sation of hostilities until 8 o'clock the next morning. Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon the courage of the officers and men engaged in the affair of the 26th.

As soon as daylight enabled me I made a thorough examination of the ground, and so formed the troops as to command every approach to the position we occupied, which was naturally a very strong one. The disposition of the troops was soon completed, and by 8 o'clock were ready to receive the expected attack.

In this position we remained until the next morning. The enemy still not making their appearance, I concluded to march forward and attack them. Leaving a small wagon guard, I marched in their direction with portions of nine companies of the Fourth Regiment, under their respective officers, Captain [George J.] Hampton, Lesueur, Foard, Crosson, Julius Giesecke, Alexander, Buckholts, [J. M.] Odell, and Lieutenant Holland, of Company B, Captain Scarborough being unwell; four companies of the Seventh Regiment, under Captains [Gustav] Hoffman, [J. W.] Gardner, [J. F.] Wiggins, and [Isaac] Adair; four companies of the Fifth Regiment, under Captain [Denman] Shannon and [Daniel H.] Ragsdale and Lieuts. Pleasant J. Oakes and John J. Scott; three pieces of artillery, under Lieutenant Bradford, together with Captain Phillips' company if independent volunteers.

From details and other causes they were reduced until (all combined) they did not number over 600 men fit for duty. At about 6 miles from our camp the advance guard gave notice that the enemy were near in force. I hastened in front to examine their position, and found they were about 1 mile west of Pigeon's Ranch, in Canon Glorieta. The mounted men who were marching in front were ordered to retire slowly to the rear, dismount, and come into action on foot. The artillery was pushed forward to a slight elevation in the canon and immediately opened fire. The infantry was rapidly deployed into line, extending across the canon from a fence on our left up into the pine forest on our right.

About the time these dispositions were made the enemy rapidly advanced in separate columns both upon our right and left. I dispatched Major Pyron to the right to check them in that direction, and placing the center in command of Major Ragnet I hastened with the remainder of the command to the left. A large body of infantry, availing themselves of a gulch that ran up the center of an inclosed field to our left, were moving under its cover past our left flank to the rear of our position. Crossing the fence on foot, we advanced over the clearing some 200 yards under a heavy fire from the foe, and dashed into the gulch in their midst, pistol and knife in hand. For a few moments a most desperate and deadly hand-to-hand conflict raged along the gulch, when they broke before the steady courage of our men and fled in the wildest disorder and confusion.

Major Pyron was equally successful, and Major Ragnet with his force charged rapidly down the center. Lieutenant Bradford, of the artillery, had been wounded and borne from the field. There being no other officer of the artillery present, three guns, constituting our battery, had been hastily withdrawn before I was aware of it. Sending to the rear to have two of the guns brought back to the field a pause was made to reunite our forces, which had become somewhat scattered in the last rencounter. When we were ready to advance the enemy had taken cover, and it was impossible to tell whether their main body was sta-