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→Battle begins
Elements of both sides soon collided; the Confederates deployed in a skirmish line, quickly forcing the Union troopers back towards the creek. This small victory was momentary; Col. Devin quickly sent in more men from the 17th Pennsylvania, pushing back at the Confederates until they once more controlled the Barker Farm. As with the Confederates, this Union victory did not last long, for at 3 PM Butler sent in his main body of troopers, which rolled over the Union pickets and threatened to cross Matadequin Creek against the remainder of Devin's brigade; a well-coordinated delaying action by the Pennsylvanians prevented Butler from doing so.
Elements of both sides soon collided; the Confederates deployed in a skirmish line, quickly forcing the Union troopers back towards the creek. This small victory was momentary; Col. Devin quickly sent in more men from the 17th Pennsylvania, pushing back at the Confederates until they once more controlled the Barker Farm. As with the Confederates, this Union victory did not last long, for at 3 PM Butler sent in his main body of troopers, which rolled over the Union pickets and threatened to cross Matadequin Creek against the remainder of Devin's brigade; a well-coordinated delaying action by the Pennsylvanians prevented Butler from doing so.
Torbert by then wisely brought up the remaining men of his division to handle the Confederates, the 6th New York Cavalry Regiment manning the right flank, while the 2nd U.S. Cavalry Regiment relieved the original Pennsylvanians in the center; both of them would push against the 4th South Carolina, which was entrenched behind heavy logs culled from a nearby farm, with no results. On the left a similar situation occurred as the 6th Pennsylvania's attempt to go around the 5th South Carolina was halted by hand-to-hand fighting.
The arrival of Brigadier General [[George A. Custer]]'s cavalry broke the stalemate. Deploying three units of his Michigan brigade on the flanks, Butler's South Carolinians were soon driven from the field, in no small part due to the fact that the Federals were armed with Spencer repeating rifles, an advantage the Confederates did not have. Butler's men fled nearly three miles to the south, halting at Old Cold Harbor into defensive positions.
==References==
==References==