industriously employed in shoeing horses and making necessary preparations for an active campaign. Owing to the scarcity of blacksmiths and blacksmith tools, I sent to the country and pressed sufficient to supply the deficiency in part only. Many of the horses were shod by the use of the common pocket-knife and hatchet; the horses, howeve, improved, as the forage obtained from the country was abundant. October 28, received orders to be ready to move to-morrow. October 29, left Clifton at 3 p. m., taking the Nashville pike, and camped three miles out. October 30, at 9 a. m. the general commanding came up with the First Brigade, which passed through my camp in the advance, when all moved along to Lincoln Creek, twenty-four miles, and camped for the night. October 31, resumed the march at 7 a. m., reached Lawrenceburg at 3.15 p. m., and camped one miles beyond.

November 1, left bivouac at 6 a. m. and reached Pulaski, eighteen miles distant, at 3 p. m., and camped for the night. November 2, 3, and 4, during these three days the time was occupied in procuring clothing and rations for the men, while shoes were being fitted on the horses, and preparations made for a heavy campaign. November 5, at 8 a. m. were again in motion on the Lamb's Ferry road, which leads to a ferry by that name on the Tennessee River. Camped for the night on Sugar Creek. Heavy cannonading was heard in the direction of the Tennessee River during the afternoon, which gave undoubted evidence of Hood's advance into Tennessee.

November 6, leaving bivouac before daylight enabled us to reach Lexington, Ala., before 11 a. m., where we halted for an hour to learn the whereabouts and movements of the enemy. Getting no satisfactory information, moved on to Bough's Ford, on Shoal Creek, the Second Iowa Cavalry in advance. On arriving within two miles of the ford the advance met the enemy's pickets, driving them across the creek rapidly, when the whole command came in full view of a heavy line extending along the bluffs on the opposite side. by direction of the general commanding I detached a portion of the Second Iowa to burn the flouring mill above the factory. Lieutenant George W. Budd, commanding Company G, was sent for that purpose. After a lively skirmish of nearly an hour it was ascertained that the mill was on the opposite side of the stream, and that the water was too high to admit of crossing, mounted or dismounted, besides the enemy was some 300 strong, and a large number posted in and about the mill, rendering the position almost impregnable, to say nothing of the difficulty of crossing the stream. These facts being exported to me I conveyed the same to the general commanding, who directed that I withdraw all my brigade except the Second Iowa Cavalry, which should hold its position until further orders. At 9 p. m. all were in camp in a most unpleasant rainstorm. November 7, at daylight found ourselves with mud and water under foot and a drenching rain still falling. By direction from division headquarters, I took a demonstration on the enemy's pickets with my whole brigade, Ninth Illinois Cavalry, Captain William C. Blackburn commanding, in advance. A persistent and heavy skirmish took place, when the enemy was driven from the bluff on the opposite side. The regiment reached the ford, but the stream was too much swollen to admit of crossing, the water carrying horse and rider down the stream. During an hour spent in skirmishing and an unfruitful effort to cross and destroy the mill, it was ascertained beyond doubt that the enemy had re-enforced the picket heavily, and that Shoal Creek was much higher than on any day previous. I withdrew, fell back to Stutt's Cross-Roads, and camped for the night.