The appearance of Davies’s brigade at Ashland in the morning had had the effect of further mystifying the enemy as to my intentions; and while he held it incumbent to place himself between me and Richmond, yet he was still so uncertain of my movements that he committed the same fault that he did the first day, when he divided his force and sent a part to follow me on the Childsburg road.  He now divided his command again, sending a portion to hang upon my rear, while he proceeded with the rest to Yellow Tavern.  This separation not only materially weakened the force which might have been thrown across my line of march, but it also enabled me to attack with almost my entire corps, while occupying the pursuers with a small rearguard.

By forced marches General Stuart succeeded in reaching Yellow Tavern ahead of me on May 11; and the presence of, his troops, on the Ashland and Richmond road becoming known to Merritt as he was approaching the Brook turnpike, this general pressed forward at once to the attack.  Pushing his division to the front, he soon got possession of the turnpike and drove the enemy back several hundred yards to the east of it.  This success had the effect of throwing the head of my column to the east of the pike, and I quickly brought up Wilson and one of Gregg’s brigades to take advantage of the situation by forming a line of battle on that side or the road.  Meanwhile the enemy, desperate but still confident, poured in a heavy fire from his line and from a battery which enfiladed the Brook road, and made Yellow Tavern an uncomfortably hot place.  Gibbs’s and Devin’s brigades, however, held fast there, while Custer, supported by Chapman’s brigade, attacked the enemy’s left and battery in a mounted charge.

Custer’s charge, with Chapman on his flank and the rest of Wilson’s division sustaining him, was brilliantly executed.  Beginning at a walk, he increased his gait to a trot, and then at full speed rushed at the enemy.  At the same moment the dismounted troops along my whole front moved forward, and as Custer went through the battery, capturing two of the guns with their cannoneers and breaking up the enemy’s left, Gibbs and Devin drove his centre and right from the field.  Gregg meanwhile, with equal success, charged the force in his rear-Gordon’s brigadeand the engagement ended by giving us complete control of the road to Richmond.  We captured a number of prisoners, and the casualties on both sides were quite severe, General Stuart himself falling mortally wounded, and General James B. Gordon, one of his brigade commanders, being killed.