at Salt River was burned by the rebels. Our supplies being sufficient for one day only I immediately began collecting flour and bacon in the country about us and got some bread from Bowling Green, and managed to get rations for fifteen days. At the same time I ordered all the Home Guard companies and recruits for the Thirty-third Kentucky, who had no arms, to scatter out over the country and act in the capacity of scouts. They served me admirably in this respect, giving notice of Bragg's approach when over 50 miles distant, and notifying me of his numbers, pieces of artillery, direction taken,&c., in every movement made by him on his advance from Cumberland River.

On Saturday, September 13, Colonel Scott, with a brigade of cavalry and a battery of five mountain howitzers, came down the north side of the river from Greensburg, and at 8 p.m. demanded an unconditional surrender of the place. I peremptorily refused, and at 3 o'clock the next morning he commenced an attack by firing on our pickets. They contested the ground so stubbornly that he was compelled to bring up his artillery to drive them in,which he accomplished at daybreak, after losing his guide and a lieutenant-colonel killed.

At daylight a furious attack was made on the pickets on the south side of the river by a large force of infantry. I immediately sent Company K, Seventy-fourth Indiana, out to a belt of woods about a quarters of a mile in advance, to act as a reserve, for the pickets to rally on. They held their ground until nearly surrounded, and only fell back when peremptorily ordered to do so by Major Cubberly, of the Eighty-ninth Indiana, who had charge of the pickets and skirmishers on the south side of the river. Our advanced line fought them stubbornly for an hour, and only came in when ordered to do so by me, as I did not wish to lose the advantage of our works. At 5.30 the fighting became general along the whole line, the enemy having advanced to within 200 yards of our works in large numbers.

At 6.30 a.m. the enemy advanced in line of battle upon our west, or main work, and seeing their intention to storm our position I ordered the men to fix bayonets, when the rebels came forward with a cheer, supposing our cessation of fire was a sign of retreat. When they came within about 30 yards I directed the men to fire, which was repeated by Colonel [Charles D.] Murray and the officers along the line, and a very avalanche of death swept through the ranks, causing them to first stagger and then run in disorder to the wood in the rear, having left all of their field officers on the ground either killed or badly wounded. The regiments that made this charge were the Seventh and Tenth Mississippi and Seventh Alabama. Immediately after this repulse a similar one was made on the redoubt by the Ninth and Twenty-ninth Mississippi and a battalion of sharpshooters. They were literally murdered by a terrible fire from the gallant defenders of the work.

Major [August H.] Abbot sprang upon the parapet, with his hat in one hand and a drawn saber in the other, urging his men to stand to the work, until he was shot dead under the flag he so nobly defended. A braver man never fell. The flag had 146 bullet-holes through it and the staff was struck eleven times.

Lieutenant Mason, of the Thirteenth Indiana Battery, commanding the artillery, in the mean time was riddling them with the grape and canister, when they broke in all directions, fleeing as from a belching volcano, many dropping as they fled. At this juncture I sent Colonel Emerson, of the Sixty-seventh Indiana, with one more company, to re-enforce the redoubt and to take command. The enemy soon rallied, however, and seemed to be more cautious in their movements, keeping