At 8 o'clock in the morning it was reported the pickets were fighting at Coldwater, and shortly afterward that the enemy were crossing at Quinn and Jackson's Mill. I immediately ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Trafton to throw the forces at Collierville into the stockade, strengthen the pickets, and dispute the ground as long as possible in front, and also ordered the Second Iowa to move rapidly toward Collierville; to halt in timber 1 mile from town; to make no show of force until the enemy were in town, or they heard the howitzers in the fort, then to move rapidly forward and come into position north of the railroad, with the left of the Second Iowa resting on the stockade, the regiment dismounted.

When about 4 miles from Collierville, moving rapidly, a message reached me that the enemy were close in on the town, and reports of artillery firing rapidly reached us. I immediately moved forward at a gallop, the Second Iowa going in at a run in columns of fours, moved quickly by the right flank to the railroad, and prepared to fight on foot, their howitzers in the center. The enemy moved a brigade to engage the Second Iowa Cavalry, one regiment dismounted as skirmishers on both flanks of a regiment mounted, led in person by General George. Mounted and dismounted men of the enemy came forward in fine style, the howitzers of the Second Iowa Cavalry firing rapidly. The regiment, lying on the ground, waited until the enemy's cavalry were within 50 yards, sprang to their feet, and, with cheers, poured in a severe fire from revolving rifles. A few men reached the guns; among them General George and 2 officers. The repulse was thorough. Nearly at the same moment a brigade charged our left and rear. In anticipation of this, I had ordered the Sixth Illinois Cavalry to move rapidly in rear of our line, pass the stockade, come right into line, and charge, which was promptly done by Major Whitsit, commanding. The charge of the enemy was received, broken, and repulsed.

The First Illinois Light Artillery coming into position at a gallop on a ridge east of town under heavy fire, losing one-half their horses killed and wounded, opened with canister, driving back the enemy's right. Our lines were then formed to resist what had the appearance of an assault directly in front; the Second Iowa and Seventh Illinois on the right, and the Sixth Illinois Cavalry and First Illinois Light Artillery on the left. The enemy advanced to within 500 yards firing; after waiting some time, and seeing the enemy declined a farther advance, I ordered the entire line forward, four companies of the Second Iowa Cavalry sabers charging, when the enemy made a weak resistance, falling back rapidly toward Coldwater. As soon as I could mount, the Second Iowa pursued them rapidly, making the 8 miles to Coldwater in one hour and a quarter. Here the enemy, having a position almost impregnable, kept up a severe fire until an hour after dark, when the firing ceased. We were not able to force a crossing until the next morning, when I pushed after the enemy as far as Chulahoma, 35 miles south, and finding no possibility of engaging him north of the Tallahatchie, returned to camp at Collierville. After the resistance on Coldwater, the enemy's retreat became a perfect rout. During the attack at Collierville the enemy wires, but they were defeated in every instance. The wire was only cut from chance balls at Collierville and readily repaired.

We captured 50 prisoners, 7 commissioned officers, and have found