The heavier metal of the enemy's artillery, against which the 12-pounder howitzers of Landgraeber's battery at about 1,000 yards were inadequate, caused me to order one section of 20-pounder Parrotts, of Fourth Ohio Battery, to relieve Landgraeber's pieces.

Under cover of the Parrotts, the whole line of General Woods was ordered to advance; I also brought forward the Second Brigade, and deployed it on the left of First Brigade.

The extreme left flank was guarded by the Third U. S. Cavalry. General M. L. Smith's division had, in the meantime, come up to Barton's Station, and acted as reserve. Landgraeber's battery followed the advancing infantry, and was brought into action on the right, exposing, with the Parrotts in the center, the enemy's artillery to a cross fire. The skirmishers on the right (Third and Twelfth Missouri) advanced gallantly over the undulations of the ground, and the Fifth Ohio Cavalry pressed the rebels back into the timber, bringing them under the fire of my artillery. The rebels, both artillery and cavalry, yielded after a weak resistance, and hastily retired to Cane Creek. Cane Creek is a pretty deep stream. A muddy, swampy bottom skirted the same on our side, while the opposite bank, which was occupied by the rebels, rises gently, and offered a splendid field for maneuvering his large cavalry forces. Our infantry pushed forward as fast as the very bad, rough,and muddy nature of the ground admitted. Dismounted rebel cavalry held on my right the skirt of timber along Cane Creek. Five of their pieces (mostly rifled) opened on my infantry as soon as it debouched, but their defense was by no means equal to the impetuous advance of my infantry, who hardly awaited the arrival of artillery and cavalry, but plunged into and forced Cane Creek,and, delivering a furious fire, made the enemy's artillery limber to the rear, and the dismounted cavalry look for their horses.

They retreated very rapidly, not, however, without showing, as a matter of form, a rear guard of about 200 cavalry, but at a very safe distance. Our cavalry, ordered forward again, drove these observing squads before them, and kept them at a very lively gait, the infantry skirmishers following in almost double-quick time. We came to Little Bear Creek without a halt of any consequence. This creek is only 4 miles from Tuscumbia, and, once in our possession, gave us control of that town. The creek runs in a narrow bed of rock, and the banks are very abrupt and high.

The Tuscumbia road, over which we were marching, crosses the creek and ascends the opposite cliffs through a very narrow gap. The defile thus formed is rendered, in a military point of view, more available by the semicircle formed by Bear Creek, which is bordered on the west bank by an open plateau, thus giving an opportunity to a defender on the eastern bank for a well-secured movement against the flank of any column attempting to cross by the main road.

When I reached this plateau on the west bank of the creek, I saw the enemy's entire force in line of battle on the high prairie on the opposite bank; he opened with his rifled guns at once, and his practice at a distance of at least 2,500 yards was perfect, but he had omitted to avail himself of the ground on my right and thus to threaten my flank. As soon as my infantry came up, I ordered skirmishers to be thrown across the creek on that exposed flank with instructions to guard it against an apprehended attack. My infantry was formed across the plateau and a cheval of the road. The skirmishers