troops stood their ground till Opdycke's brigade came up on the double-quick to their support. A heavy line of skirmishers was deployed and thrown forward, which checked the enemy's advance. In the meantime Colonel Lane's brigade came up and I formed it on the right of Colonel Opdycke, causing Colonel Lane to throw forward a heavy line of skirmishers, connecting with the one already out on his left. The enemy's cavalry charged this line, but was repulsed with loss. General Stanely directed a brigade to be put into position on the east side of the road, about two miles south of Spring Hill, to protect our flank at that point till the artillery should get past. General Bradely's brigade, having been assigned to that duty, id not reach Spring Hill till the first attack of the enemy had been repulsed. Finding the enemy's cavalry posted on the crest of a ridge overlooking the town, and enabling them to overlook our whole movement, I directed Colonel Lane to advance his brigade and drive off the enemy and occupy the ridge, which order was promptly obeyed and the enemy driven off behind the ridge more than a mile from the town. General Bradley's brigade having by this time come up, General Stanely directed me to place it in position in a point of woods to the right of and somewhat detached from Colonel Lane's brigade, and about half a mile from the turnpike along which our train was passing. This brigade had been but a hort time in position before the enemy's cavalry appeared in its front and assaulted his line, but was promptly repulsed.

It was near sundown when the enemy again appeared in General Bradely's front, but this time with infantry, and in very strong force. Seeing that his right flank was in danger, I placed two pieces of artillery and my only reserve regiment, the Thirty-sixth Illinois Veteran Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Olson, well out on his right flank. These dispositions were scarcely completed before the enemy was upon us in heavy force, his lines outflanking ours by great odds, which compelled General Bradley's right to fall back after a hard fight. His left flank being also turned was giving, seeing which he went in person to that flank to assist in checking the enemy n that direction, but while so doing was so severely wounded by a musket-ball in the left arm near the shoulder that he had to be carried from the field. General Bradley's brigade being now flanked an outnumbered, retired and reformed at the edge of the village, taking such position as to protect our wagon train, part of which had reached Spring Hill just before the last attack commenced. Seeing that General Bradley's brigade must come back as far as the town, I directed Colonel Lane to move two regiments of his brigade to the right to act as a support, and enable Colonel Conrad, Fifteenth Missouri Volunteers, who succeeded to the command when General Bradley was wounded, to reform his lines. Darkness had now set in and no further movements of the enemy were apprehended before daylight next morning. After affairs had become quieted down I send the Thirty-sixth Illinois and Captain Checkering, and officer of my staff, back on the Columbia pike to open communication with the force in the rear. They succeeded in getting through without difficulty, and at about-p m. General Whitaker's brigade, of General Kimball's division, came into the town and took position on my right. The Twenty-sixth Ohio Veteran Volunteers, under Captain Clark, having been detached from Colonel Lane's brigade to guard a road about a mile south of Spring Hill, was attacked by the enemy in the evening with much superior force, but succeeded in coming off after a stubborn fight, and reached the main body with a loss of 3 killed, 3 wounded, and 1 missing.