[CHAP. XLII.

then to join Captain Roark at Gamaliel; there Captain Roark was to take command of both companies and proceed to La Fayette, Tenn., and to return from there to this place, each company reporting to me as it returned.

Lieutenant Kerrick was the first to return and report, which was done on the evening of the 3rd instant. Captain Roark returned and reported on the evening of the 5th instant, reporting no rebels in the country, and that Captain Stone was in the country a short distance from town and would be in that evening or early next morning. From these reports I telegraphed to General Boyle that my scouts had just returned and reported no rebels in the country. I should have said that Captain Stone returned on the evening of the 5th instant, but failed to report to me, and I was not apprised of his return until the 6th instant, when I saw him at Fort Hobson, near Glasgow, about 12 o'clock in the day.

The town was attacked on the morning of the 6th instant about daylight. I was in bed and heard the rebels passing through down and in the direction of the fort where my men were encamped; I supposing as they passed through town that they were Captain Stone's men returning. I lay still until my farther looked out of the window and said they were rebels, and while he was telling it to me, firing commenced in the square. I had Captain J. O Nelson's company as provost guards in the court-house yard. They numbered about 50 men present. As soon as the firing commenced in the square, I sprang from my bed, loaded my Henry rifle, dressed myself went to the window and saw 15 or 20 rebels ordering Captain Nelson's men into line under guard. I asked them whose command they belonged to; receiving no reply, myself and Lieutenant Chinoweth fired on them, both about the same time. They returned the fire, some of their balls passing through the window into our room.

We fired six or eight times at them from the windows, wounding 3 or 4 rebels on the square. Here I will mention one of my orderlies (Frank Claiborne). We had shot a rebel off his horse; I ordered Claiborne to go down and get on the horse and try to get to the fort and rally my men, then myself supposing that the rebels had not reached there. As quick as the order was given it was obeyed, and I saw gallop off from the rebels in the square toward the fort, and I learn since that we was captured by them. Our fire from the windows was too severe, and the rebels left the public square; then myself, Lieutenant Chinoweth, and William Griffith (an orderly), went down stairs to go to the stable to get our horses. When we got down stairs I saw Captain Nelson in the court-house yard by himself and I told him to follow me to get a horse, which he did not do. When we turned the corner of the square to go to the stable where our horses were, we saw that it was surrounded by rebels catching the horses. We fired several times at them and they left the stable, leaving in it 4 horses and saddles. We soon mounted three of them and rode back through town and started toward the fort.

At that time I heard firing and a hallowing at the fort. We went within 200 yards of the fort, where we could see it well, and there I sat on my horse and saw the rebels sacking my camp and driving my men into line. I again lowered my gun to fire on them, but was prevailed on by Lieutenant Chinoweth not to do so for fear of killing my own me. We were there helpless, only 3 of us with arms, and I considered the greater portion of my command captured. We sat here about two minutes, when we were discovered by the rebels, and