Under Custer's Command

Book excerpt: Avery fought in the legendary Michigan Cavalry Brigade, commanded by George Armstrong Custer * Avery's battles included Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Yellow Tavern, Haws Shop, Tom's Brook, Cedar Creek, and Trevilian Station George Armstrong Custer's fabled Fifth Regiment fought with great distinction throughout the war and suffered the third highest total of men killed in the entire Union cavalry. A twenty-four-year-old farmer and new father from Hopkins, Michigan, named James Henry Avery was one of Custer's feared Wolverines. Besides eloquently describing his personal experiences, Sergeant Avery's wartime journals and postwar reminiscences provide uniquely detailed descriptions of Civil War cavalry movements and the only known account that addresses the escape of elements of the Fifth Michigan Cavalry on the first day of the Battle of Trevilian Station.