No. 5.

Report of Colonel Robert McCulloch, Second Missouri Cavalry, commanding brigade.

HEADQUARTERS MCCULLOCH'S CAVALRY BRIGADE, Abbeville, Miss., November 8, 1863.

CAPTAIN: In compliance with instructions from the brigadier-general commanding, I have the honor herewith to submit the following official report of the actions at Collierville and Coldwater, so far as my brigade is concerned:

On the morning of November 1, at daybreak, I moved with my brigade from my encampment at Abbeville, and the same evening, about sunset, went into camp near Ingram's Mill, on Pigeon Roost Creek.

Major Mitchell, of the Eighteenth Mississippi Cavalry Battalion, whom I had sent in advance with two companies of that battalion with orders to drive in the enemy's pickets at Quinn's Mill, on Coldwater, on the evening of the 1st, and to join the brigade at Ingram's Mill the same night, reported to me about 11 o'clock that night, having driven in the pickets according to directions.

On the 2nd instant, I moved to John Anderson's plantation, in the fork of Pigeon Roost and Coldwater, and formed a junction with Colonel Slemons.

On the morning of the 3rd instant, at daylight, I moved from this place with a view of capturing the pickets at Quinn's Mill. Crossed the Coldwater about 3 miles below the mill, and on reaching the road from Collierville to Quinn's Mill, I sent Lieutenant-Colonel McCulloch with his regiment [the Second Missouri] to another road to our left, and leading also from Collierville to Quinn's Mill, to intercept the enemy should he attempt to escape by this way. I then moved rapidly with the remainder of my command [the First Mississippi Partisans, Lieutenant-Colonel Hovis commanding, and the Eighteenth Mississippi Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Chalmers commanding] down the road to Quinn's Mill, and soon found the pickets formed in line, when I ordered a charge. They fired one volley, wheeled, and ran off, we pursuing them, and took a middle road running between us and Lieutenant-Colonel McCulloch, who learned this fact on approaching the mill, and at once reversed his column, and after a hard run of about 3 miles, intercepted a squad of 24 of the enemy commanded by a lieutenant, all of whom were captured and sent to Oxford, under guard of Captain Savery and company of the Second Missouri Cavalry, and also 2 or 3 others captured by the rest of the command.

About this time, having received orders from the brigadier-general commanding, I moved my command rapidly up the road to Collierville, and on reaching that place was ordered to prepare for action and to move forward and engage the enemy, which I did, dismounting my men and forming them in line, and commenced a brisk and simultaneous attack upon them from the south and east, the Second Missouri, Lieutenant-Colonel McCulloch commanding, on the right wing; the First Mississippi Partisans, Lieutenant-Colonel Hovis, in the center, and the Eighteenth Mississippi Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Chalmers commanding, on the left wing. After a sharp engagement of about one hour and ten minutes, in which both officers and men, with but few exceptions, behaved with the