son, Topographical Engineers, acting as my assistant adjutant-general, and by Lieutenant G. T. Davis, of the Eleventh Illinois Infantry, my acting division quartermaster, and an escort of 10 troops, Seventh Illinois Cavalry, under the command of Sergeant Baylor, I pushed rapidly to the front, gathering my command on the march.

On Tuesday morning, when the pursuit began the Second Cavalry Brigade, commanded by Colonel Hatch, consisting of eight companies of the Second Iowa Cavalry, Major Coon; the Seventh Illinois Cavalry, Lieutenant-Colonel Prince, and a battalion of the Fifth Ohio Cavalry, Major Ricker, was near Old Waterford. The First Cavalry Brigade, commanded by Colonel A. L. Lee, comprising the Fourth Illinois Cavalry, Lieutenant-Colonel McCullough; the Seventh Kansas, Lieutenant-Colonel Herrick, and one battalion of the Second Iowa, Major Love, with the Third Michigan Cavalry, commanded by Major Moyers, being part of the Third Brigade but temporarily attached to Colonel Lee's command, were at the Tallahatchie, near Abbeville, and the Sixth Illinois Cavalry, Colonel Grierson, was on the north side of the Tallahatchie, near Wyatt's Ferry, about 8 miles from Abbeville, with orders from Major-General Sherman to join me at Oxford, some 13 miles south of the Tallahatchie. Finding the road obstructed by the march of General Logan's division, Colonel Hatch was ordered to take his brigade to the crossing of the Tallahatchie by a lateral route to the right and march to the front as rapidly as possible.

I pushed rapidly forward and overtook Colonel Lee at Abbeville. He had sent the Third Michigan Cavalry, Major Moyers, on a route toward Oxford west of the railroad, and his own brigade proper, under Lieutenant-Colonel McCullough of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry, on the main Oxford road east of the railroad, Colonel Lee himself being at the time somewhat unwell and riding in an ambulance. I overtook McCullough's command 4 miles beyond Abbeville, and sent Captain Wardlaw, Fourth Illinois Cavalry with his company across to the railroad (three-fourths of a mile distant), where a party of rebels were destroying some trestle-work. In forty minutes he returned, having captured the entire party, 28 prisoners with horses and arms, wounding one of the enemy. Moving on to the head of the column I found Colonel Lee had arrived and was skirmishing sharply near Oxford, where the enemy were resisting with cavalry, infantry, and artillery. After considerable fighting the enemy (at 4.30 p.m.) was driven from the town, and Colonel Lee's column occupied the place for the night.

At a mile from Oxford, while Lee was fighting, sharp firing was heard on the hills to the right, which afterward proved to be the Third Michigan Cavalry engaging the enemy on that route. An effort was made to communicate with them by a detachment sent to the right, but this failed by the lateness of the hour and the impassable character of the country.

At 6 p.m. Colonel Hatch reported his command in camp 5 miles to the rear on the main road. A courier having crossed by way of Colonel Hatch's camp at 10 p.m. brought information that the Third Michigan had encamped about opposite Hatch and west of the railroad, after having fought the enemy till near dark and fallen back. A detachment sent from Oxford that night found the road to the camp of the Third Michigan free from the enemy.

On Wednesday morning Colonel Hatch's brigade was ordered forward in pursuit on a route east of the main road. Colonel Mizner, of the Third Michigan, having reported for duty, was ordered to take com-