upon by a small party, who inflicted no injuries whatever. A severe rain, with a good deal of thunder and lightning, prevailed about three hours during the day, which so impaired the roads as seriously to delay the troops and train. The weather soon after changed for the better, and at night the column halted at a point fourteen miles southeast of Salem, on the Ripley road, and nine miles distant from Ripley. The march was resumed toward Ripley at 10 o'clock, through a hilly thickly- wooded, and thinly- settled country. Forage became scarce, and all the stock suffered. At 4 p. m. the command arrived within four miles of Ripley, and the Second and THIRD Brigades halted on the plantation of Mr. Crowder, while the First Brigade pushed forward to join Grierson's cavalry at Ripley. The weather was warm and sultry, but there was no rain.

About 4 o'clock on the morning of the 8th I resumed march and passed through and about two miles beyond Ripley and halted for two hours, when I was ordered to return, and about a mile back took the road leading to Baldwyn, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The column halted on this road about four miles from Ripley.

At 10 a. m. of the 9th march was resumed, my command having the center, and continued for twelve miles on the Ripley and Baldwyn road, where we were halted on a fine high ridge and bivouacked for the night.

The column moved at 10 o'clock of the 10th instant, my command in front. Much delay was occasioned by bad roads, but by special effort the artillery and wagon train was kept closed up on the marching column. About 1 p. m. I received an order from Colonel McMillen to move forward instantly, as General Grierson was fighting and hotly pressed. I move at once. Shortly after Colonel McMillen sent me word that he would move forward with his escort at such a gait as he thought the infantry could march, but if I found that it was too much for them to send him word. I kept up the gait for about two miles and a half, when it was reported to me that five men had been sun- struck in the advance regiment of the brigade, the One hundred and thirteenth Illinois Infantry. I immediately sent Captain Woodruff forward to Colonel McMillen to say that it was impossible to keep up that rapid gait. I than halted for five minutes at a small stream for the men to fill their canteens, and then moved forward at a more moderate gait. Shortly afterward I received a peremptory order from Colonel McMillen to move forward as rapidly as possible, and the enemy were gaining ground, and the only thing that would save us was the infantry. . . . . I then increased the gait of the command, and kept up a quick march till within about three- quarters of a mile of the line of battle, when I received an order from Colonel McMillen in person to move forward at a double- quick, which was done and kept up until I came to the line of battle, when I placed the One hundred and thirteenth Illinois Infantry with its left resting on the road crossing the Ripley and Baldwyn road; the One hundred and twentieth Illinois Infantry with its left resting on the right of the One hundred and eighth, the Eighty- first Illinois Infantry with its left resting on the right of the Ninety- fifth, where a cavalry regiment rested on the right often Eighty- first, and completed the line across to the Baldwyn road. Battery B, Second Illinois Artillery, Captain Chapman, four guns, was placed at the cross- roads, where they fired 5 and 3 second shell. Col-