repulsed, and the enemy came charging down the road at a fearful rate, yelling like fiends. But their tune was soon changed. Two shells from Elder's battery, together with a flank fire from the Michiganders in the wheat-field, soon brought them to an about face. Pennington's battery was soon in position, and a regular artillery duel commenced, and was continued until after nightfall. Our fire was very destructive to the enemy, as prisoners of rank have since admitted. Captain Thompson was severely wounded, two men were killed, and some twenty-five were wounded. The enemy's loss must have been very severe, for they left three dead lieutenants on our hands and a dozen or more of their wounded. In the charge made, a boy named Churchill, of the First Michigan, took an active part, and succeeded in killing a man who was trying to kill General Custer, whose horse had been shot in the melee.

Having repulsed the enemy, General Kilpatrick received orders to join the main command at Two Taverns, which place was reached at about four o'clock, Friday morning, July third. Three hours afterward the whole command was again in motion, and, by eleven o'clock, made a dash upon the right flank of the enemy, with a view of destroying his train, if possible, and, at all events, creating a diversion. Owing to a misunderstanding, one brigade (General Custer's) of this division went to the right, and, consequantly, the first object mentioned was not accomplished, but the second was fully. It was known that the enemy would mass his forces on Friday, for the purpose of breaking our right. The sudden and unexpected attack of General Kilpatrick on his own right caused the enemy to fear a flank movement in that direction, and changed the character of the battle from attack to simply defensive. Unexpectedly hearing heavy firing, and receiving a brisk attack on the right flank and rear, the enemy sent forward a large force of infantry to cooperate with the cavalry, then being pressed back. Having had their skirmishers driven from the woods, the enemy took a strong position behind two stone and rail fences, one a few rods in the rear of the other, and a similar fence on the flanks. General Kilpatrick was anxious to carry this position, because, if successful, the enemy's ammunition train could be reached. Every means had been used to start the enemy for a charge, but unsuccessfully. The First Vermont, Colonel Preston; First Virginia, Major Copeland; and the Eighteenth Pennsylvania cavalry, Colonel Brinton, were in position to charge. The First Vermont, First Virginia, and a squadron of the Eighteenth Pennsylvania, led by General Farnsworth, dashed forward at the word until the stone wall was reached. A few men pulled the rail fence away from the top of the wall. General Farnsworth leaped his horse over, and was followed by the First Vermont--the enemy breaking before them and taking a position behind the second fence. The few rods between the two fences where our men crossed was a fearfully dangerous place, the little fence receiving the concentrated fire of three lines, from front and both flanks. The witnesses of the movement stood in breathless silence — their blood running cold as the chargers gained the second fence. Man after man was seen to fall--General Farnsworth among the rest. “He is killed!” gasped many a one, looking at that fatal spot; but no — that tall form and slouched hat are his — he lives — and all breathe again. His horse had been killed; a soldier gives him his horse; the General again mounts and dashes on. The enemy here make a more formidable stand, but are driven away, and the whole force go dashing, reeling over the fence in a whirlpool of shot and shell, such as is seldom ever witnessed by soldiers. The constant roar of musketry and artillery on the main field gave to the scene a peculiar grandeur. It was fearfully grand. The second fence crossed, and new fires were opened upon this brave band. To retreat at that point was certain death, and the only chance of safety was to advance, and advance they did for between one and two miles, to the rear of the rebel army, in sight of the coveted train — but at what a cost! Dispersing, the men returned under a galling fire as best they could. A few did not get back to their command for hours — many never came. The list of missing gradually lessened, and hope led us to look anxiously for the return of General Farnsworth; and when, with the morning's dawn, no tidings from him were heard, then hope said he was wounded — a prisoner — he has been left seriously, perhaps dangerously, wounded at some house by the roadside. Vain hope! Messengers were sent in every direction to search for the missing spirit. It did not seem possible that he could be dead; and yet, so it was. He fell just after crossing the second fence, his bowels pierced by five bullets. There some of the Vermont boys, left behind at the hospital, found his body two days after the fight, and saw it decently interred. The brave, noble, and generous Farnsworth has gone to his last rest, and the sod that covers his grave has been wet by the tears of those who loved and honored him while living. His name will ever be held in remembrance by every member of the Third division.

Of the three squadrons of the Vermont regiment in the advance in this charge, there were fifteen killed, fifteen wounded, and twenty or more are missing. The regiment lost seventy-five men during the fight.

This was the last charge of the day at this point. It caused the enemy to concentrate a still larger force upon his right flank until their whole line fell back. Night soon came on, and with it a drenching shower, in which the cavalry, exhausted with the labors of the day, retired two miles and sought such repose as could be obtained in an open field.

The day had been exceedingly hot and many men were prostrated by the heat. The Fifth New-York supported a battery which was exposed