Twentieth Regiments of Illinois Volunteers, commanded by Colonels ross and Marsh; the Eleventh Missouri, under the immediate command of Lieutenant-Colonel Panabaker; Lieutenant White's section of Taylor's battery, and Captains Stewart and Langen's companies of cavalry, under the command of the former, with rations for twelve days.

Learning that Thompson and his forces were at Fredericktown instead of Farmington, I took the road Jackson to Dallas, for the purpose of cutting off their retreat south should they attempt it. From my camp at Dallas on Saturday night I dispatched a messenger, with a communication for the commanding officer at Pilot Knob, requesting his co-operation, which unfortunately fell into the hands of the enemy, and gave them information of my intention to attack them on Monday morning. On my arrival at Fredericktown, at 12 o'clock on Monday, the 21st, I found the town had been occupied since 8 o'clock that morning by Colonel Carlin, with about 3,000 men, from Pilot Knob. The town people stated that Thompson had evacuated the town the evening before, and was en route for Greenville.

Being determined to pursue the enemy, Colonel Carlin consented to re-enforce me with the Twenty-first and Thirty-third Regiments of Illinois Volunteers, commanded by Colonels Alexander and Hovey; six companies of the First Indiana Cavalry, commanded by Colonel Baker, and one section of Major Schofield's battery, under Lieutenant Hescock. The column thus re-enforced was put in motion about 1 o'clock p. m., and had not proceeded over half a mile on the Greenville road, when the enemy was discovered in front of us by Captain Stewart, whose vigilance and untiring every during the whole march was conspicuous.

Colonel Ross, whose regiment was the leading one of the column, immediately deployed it to the left into a lane, and threw forward two companies as skirmishers to feel the enemy, whose exact position and strength it was difficult to determine. As soon as I arrived at the front I directed Colonel Ross to move forward his regiment into the corn field in support of his skirmishers, and ordered up Lieutenant White's section of Taylor's battery, which immediately opened fire, and by its effectiveness, masked upon the slope of a hill about six hundred yards distant. The principal body of their infantry, under Colonel Lowe, was posted in the corn field to the left of the road. With them the Seventeenth Illinois was soon engaged. The other regiments of the column were deployed to the right and left of the road as they came up. I then ordered forward the Thirty-eighth Illinois from the town, which promptly came upon the field under one of its field officers, leaving there the Eighth Wisconsin, under Colonel Murphy, nd one section of Major Schofiled's battery in reserve - a post of honor, though one disagreeable to them, as all were eager to participated in the engagement.

As son as it was practicable, Major Schofield, of the First Missouri Volunteer Light Artillery, brought upon the field two sections of his battery, under Captain Manter and Lieutenant Hescock, which were placed in position and did efficiednt service. At my request he then aided me in bringing the regiments on the right of the road into the line of battle me in bringing the regiments on the right of the road into line of battle, and during the remainder of the day he rendered valuable service in directing their movements. In the mean time the enemy were falling back before the steady fire of the Seventeenth and Twentieth Illinois and a portion of the Eleventh Missouri. Their retreat soon became a rout, and they fled in every direction, pursued by our troops.

It was at this time that the enemy's infantry on our right, where