2 men forward to call in the advance. They captured 1 who had disposed of his arms and accouterments. We then returned to the point marked 6, where I directed Captain Potter to leave a sergeant and 14 men to wait for 3 men who were still absent, leaving the prisoner in their charge, and then took to the left with a negro from Cannon's plantation to guide us to swamp where Lott was said to have his mules and horses hid, at the point 7. I directed 10 men and a sergeant to be left to watch a road near by. We then searched the swamp, but found nothing. I then directed that Sergeant Drom, of the Thirty-third Wisconsin Volunteers, and 4 men be sent back to take the two squads left at points numbered 7 and 6, and take them back to Williams' at 4, and then proceed toward Willis', and meet us at that point. We continued on south and east. At 8 we captured 2 deserters from a Mississippi infantry regiment and brought them to camp. At 9 we halted at the intersection of the two roads. While resting we saw about a dozen men make their appearance at the point numbered 10, about three-quarters of a mile from us. We concluded to wait for them to come up, but by the time they got half of the distance between us at least 200 more made their appearance, marching slowly and orderly along. We immediately started on the double-quick toward Canton, and reached the point marked 11, where we halted and waited for them to come up, and had quite a brisk skirmish with them, killing or wounding 2 so badly that they fell from their horses, one of which was supposed to be their commander. In this skirmish we lost none. I then proceeded as fast as possible on toward Willis', to see if I could find Sergeant Drom with his men, and hurry them up to our relief. Not finding them there, Captain Potter fell back as slowly as the circumstances would permit with the men to the point marked 13, leaving 2 men in the rear to come forward and notify him of the approach of the enemy. This point (13) we concluded to hold as long as possible, to see if Sergeant Drom with his men would not make their appearance. While waiting for the advance of the enemy, the 2 men that Captain Potter had left to notify him of the approach of the enemy came up, and reported brisk skirmishing at or about Willis'. We waited full half an hour at point 13 before the rebels made their appearance, and then gave them another lively skirmish, dismounting at least 2 more of them, whose horses came rushing inside of our lines, 1 of which was captured by our men and brought to camp. In this skirmish we had 2 men wounded, 1 of whom, after being helped onto his mule by Lieutenant Nichols, was afterward seen to fall from his mule and was left to the tender mercies of the enemy. Some 2 or 3 more whose mules faltered dismounted and took to the brush, and afterward came into camp afoot. When it became evident that we could not remain much longer at Williams' (13), I sent 3 men out toward Lott's to endeavor to communicate with Sergeant Drom, with orders for him to take his men and proceed on the road leading to Sharon, and make for the Canton road with all possible speed. We then retreated in as good order as possible to camp, the rebels following us to within a mile or less of camp. The 3 men that I sent to warn Sergeant Drom of his danger were unable to make the cross-roads at Lott's, it being already covered by rebels. They then took to the left through the fields, and made the Sharon road at a point between Lott's and Sharon, where they found about 15 of Drom's men, from which place most of them made their way safely to camp, skirmishing with rebels at various points. Since returning to camp I have