that night in that direction, leaving a small picket to watch the enemy

during the night. Picked men were also sent to watch General Buell

army as it passed up the pike toward Louisville. They easily counted

the regiments, batteries, and wagons which passed, a report of which

was sent to headquarters. I will here .state that during the entire cam-

paign reports in writing were made several times each day to the major-

general commanding the left wing or to the general commanding the

army of everything relating to the movements of the enemy which could

be ascertained.

On Wednesday morning Colonel Wharton's brigade was ordered to

Bardstown, while I remained at Hodgensville and New Haven watching

the enemy on the roads from below and toward Elizabethtown.

On September 27 I received orders to move with 250 men toward

Glasgow, but after marching 8 miles was ordered to return and proceed

with my command to Boston. Orders were also sent to leave Colonel [M.

J.] Crawford's (Third Georgia) regiment [cavalry] at New Haven. I

regret to state that a few days after a superior force of the enemy

surprised and captured Colonel Crawford and 250 of his .command at

Boston.* We picketed and scouted well down toward Elizabethtown,

frequently skirmishing with the enemy, until we were ordered to Bards-

town, at which place we arrived about daylight on the morning of the

4th instant,+ when I was ordered to follow and cover the rear of the left

wing of the army, which was moving toward Glenville. All roads lead-

ing to the town were immediately picketed, and about noon we moved

the remainder of the brigade on the road on which we were to march.

Hearing firing in advance we moved rapidly in that direction, when I

discovered that it emanated from a wood to our left and that a large

force of the enemy had moved up between my position and the point

where the firing took place. At this moment I received a message from

General Johnson that his brigade---the infantry rear guard of the left

wing--was but a short .distance in front. A large portion of my com-

mand was left to protect his rear, and I moved back with the remainder

to reach the scene of the firing and relieve my pickets which had been

left around Bardstown. On arriving at the town I found that Colonel

Wharton had engaged the enemy but had passed on toward Spring-

field. We drew in our picket and remained near Bardstown until nearly

dark, when I moved back to my command. The enemy in the mean

time having placed a large force in and about the road, I was obliged

to make a circuit with my little force to avoid capture. Having reached

my brigade we moved on, in accordance with orders, to Glenville and

the next morning continued the march toward Mackville, before reach-

ing which place I was ordered to Springfield, where we remained until

the morning of October 6, at which time the enemy came up in strong

force, reaching the town about 8 a.m. Our pickets having been driven

in, we engaged them with artillery and small-arms, compelling them to

advance very slowly, frequently deploying their infantry. We were

obliged to fall backs lowly when their infantry fired too heavily, but

succeeded in so checking their progress that they only advanced about

4 miles from 8 a.m. until dark. They attempted several times to turn

our flank, but were easily checked by our flankers. In this series of

engagements the enemy suffered quite severely.

The next morning we ambushed the command at a position about 6

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*See September 29, 1862. Capture of Third Georgia Cavalry, near New Haven,

Ky., post

+ See October 4, 1862. Action near Bardstown, Ky. Report of Major General George H.

Thomas, U. S. Army.

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