Personal Reminiscences of Samuel Harris

composing this brigade, took in the battle of Gettysburg ; also of the important part played by the Fifth and Sixth Michigan Cavalry before the battle. I will begin back a few days or even weeks before the battle and give the movements of the Fifth. We were camped on what was called the Lawyers' Road, doing picket duty with the Sixth, both regiments being under the command of Col. George Gray, of the Sixth. The Fifth Michigan was commanded by Lieut. Col. Ebenezer Gould. About the ist of June, a,slim young man with almost flaxen hair, looking more like a big boy, came to us and, as the line officers expressed it, with thecheek of a government mule, actually asked us to sign a petition to Gov. Austin Blair to appoint him as Colonel of the Fifth. He said his name was George A. Custer, and that he was a West Pointer. No petition was sent. A short time after this, the Lieutenant-Colonel of the Sixth, R. A. Alger, was made Colonel of our regiment. About the 20th of June we were ordered to break up camp and marched all that day and night toward the rear of our army. Finally we camped in a swamp, and stayed here about two days. At this time a messenger reached us with orders to join the army as soon as possible, telling us that we were nearly surrounded, and that only with great celerity in our movements would be escape capture. For once there were no stragglers. Every man wanted to be in the front. A few hours of hard marc...