of the Second Kansas, with the two mountain howitzers attached, now came galloping up, and the whole regiment was quickly formed into line, and, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Bassett, was ordered to skirmish the woods on foot to ascertain the position of the enemy. At this point 5 of my body guard captured 10 armed rebels, who had been out of camp and were endeavoring to get to their command.

Lieutenant-Colonel Bassett, not being able to ascertain the where-abuts of the rebel forces, was ordered to withdraw his men from the woods and remount them. Advancing through an opening in the timber, about a quarter of a mile in width, I discovered the enemy in force, their line extending across the open ground in front and occupying the road. Between the point I occupied (reconnoitering their position and movements) and their line was a pasture of open ground, some 200 yards across, and to fences intervening. Believing that the enemy were contemplating a retreat, I determined to lose no time in trying the effect of a few shells upon their ranks from the two little mountain howitzers. The Second Kansas was accordingly moved forward in line to the first fence, and the two howitzers, under the command of Lieutenant E. S. Stover, supported by Company A, of the Second Kansas, under Lieutenant Johnston, were ordered to advance through the fence to within 200 yards of the enemy's battery, from which position Lieutenant Stover opened upon them with shell and with much animation. The fire was returned by the enemy's guns, and in a few minutes their entire line engaged the small force I had opposing them. I then dismounted the entire regiment (the Second Kansas), formed them on foot, and ordered them to advance through the fence to within short range of the enemy's position, which order was obeyed with alacrity, they opening upon the rebel lines a terrific fire with their Harper's Ferry rifles. The enemy, observing our small force upon the field, the main column having not yet come in sight, attempted to overwhelm us by superior numbers, and by flank movements to obtain possession of the projecting woods on my right and left. Fortunately at this juncture the Sixth Kansas, Colonel Judson, and the Third Cherokee Regiment, Colonel Phillips, came upon the field. The former was ordered to advance upon the right and the latter on the left, which they did by rapid movements, driving back the flanking columns of the enemy. At the same moment Company B, Captain Hopkins; Company D, Lieutenant Moore; Company E, Captain Gardner; Company H, Lieutenant Ballard, and Company K, Captain Russell, of the Second Kansas, all under the command of Captain S. J. Crawford, made a gallant charge, driving in their center, capturing their artillery, and bringing it in triumph from the field. The battle was now won, and the enemy began fleeing in disorder before our victorious troops. The Second Indiana Battery, Lieutenant Rabb, came up in time to pay its respects to the rear of the fleeing rebels with excellent effect. Colonel Judson, of the Sixth Kansas, and Colonel Phillips, of the Third Cherokee Regiment, pursued them in their retreat for a distance of 7 miles, skirmishing with their rear and leaving quite a number of their dead strewn by the way, when, their horses becoming exhausted from the long and wearisome march of the night before, they were obliged to give up farther pursuit. The rebels, I have since learned, did not halt in their retreat until they had reached the Arkansas River at Fort Gibson, 70 miles from the battle ground, where they arrived within thirty hours after their rout of Old Fort Wayne.

The casualties in my command were 1 killed upon the battle-field