Major McClellan in his _Life of Stuart_, says: “When the troops had moved out, I returned to Stuart and awoke him and his staff. While they were preparing to move, I lay down to catch, if possible, a few moments’ rest. The party rode off as I lay in a half-conscious condition, and I heard some one say, ‘General, here’s McClellan fast asleep. Must I wake him?’ ‘No’ he replied, ‘he has been watching while we were asleep. Leave a courier with him and tell him to come on when his nap is out.’” After taking a short rest, Major McClellan rejoined General Stuart just as he passed the road leading to Ashland. A squadron of Confederate cavalry had come upon a force of Federal cavalry in that town, and had dispersed it with great loss to the latter. Stuart reached Yellow Tavern, about eight miles from Richmond, about ten o’clock on the morning of May 11. He had beaten Sheridan in the race to Richmond and placed himself between that city and Sheridan’s forces. He at once posted his small force to meet the Federal advance. Wickham was placed on the right of the Telegraph Road and Lomax on the left. Two guns were placed in the road and one farther to the left. The whole force was dismounted, except a portion of the cavalry which was held in reserve. General Stuart then sent Major McClellan into Richmond to find out the condition of affairs in the city. General Bragg, in charge of the defense, replied that he had enough men to hold the trenches and that he was hourly expecting reenforcements from Petersburg—that he wished General Stuart to remain on the Federal flank and to retard its progress as much as possible. General Stuart’s last official dispatch written on the morning of May 11, the day that he was wounded, showed his wonderful determination and unfailing cheerfulness in the face of danger and difficulty, and was also a tribute to the men who fought under him. He wrote: “May 11th, 1864, 6:30 A. M. Fighting against immense odds of Sheridan—my men and horses are tired, hungry, and jaded, _but all right_.” About four o’clock that same day, Sheridan attacked the whole line, throwing a brigade of cavalry upon the left. Stuart galloped to this point, and found that the Federals had captured his two guns and had driven back almost the entire left. He at once ordered a reserve squadron to charge the advancing Federals. Just as the latter were being driven back in a hand-to-hand combat, General Stuart rode up to where Captain Dorsey and about eighty dismounted men who had collected on the Telegraph Road, were firing at the retreating Federals. As the struggling mass fell back, one of the Federals who had been unhorsed in the fight, turned and fired his pistol directly at General Stuart. The fatal shot entered his body just above the sword-belt.