wounded, they did not to any extent participate in the engagement. Nine enlisted men of the Eleventh Illinois Volunteer Cavalry were too badly wounded to be moved, and after their wounds were dressed by our surgeon they were left at Egypt Station. The Second Wisconsin Cavalry was immediately detached to guard the prisoners, and id not afterward participate in the movement of the brigade.

On the morning of January 1, 1865, I moved, by order of the general commanding, from Winona Station down to the line of the Mississippi Central Railroad, flanking the line of march of the main column. I sent strong dismounted details from the Fourth Illinois Cavalry and Third U. S. Colored Cavalry from Winona Station, through Vaiden and West Station, to a point five miles below the latter place, a distance of twenty-nine miles. They totally destroyed 2 1/2 miles of track, 19 bridges, 12 culverts, together with station-houses, water-tanks, &c. Ten of these bridges were important structures, and must require thirty days to repair. On the morning of the 2nd, learning that the Confederates were concentrating a strong force at Goodman Station, I left the line of the railroad and moved on the Franklin pike in the direction of Ebenezer and Benton. When half a mile from Franklin my advance of the Third U. S. Colored Cavalry was charged by a strong force of the enemy. The charge was repulsed, and the rebels driven from their advanced position. The forces proved to be those of Brigadier General Wirt Adams, 1,500 strong, who, coming from Goodman, had pushed one regiment to a junction of the roads, covering them in some close timber skirting the road and about a church surrounded by shrubbery. A flank movement of two squadrons of the Third U. S. Colored Cavalry, commanded by Captain Hentry Fretz, Company L, dislodged them from the church, while seven squadrons of the Third U. S. Colored Cavalry dismounted, under Major E. M. Main, dislodged them from the close timber by falling upon their flank and rear, thus compelling them to fall back to a bridge over a small stream where General Adams had concentrated the main body of his men. Major Main immediately charged and carried the bridge, but, in turn, was driven over it in some confusion by the enemy, who, being heavily re-enforced, outnumbered him three to one. We should here have lost numbers of our men except for the most determined gallantry of our officers, particularly prominent among whom was Lieutenant Frank W Calais, Company A, Third U. S. Colored Cavalry. In the meantime the Eleventh Illinois Cavalry moved to our extreme right, where they arrived in time ot check a flank movement of the enemy. After sharp fighting, the movement was checked, their left turned, and their forces driven to the main body at the bridge. The Fourth Illinois Cavalry,, moving promptly to the support of the Third U. S. Colored Cavalry, met adn repulsed a flank movement of the enemy directed to our left, when quickly dismounting and jumping from tree to tree, soon drove the rebels to the cover of the house across the creek. At this time, the Third U. S. Colored Cavalry again charged and carried the bridge, from which they were not again driven during the fight. The desperate nature of the fighting, the superiority of numbers displayed by General Adams, and a summons from the general commanding to immediately join the column, now fifteen miles to our front and right, induced mare to attempt to withdraw my men. Fortunately General Admas concluded to withdraw his men and we mutually separated without further fighting. One enlisted men from the Fourth Illinois Cavalry and one from the Third U. S. Colored Cavalry, too severely wounded to be moved, were left at Franklin.