By the 26th of July our strength was pretty well restored, and as General Grant was now contemplating offensive operations for the purpose of keeping Lee’s army occupied around Richmond, and also of carrying Petersburg by assault if possible, I was directed to move to the north side of the James River in conjunction with General Hancock’s corps, and, if opportunity offered, to make a second expedition against the Virginia Central railroad, and again destroy the bridges on the North Anna, the Little and the South Anna rivers.

I started out on the afternoon of the 26th and crossed the Appomattox at Broadway landing.  At Deep Bottom I was joined by Kautz’s small division from the Army of the James, and here massed the whole command, to allow Hancock’s corps to take the lead, it crossing to the north bank of the James River by the bridge below the mouth of Bailey’s Creek.  I moved late in the afternoon, so as not to come within the enemy’s view before dark, and after night-fall Hancock’s corps passed me and began crossing the pontoon-bridge about 2 o’clock in the morning.

By daylight Hancock was across, the cavalry following.  Soon a portion of his corps attacked the enemy’s works on the east side of Bailey’s Creek, and, aided by the cavalry moving on its right, captured four pieces of artillery.  This opened the way for Hancock to push out his whole corps, and as he advanced by a wheel, with his left as a pivot, the cavalry joined in the movement, pressing forward on the New Market and Central or Charles City roads.

We did not go far before we found the enemy’s infantry posted across these two roads behind a strong line of intrenchments on the west bank of Bailey’s Creek.  His videttes in front of Ruffin’s house on the New Market road were soon driven in on their main line, and the high ground before the house was immediately occupied by Torbert and Gregg, supported by Kautz’s division.  By the time the cavalry line was formed the Confederate General Kershaw, with his own division of infantry and those of Wilcox and Heath, advanced to attack us.  Directing the most of his troops against the cavalry, which was still mounted, Kershaw drove it back some distance over the high ground.  When it reached the eastern face of the ridge, however, it was quickly dismounted, and the men directed to lie down in line of battle about fifteen yards from the crest, and here the onset of the enemy was awaited.  When Kershaw’s men reached the crest such a severe fire was opened on them, and at such close quarters, that they could not withstand it, and gave way in disorder.  They were followed across the plain by the cavalry, and lost about two hundred and fifty prisoners and two battle-flags.  The counter attack against the infantry by Torbert and Gregg re-established our line and gave us the victory of Darbytown, but it also demonstrated the fact that General Lee had anticipated the movement around his left flank by transferring to the north side of the James a large portion of his infantry and W. H. F. Lee’s division of cavalry.