detailed　two　regiments　to　make　a　detour　southward　to　strike　the
  railroad　some　distance　beyond　and　break　the　track。　　These　regiments
  set　off　at　a　gallop；　and　in　short　order　broke　up　the　railroad　enough
  to　prevent　the　escape　of　the　trains；　Custer　meanwhile　taking
  possession　of　the　station；　but　none　too　soon；　for　almost　at　the
  moment　he　did　so　the　advance…guard　of　Lee's　army　appeared；　bent　on
  securing　the　trains。　　Without　halting　to　look　after　the　cars　further；
  Custer　attacked　this　advance…guard　and　had　a　spirited　fight；　in　which
  he　drove　the　Confederates　away　from　the　station；　captured　twenty…five
  pieces　of　artillery；　a　hospital　train；　and　a　large　park　of　wagons；
  which；　in　the　hope　that　they　would　reach　Lynchburg　next　day；　were
  being　pushed　ahead　of　Lee's　main　body。
  Devin　coming　up　a　little　before　dusk；　was　put　in　on　the　right　of
  Custer；　and　one　of　Crook's　brigades　was　sent　to　our　left　and　the
  other　two　held　in　reserve。　　I　then　forced　the　enemy　back　on　the
  Appomattox　road　to　the　vicinity　of　the　Court　House；　and　that　the
  Confederates　might　have　no　rest；　gave　orders　to　continue　the
  skirmishing　throughout　the　night。　　Meanwhile　the　captured　trains　had
  been　taken　charge　of　by　locomotive　engineers；　soldiers　of　the
  command；　who　were　delighted　evidently　to　get　back　at　their　old
  calling。　　They　amused　themselves　by　running　the　trains　to　and　fro；
  creating　much　confusion；　and　keeping　up　such　an　unearthly　screeching
  with　the　whistles　that　I　was　on　the　point　of　ordering　the　cars
  burned。　　They　finally　wearied　of　their　fun；　however；　and　ran　the
  trains　off　to　the　east　toward　General　Ord's　column。
  The　night　of　the　8th　I　made　my　headquarters　at　a　little　frame　house
  just　south　of　the　station。　　I　did　not　sleep　at　all；　nor　did　anybody
  else；　the　entire　command　being　up　all　night　long；　indeed；　there　had
  been　little　rest　in　the；　cavalry　for　the　past　eight　days。　　The
  necessity　of　getting　Ord's　column　up　was　so　obvious　now　that　staff…
  officer　after　staff…officer　was　sent　to　him　and　to　General　Grant
  requesting　that　the　infantry　be　pushed　on；　for　if　it　could　get　to　the
  front；　all　knew　that　the　rebellion　would　be　ended　on　the　morrow。
  Merritt；　Crook；　Custer；　and　Devin　were　present　at　frequent　intervals
  during　the　night；　and　everybody　was　overjoyed　at　the　prospect　that
  our　weary　work　was　about　to　end　so　happily。　　Before　sun…up　General
  Ord　arrived；　and　informed　me　of　the　approach　of　his　column；　it　having
  been　marching　the　whole　night。　　As　he　ranked　me；　of　course　I　could
  give　him　no　orders；　so　after　a　hasty　consultation　as　to　where　his
  troops　should　be　placed　we　separated；　I　riding　to　the　front　to
  overlook　my　line　near　Appomattox　Court　House；　while　he　went　back　to
  urge　along　his　weary　troops。
  The　night　before　General　Lee　had　held　a　council　with　his　principal
  generals；　when　it　was　arranged　that　in　the　morning　General　Gordon
  should　undertake　to　break　through　my　cavalry；　and　when　I　neared　my
  troops　this　movement　was　beginning；　a　heavy　line　of　infantry　bearing
  down　on　us　from　the　direction　of　the　village。　　In　front　of　Crook　and
  Mackenzie　firing　had　already　begun；　so　riding　to　a　slight　elevation
  where　a　good　view　of　the　Confederates　could　be　had；　I　there　came　to
  the　conclusion　that　it　would　be　unwise　to　offer　more　resistance　than
  that　necessary　to　give　Ord　time　to　form；　so　I　directed　Merritt　to
  fall　back；　and　in　retiring　to　shift　Devin　and　Custer　to　the　right　so
  as　to　make　room　for　Ord；　now　in　the　woods　to　my　rear。　　Crook；　who
  with　his　own　and　Mackenzie's　divisions　was　on　my　extreme　left
  covering　some　by…roads；　was　ordered　to　hold　his　ground　as　long　as
  practicable　without　sacrificing　his　men；　and；　if　forced　to　retire；　to
  contest　with　obstinacy　the　enemy's　advance。
  As　already　stated；　I　could　not　direct　General　Ord's　course；　he　being
  my　senior；　but　hastily　galloping　back　to　where　he　was；　at　the　edge　of
  the　timber；　I　explained　to　him　what　was　taking　place　at　the　front。
  Merritt's　withdrawal　inspired　the　Confederates；　who　forthwith　began
  to　press　Crook；　their　line　of　battle　advancing　with　confidence　till
  it　reached　the　crest　whence　I　had　reconnoitred　them。　　From　this
  ground　they　could　see　Ord's　men　emerging　from　the　woods；　and　the
  hopelessness　of　a　further　attack　being　plain；　the　gray　lines
  instinctively　halted；　and　then　began　to　retire　toward　a　ridge
  immediately　fronting　Appomattox　Court　House；　while　Ord；　joined　on　his
  right　by　the　Fifth　Corps；　advanced　on　them　over　the　ground　that
  Merritt　had　abandoned。
  I　now　directed　my　steps　toward　Merritt；　who；　having　mounted　his
  troopers；　had　moved　them　off　to　the　right；　and　by　the　time　I　reached
  his　headquarters　flag　he　was　ready　for　work；　so　a　move　on　the　enemy's
  left　was　ordered；　and　every　guidon　was　bent　to　the　front。　　As　the
  cavalry　marched　along　parallel　with　the　Confederate　line；　and　in
  toward　its　left；　a　heavy　fire　of　artillery　opened　on　us；　but　this
  could　not　check　us　at　such　a　time；　and　we　soon　reached　some　high
  ground　about　half　a　mile　from　the　Court　House；　and　from　here　I　could
  see　in　the　low　valley　beyond　the　village　the　bivouac　undoubtedly　of
  Lee's　army。　　The　troops　did　not　seem　to　be　disposed　in　battle　order；
  but　on　the　other　side　of　the　bivouac　was　a　line　of　battlea　heavy
  rear…guardconfronting；　presumably；　General　Meade。
  I　decided　to　attack　at　once；　and　formations　were　ordered　at　a　trot
  for　a　charge　by　Custer's　and　Devin's　divisions　down　the　slope　leading
  to　the　camps。　　Custer　was　soon　ready；　but　Devin's　division　being　in
  rear　its　formation　took　longer；　since　he　had　to　shift　further　to　the
  right；　Devin's　preparations　were；　therefore；　but　partially　completed
  when　an　aide…decamp　galloped　up　to　with　the　word　from　Custer；　〃Lee
  has　surrendered；　do　not　charge；　the　white　flag　is　up。〃　　The　enemy
  perceiving　that　Custer　was　forming　for　attack；　had　sent　the　flag　out
  to　his　front　and　stopped　the　charge　just　in　time。　　I　at　once　sent
  word　of　the　truce　to　General　Ord；　and　hearing　nothing　more　from
  Custer　himself；　I　supposed　that　he　had　gone　down　to　the　Court　House
  to　join　a　mounted　group　of　Confederates　that　I　could　see　near　there；
  so　I；　too；　went　toward　them；　galloping　down　a　narrow　ridge；　staff　and
  orderlies　following；　but　we　had　not　got　half　way　to　the　Court　House
  when；　from　a　skirt　of　timber　to　our　right；　not　more　than　three
  hundred　yards　distant；　a　musketry　fire　was　opened　on　us。　　This　halted
  us；　when；　waving　my　hat；　I　called　out　to　the　firing　party　that　we
  were　under　a　truce；　and　they　were　violating　it。　　This　did　not　stop
  them；　however；　so　we　hastily　took　shelter　in　a　ravine　so　situated　as
  to　throw　a　ridge　between　us　and　the　danger。
  We　traveled　in　safety　down　this　depression　to　its　mouth；　and　thence
  by　a　gentle　ascent　approached　the　Court　House。　　I　was　in　advance；
  followed　by　a　sergeant　carrying　my　battleflag。　　When　I　got　within
  about　a　hundred　and　fifty　yards　of　the　enemy's　line；　which　was
  immediately　in　front　of　the　Court　House；　some　of　the　Confederates
  leveled　their　pieces　at　us；　and　I　again　halted。　　Their　officers　kept
  their　men　from　firing；　however；　but　meanwhile　a　single…handed　contest
  had　begun　behind　me；　for　on　looking　back　I　heard　a　Confederate
  soldier　demanding　my　battle…flag　from　the　color…bearer；　thinking；　no
  doubt；　that　we　were　coming　in　as　prisoners。　　The　sergeant　had　drawn
  his　sabre　and　was　about　to　cut　the　man　down；　but　at　a　word　from　me　he
  desisted　and　carried　the　flag　back　to　my　staff；　his　assailant　quickly
  realizing　that　the　boot　was　on　the　other　leg。
  These　incidents　determined　me　to　remain　where　I　was　till　the　return
  of　a　staff…officer　whom　I　had　sent　over　to　demand　an　explanation　from
  the　group　of　Confederates　for　which　I　had　been　heading。　　He　came　back
  in　a　few　minutes　with　apologies　for　what　had　occurred；　and　informed
  me　that　General　Gordon　and　General　Wilcox　were　the　superior　officers
  in　the　group。　　As　they　wished　me　to　join　them　I　rode　up　with　my
  staff；　but　we　had　hardly　met　when　in　front　of　Merritt　firing　began。
  At　the　sound　I　turned　to　General　Gordon；　who　seemed　embarrassed　by
  the　occurrence；　and　remarked：　〃General；　your　men　fired　on　me　as　I　was
  coming　over　here；　and　undoubtedly　they　are　treating　Merritt　and
  Custer　the　same　way。　　We　might　as　well　let　them　fight　it　out。〃　　He
  replied；　〃There　must　be　some　mistake。〃　　I　then　asked；　〃Why　not　send　a
  staff…officer　and　have　your　people　cease　firing；　they　are　violating
  the　flag。〃　He　answered；　〃I　have　no　staff…officer　to　send。〃　　Whereupon
  I　said　that　I　would　let　him　have　one　of　mine；　and　calling　for
  Lieutenant　Vanderbilt　Allen；　I　directed　him　to　carry　General　Gordon's
  orders　to　General　Geary；　commanding　a　small　brigade　of　South　Carolina
  cavalry；　to　discontinue　firing。　　Allen　dashed　off　with　the　message
  and　soon　delivered　it；　but　was　made　a　prisoner；　Geary　saying；　〃I　do
  not　care　for　white　flags：　South　Carolinians　never　surrender。。。。〃　　By
  this　time　Merritt's　patience　being　exhausted；　he　ordered　an　attack；
  and　this　in　short　order　put　an　end　to