April 10^th - No rest for the cavalry as we were wanted in various directions. Marched all day and arrived at Prospect where we encamp for the first night out.

April 11^th - Left camp and after a tedious ride all day encamped near Burkeville.

April 12^th - Reached Burkeville station during the day. Drew rations.

April 13^th - Went from Burkeville to Nottoway station. Good news continually being received of the surrender of other rebel detachments.

April 14^th - The artillery fire a salute in honor of the old flay being raised over Fort Sumter.

April 15^th - Still in camp but received orders to move again.

April 16^th - Orders countermanded and we remain in camp. News received of the assassination of President Lincoln, which cast a gloom throughout the regiment.

April 17^th - Broke camp and resumed the march and the night of the 18^th found us within two miles of Petersburg where we went into camp.

The command lay here for several days to allow the men and horses to get some needed rest. Passes were issued to those who wished to visit Petersburg, and quite a number of relics were gathered up and sent home by the men. Regimental inspection and drilling varied the monotony of camp life. Major Roselle was now in command of the regiment. The paymaster made us a visit and paid us off, the last payment being the October previous.

April 24^th - Boots and saddles sounded again and off we go in the direction of North Carolina to see about the rebels down there who were not disposed to surrender. Passing through Dinwiddie Court House during the day we go into camp about 10 P.M. after a march of about twenty-five miles. The weather very warm.

April 27^th - Crossed the Roanoke river. News received of the surrender of Gen. Johnston's army to Gen. Sherman.

April 28^th - There being no need of our services in that direction the column countermarched and proceeded in the direction of Petersburg again.

April 29^th - The column resumed its weary march after a night's rest. The weather had in the meantime become stormy which made traveling anything but pleasant, but the men were in good spirits as there faces were set northward. The daily routine was kept up until May 3^rd when we again went into camp near Petersburg, remaining there for several days. The time was whiled away by the men by going in swimming, washing clothes, drilling and company inspection.

May 10^th - Forward again, this time in the direction of Washington. Passing through Manchester and Richmond we encamped for the night a few miles beyond. Very few white people were to be seen on the streets of Richmond while the troops were passing through, but there seemed to be no end to colored people, who welcomed us with hearty cheers and manifestations of pleasure.

May 11^th - A rainy day. Traveled all day behind a wagon train and of course made slow progress, and the command did not halt until one o'clock in the morning.

May 12^th - The march resumed. The men all in fine spirits at the prospect of soon being in Washington. Mrs. Custer rides along with the Third Division to-day.

May 15^th - Pass over the old Bull Run battlefield to-day. The scenes are familiar to many of the men, as the regiment is composed of veterans of the 12^th and 32^nd New York Infantry who first smelt gunpowder on this historic spot nearly four years before.

In this connection it may be of interest to note that quite a number of the commissioned officers of the regiment had seen service in the 3^rd New York Cavalry.

May 16^th - Passed through Fairfax Court House during the day, and at night encamped between Alexandria and Washington. The first grey streaks of dawn on the morning of the 17^th revealed to us the dome of the capitol, and in the distance could be discerned old Camp Stoneman, where we first encamped when we came out in 1863.

May 21^st - Break camp and take up our line of march for Washington. Each man of the Third Division had been provided with a red neck tie, the colors worn by our commander, General Custer, and they made a showy appearance as they passed through the city, cheering for Sheridan and our gallant leader with the golden hair. The column halted at Bladensburg, Md., and went into camp.

May 22^nd - The troops engaged in cleaning up and getting ready to participate in the grand review to occur the next day.

May 23^rd - Left camp early and proceeded to Washington. As the Third Division was generally in advance in the field, so on this great occasion it was given the post of honor. Pennsylvania avenue was packed from one end to the other with a dense mass of humanity, the troops received a perfect ovation at every step. After the division had passed the reviewing stand in front of the White House, it filed off to its old encampment, drawn up in line, and there took final leave of its beloved commander. The scene was an affecting one, and one long to be remembered. That evening the men who had been left behind at the dismounted camp rejoined the regiment.

May 29^th - Left Bladensburg and passing through Washington crossed the Potomac and were in Virginia once more, going into camp near Cloud Mills.

The men went to work putting up tents and fixing up the camp in neat order. Whether out stay there was to be a long or short one mattered not; they were going to take comfort while they did stay. Nearly every day some regiment would pack up and leave for home. "When will our turn come?" was the anxious inquiry. "What are they keeping us for?" All sorts of camp rumors were afloat. Some said we were to be sent to Texas; others said we were going out on the plains. And so it went. Drilling was kept up as usual, but the weather becoming terribly hot, orders were issued to discontinue them. Going in swimming, picking berries and visiting around among the different regiments were the chief occupations of the men.

June 9^th - The 1^st Vermont Cavalry, belonging to our brigade, leave for home.

June 14^th - Co. G detailed as guard at brigade headquarters.

June 20^th - Terrible thunder storm swept over the camps. Lighten struck a blacksmith's forge knocking down several horses and mules standing near.

June 23^rd - The 15^th and 6^th New York Cavalry consolidated and called the "Second Regiment Provisional Cavalry." The field and staff officers of the regiment were as follows:

Colonel, Chas. L. Fitzhugh; Lieut-Col., Harrison White; Majors, R.H.S. Hyde, Geo. W. Goler and Geo. E. Farmer; Adjutant, Morgan D. Lewis; Quartermaster, Riley E. Horton; Commissary, Orville D. Wilson; Surgeon Augustus P. Clark; Assistant Surgeons, Milton A. Halstead and John C. Wall; Chaplain, Geo. D. Crocker.

The supernumerary officers were mustered out on the 27^th and left for home, as did also a number of non-commissioned officers and privates from each company.

June 25^th - The 8^th New York Cavalry, another regiment of our brigade, leave for home.

June 29^th - Orders received to pack up and be ready to move. The first battalion leave camp.

June 30^th - The remainder of the regiment leave camp at 4 A.M., and proceed to Washington and board the cars on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. The weather was very hot, with a heavy thunder shower in the afternoon. Reached Martinsburg that evening.

July 1^st - Left Martinsburg at 6 A.M., and run as far as Grafton, which place we reached on the morning of the 2^nd. Side-tracked and lay here all day. The men raid several box cars for provisions. Left at dark and made an all night run.

July 3^rd - Arrived at Parkersburg at daylight, unloaded the horses and pitched camp.

July 4^th - The citizens of Parkersburg provided us with dinner in a grove. Their intentions no doubt were good enough, but provisions in sufficient quantities for a hungry crowd were sadly lacking. As it was the men made the most of it and gave them three rousing cheers.

July 5^th - Left camp at 8 A.M., proceeded to the landing at the river, went on board transports, and steamed down the Ohio.

July 6^th - Arrived at Cincinnati, made a stop of a couple of hours, and then proceeded on our journey.

July 7^th - Arrived at Jeffersonville, Ind., opposite Louisville, at 9 A.M. Disembarked and went into camp on the outskirts of the town. We lay here until the 21^st of July, doing patrol duty between Jeffersonville and New Albany, when we crossed the river and encamped just on the outskirts of Louisville. The weather was extremely hot and thunderstorms were frequent. As a consequence there was a great deal of sickness among the men, principally fever and ague.

After the men had got comfortably settled down in their new quarters, foraging was the order of the day. Owners of cows pastured on the commons near by the camp often wondered no doubt why they never could get any milk. If they could have seen little squads of soldiers hurrying out about daylight with pails and cups, the mystery would have been solved to their satisfaction. Other details would visit farms and gardens, and as a rule the daily bill of fare would consist of pork, cabbage and potatoes for dinner and bread and milk for super.

Patrol duty was kept up in Louisville day and night. It was found necessary to do this as lawlessness was on the increase and it must be held in check until matters had somewhat quieted down. Theatres and other places of amusement were well patronized by the men.

July 25^th - Orders were received to commence work on the muster out rolls, which caused great rejoicing throughout the regiment.

August 1^st - Turned in the horses. Some of the men were visibly affected when they took final leave of the noble animals that had borne them through so many hardships and dangers.

August 8^th - Turned over arms and equipments. Some of the trusty old sabres were brought home by the men as relics.

August 9^th - Mustered out of the Unites States service after serving two years.

August 13^th - Bid good bye to Louisville. Break camp at 4 P.M., march to the landing and embark on board transports bound for home. As the boats swing out into the stream the boys make the welkin ring with their shouts, while the steam calliopes on each steamer play the national airs.

An all night run brings us to the dock at Cincinnati at 8 A.M. on the 14^th, where we disembark and take the cars. Some delay occurred and it was 3 P.M. before the train pulled out from the station. The engineer of that train must have divined that we were anxious to get home for we sped along at a high rate of speed considering the length of the train, and on the morning of the 16^th we were landed in Elmira all safe and sound. Disembarking we were marched to the barracks which were to be our quarters until we were paid off. Not liking the bill of fare furnished, a large number of the men procured board and lodging in the city. Paymaster Thurston commenced paying off on the 22^nd of August, and as fast as the men received the amount due them they bid good bye to their comrades and departed for their various homes, and by the 24^th of August the 15^th New York Cavalry (or Second Regiment Provisional Cavalry) had ceased to exist as an organization.

Comrades, my task is done. The lapse of a quarter of a century since we disbanded and the vast territory over which the survivors of the gallant old 15^th are scattered, has made the work a somewhat difficult one, but I hope and trust you will pardon all omissions.

I am gratefully indebted to Col. Richardson, Capts. B.N. Hurd, A.O. Skiff and W.F. Weller, and Comrades Melville B. Apgar, Geo. W. Hunt, Samuel T. Haviland, and several others for valuable aid rendered.

The 15^th New York Cavalry, while not claiming to have put down the rebellion alone, or of having done any meritorious feat, yet do claim that whenever called upon for duty, no matter how hard or laborious, it always responded with alacrity and cheerfulness.

Their loss during their term of service was 37 men killed in battle and 131 by disease; or killed, wounded and taken prisoner 360.

The mare, Fanny, a portrait of which will be found on page 89, was captured from the guerrilla command of John Mosby, who at the time was making a charge upon the advance guard of a Union supply train moving up the Shenandoah valley to join Gen. Hunter, who was just then preparing for the battle of Piedmont. The officer in charge of the Union advance was Lieut. J.M. Rulifson, 15^th New York Cavalry. This officer makes no special claim to merit for the capture, although not only this notable animal but two other good sound horses fell into the hands of his command. His little band of twenty - two men were driven back upon the main guard of infantry, consisting of a battalion of one hundred days' men from Ohio, who under command of a veteran officer did excellent service making possible the capture.

Fanny is now (April, 1890), most comfortably housed on the farm of Capt. Wm. F. Weller, at Liverpool, N.Y., this officer having taken her home as a trophy of the war and kindly and tenderly cared for her since.

This noble animal, now thirty-three years old, has two fine colts, aged respectively twenty-one and twenty-three years, living on the same farm to cheer her old age. She also carries a bullet in her under jaw, received at the skirmish near Waynesboro, Va., while ridden by the officer in charge at the time of her capture.

The wound did not disable her, and she continued on Hunter's raid to Lynchburg and back to the camp at Cumberland, where she was the property of Capt. Weller, who rode her in all the subsequent battles and marches up to the time of Lee's surrender.

She is the only surviving animal of the regiment known, and was present at several of our re-unions.