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from the Station； and indicated the general locations of the
different divisions of the corps； also giving me； in the short time I
remained with him； much information regarding their composition。
I reached the Cavalry Corps headquarters on the evening of April 5；
1864； and the next morning issued orders assuming command。 General
Pleasonton had but recently been relieved； and many of his staff…
officers were still on duty at the headquarters awaiting the arrival
of the permanent commander。 I resolved to retain the most of these
officers on my staff； and although they were all unknown to me when I
decided on this course； yet I never had reason to regret it； nor to
question the selections made by my predecessor。
The corps consisted of three cavalry divisions and twelve batteries
of horse artillery。 Brigadier…General A。 T。 A。 Torbert was in
command of the First Division； which was composed of three brigades；
Brigadier…General D。 McM。 Gregg； of the Second； consisting of two
brigades； and Brigadier…General J。 H。 Wilson was afterward assigned
to command the Third； also comprising two brigades： Captain Robinson；
a veteran soldier of the Mexican war； was chief of artillery； and as
such had a general supervision of that arm； though the batteries；
either as units or in sections； were assigned to the different
divisions in campaign。
Each one of my division commanders was a soldier by profession。
Torbert graduated from the Military Academy in 1855； and was
commissioned in the infantry； in which arm he saw much service on the
frontier； in Florida； and on the Utah expedition。 At the beginning
of hostilities in April； 1861； he was made a colonel of New Jersey
volunteers； and from that position was promoted in the fall of 1862
to be a brigadier…general； thereafter commanding a brigade of
infantry in the Army of the Potomac till； in the redistribution of
generals； after Grant came to the East； he was assigned to the First
Cavalry Division。
Gregg graduated in 1855 also； and was appointed to the First
Dragoons； with which regiment； up to the breaking out of the war； he
saw frontier service extending from Fort Union； New Mexico； through
to the Pacific coast； and up into Oregon and Washington Territories；
where I knew him slightly。 In the fall of 1861 he became colonel of
the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry； and a year later was made a
brigadier…general。 He then succeeded to the command of a division of
cavalry； and continued in that position till the close of his
service； at times temporarily commanding the Cavalry Corps。 He was
the only division commander I had whose experience had been almost
exclusively derived from the cavalry arm。
Wilson graduated in 1860 in the Topographical Engineers； and was
first assigned to duty in Oregon； where he remained till July； 1861。
In the fall of that year his active service in the war began； and he
rose from one position to another； in the East and West； till； while
on General Grant's staff； he was made a brigadier…general in the fall
of 1863 in reward for services performed during the Vicksburg
campaign and for engineer duty at Chattanooga preceding the battle of
Missionary Ridge。 At my request he was selected to command the Third
Division。 General Grant thought highly of him； and； expecting much
from his active mental and physical ability； readily assented to
assign him in place of General Kilpatrick。 The only other general
officers in the corps were Brigadier…General Wesley Merritt；
Brigadier…General George A。 Custer； and Brigadier…General Henry E。
Davies； each commanding a brigade。
In a few days after my arrival at Brandy Station I reviewed my new
command； which consisted of about twelve thousand officers and men；
with the same number of horses in passable trim。 Many of the general
officers of the army were present at the review； among them Generals
Meade； Hancock； and Sedgwick。 Sedgwick being an old dragoon； came to
renew his former associations with mounted troops； and to encourage
me； as he jestingly said； because of the traditional prejudices the
cavalrymen were supposed to hold against being commanded by an
infantry officer。 The corps presented a fine appearance at the
review； and so far as the health and equipment of the men were
concerned the showing was good and satisfactory； but the horses were
thin and very much worn down by excessive and； it seemed to me；
unnecessary picket duty； for the cavalry picket…line almost
completely encircled the infantry and artillery camps of the army；
covering a distance； on a continuous line； of nearly sixty miles；
with hardly a mounted Confederate confronting it at any point。 From
the very beginning of the war the enemy had shown more wisdom
respecting his cavalry than we。 Instead of wasting its strength by a
policy of disintegration he； at an early day； had organized his
mounted force into compact masses； and plainly made it a favorite；
and； as usual； he was now husbanding the strength of his horses by
keeping them to the rear； so that in the spring he could bring them
out in good condition for the impending campaign。
Before and at the review I took in this situation； and determined to
remedy it if possible； so in due time I sought an interview with
General Meade and informed him that； as the effectiveness of my
command rested mainly on the strength of its horses； I thought the
duty it was then performing was both burdensome and wasteful。 I also
gave him my idea as to what the cavalry should do； the main purport
of which was that it ought to be kept concentrated to fight the
enemy's cavalry。 Heretofore； the commander of the Cavalry Corps had
been； virtually； but an adjunct at army headquartersa sort of chief
of cavalryand my proposition seemed to stagger General Meade not a
little。 I knew that it would be difficult to overcome the recognized
custom of using the cavalry for the protection of trains and the
establishment of cordons around the infantry corps； and so far
subordinating its operations to the movements of the main army that
in name only was it a corps at all； but still I thought it my duty to
try。
At first General Meade would hardly listen to my proposition； for he
was filled with the prejudices that； from the beginning of the war；
had pervaded the army regarding the importance and usefulness of
cavalry； General Scott then predicting that the contest would be
settled by artillery； and thereafter refusing the services of
regiment after regiment of mounted troops。 General Meade deemed
cavalry fit for little more than guard and picket duty； and wanted to
know what would protect the transportation trains and artillery
reserve； cover the front of moving infantry columns； and secure his
flanks from intrusion； if my policy were pursued。 I told him that if
he would let me use the cavalry as I contemplated； he need have
little solicitude in these respects； for； with a mass of ten thousand
mounted men； it