moving to Lamar as ordered, moved from Mount Pleasant in a southeasterly direction to Hudsonville, where he struck the rear of Chalmer's force about noon, so his messenger stated, who

reached me about 3 p. m. with verbal communications from Colonel

Hurst that Chalmers, with 2,500 men and two pieces of artillery,

was moving in the direction of La Grange. I immediately moved my

command by the most direct road to this post, arriving in camp at

midnight of same day.

In this engagement the battery expended 32 rounds of ammunition.

The casualties in the engagement at Lockhart's Mill were 3 men

wounded. There were also several horses wounded. The loss of the

enemy could not be ascertained. We took 1 captain prisoner.

I have the honor to be, lieutenant, very respectfully, your

obedient servant,

L. F. McGRILLIS,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Lieutenant W. P. CALLON,

A. A. A. G., Cavalry Division, 16th Army Corps.

HDQRS. SECOND BRIGADE, CAVALRY DIVISION, La Grange, Tenn., October

20, 1863.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report that, in obedience to the

orders of Colonel Edward Hatch, commanding division, dated October

7, 1863, I marched that portion of my brigade stationed at this

post to the intersection of the La Grange and Ripley and Saulsbury

and Holly Springs roads, where I was joined on the evening of the

7th by Colonel Hurst, with the Sixth Tennessee Cavalry. My whole

force then amounted to 850 fighting men, which includes 180 of the

Seventh Illinois Cavalry, under Major Graham.

During the night I received orders from Colonel Hatch to move

toward Rippley, with information that Lieutenant-Colonel Phillips,
with the Ninth Illinois Mounted Infantry, was near there and would

re-enforce me, as also would the Seventh Kansas Cavalry. Later I

received his further order to move on Salem and throw my whole

weight on the enemy at that point, with notice that he (Colonel

Hatch) would come up with me on the 8th instant with the Sixth

Illinois Cavalry.

Accordingly, I moved out on the morning of the 8th at 4 o'clock,

the Sixth Tennessee Cavalry in advance, and after marching 6 miles

out of my way, arrived at Salem at noon by the eastward approach.

Here I encountered the enemy in force. A battalion of the Sixth

Tennessee Cavalry, under Lieutenant Deford, drove the enemy to the

cover of some buildings on the outskirts of the village, when the

Ninth Illinois Cavalry moved up with its howitzer battery and

shelled them out. I then pushed forward the Sixth Tennessee Cavalry, dismounted, supported by the Third Illinois Cavalry,

mounted, driving the enemy west through the town and a mile beyond. At this time (1 p. m.) I received information that the rebels were

advancing on me from three directions, Ripley, Holly Springs, and

Davis' Mills, in overwhelming force. I immediately moved my command

back to a strong position on a long ridge, 600 yards east of Salem.

Lieutenant-Colonel Phillips now came up with 400 men