For eight days and nights, Stuart’s men had been almost continually on the march and had been surrounded by superior cavalry forces, but he reached Gettysburg on the evening of the second of July, in time to take part in the third day’s battle. He delivered to the quartermaster one hundred and twenty-five captured wagons and teams. He would willingly have sacrificed this valuable prize could he have been on hand two days earlier to assist his beloved chief in the battle that had been unexpectedly forced at this point, but in which he held his ground during two days of stubborn fighting. General Lee’s plan for the third day’s battle was to have General Longstreet’s corps storm the Federal center in its strongly-fortified position upon Cemetery Ridge. Stuart’s cavalry was to march unobserved to the Federal rear. Here it was to attack, thus protecting the Confederate left flank and drawing attention away from the forces which were to storm Cemetery Ridge. About noon on the third of July, Stuart led two brigades along the York turnpike and took position on Cross Ridge in the rear of the Federal line of battle. Hampton and Fitz Lee were ordered to follow as soon as they were supplied with ammunition. On the slope of Cross Ridge stood a stone dairy, and farther down in the valley was a barn belonging to a farmer named Rummel. Concealing his men in the woods on the top of the hill, Stuart pushed forward a gun and fired a number of shots, probably to notify General Lee that he had gained a good position on the left flank. He then sent word for Hampton and Fitz Lee to hasten, as he wished to attack the Federal rear. While waiting for them, he sent some dismounted cavalry to hold the Rummel barn and a fence to the right of it. [Illustration: From a war-time photograph THE TOLL OF WAR Dead Confederate sharpshooters on the battlefield of Gettysburg] Before Fitz Lee and Hampton came up, Stuart saw that he had stirred up a hornet’s nest. The Federal cavalry had discovered his movements and were ready for him. A battery of six guns opened fire upon his gun and soon disabled it. Then a strong line of sharpshooters advanced and a fierce fight took place near the barn. On the left, the Confederate sharpshooters drove the Federals for some distance across the field. Just then a large force of Federal cavalry appeared and drove back the Confederate dismounted men almost to the Rummel barn. There the Federals were met and driven back by the Confederates, but the Federals were reenforced and returned. Hampton advanced to the charge, and the battle surged back and forth over the open field in a hand-to-hand fight with pistols and sabers, until nearly all of Hampton’s and Fitz Lee’s regiments were engaged.