Cavalry, came up with his company, and expressed his willingness to push on, but the colonel arriving, ordered it into line in front of the college. I had learned from an old man captured by the Iowans that many of the enemy's pickets were but a little way on, and from a negro that a piece of cannon was not far ahead. As the cavalry of your division did not move, I followed some cavalry already in the advance, and after a run of half a mile I overtook it. It proved to be a detachment of Major-General Pope's body guard, commanded by Captain Kendrick, who very kindly allowed me to go in the advance with 10 men. We pushed on as fast as the horses could travel, with flankers out on both sides, capturing arms and small squads of prisoners on the road and in the woods adjoining.

About two miles and a half from Corinth the road becomes a causeway through a morass impassable on either side, but we pushed on, depending on a rush if we came on the cannon, as we learned from prisoners the rear was straggling and in small detachments. A quarter of a mile brought us to a bridge, which was on fire in three places. With the assistance of Private Hass, of the body guard, I threw off the first pile of brands, when Captain Kendrick arrived and immediately went to work with his men. As soon as we recovered from the effects of the smoke and heat we pushed through the creek below the bridge and continued the pursuit. In a few minutes we overtook a small party, one of whom stated that the gun he carried was private property and belonged to Major-General Price, who had given it to him not more than fifteen minutes before. As fast as we collected a squad of prisoners they were sent back to General Pope, leaving us free, and we pushed on still more rapidly, as a faint but decided sound announced that some sort of wheels were ahead of us. We came to one bridge just set on fire, and the half dozen incendiaries fled into the swamp. The hoofs of our horses knocked the brands off, and a few minutes later we rode upon 4 officers and 19 men on a large bridge, and with a fire alongside ready to apply. As the road made a sudden bend at this point, we were on them before they could use their arms. With pistols pointed at their heads they piled their guns and accouterments on the road, and as I turned to place them under guard I found that I had but 3 men, and the prisoners seeing the same, and no signs of any more, made a movement to take their arms. This we prevented by opening a rapid fire on them, when they fled into the swamp, where a horseman could not follow. I at once fell back into some heavy timber on the road-side, where we commended all approach to the bridge, and waited the approach of assistance, which arrived in five or ten minutes, with Captain Kendrick in command. We at once pushed on at full gallop, scattering several small armed parties, but intent on the piece of artillery which was not far off, and the road being a broken and rough causeway and narrow, fast moving was rather hazardous for any wheeled vehicle, and even troublesome for horsemen.

At a point from 4 to 5 miles from Corinth we came on a large bridge, which was on fire at the end nearest us and had 20 feet of the middle torn up. I discovered this when about 20 feet off, the fire being entirely under the end of the bridge. At the same moment Captain Kendrick, who was on my right, discovered a considerable number of the enemy in the brush, and immediately opened fire on them. They returned it with musketry, and grape and canister from a piece of artillery apparently to the right of the road, not more than 100 yards distant. The man between me and Captain Kendrick was wounded severely and the two horses behind us shot. There was no possibility of reaching the gun