up a constant fire from the best cover they could obtain until 9.30 a.m., making several weak efforts to charge us again, but they had learned a dear lesson and profited by it.

At 9.30 they sent in a flag of truce, demanding again that I should surrender. I again refused, when they asked the privilege of removing their dead and wounded. I gave them leave to do so. The following is the correspondence that passed between the two parties:

Colonel J. T. WILDER, Commanding U. S. Forces at Green River:

You have made a gallant defense of your position, and to avoid further bloodshed I demand an unconditional surrender of your forces. I have six regiments of infantry, one battalion of infantry sharpshooters, and have just been re-enforced by a brigade of cavalry, under Colonel Scott, with two battalions of artillery. I have two regiments on the north side of the river, and you can't escape. The railroad track is torn up in your and you can't receive re-enforcements. General Bragg's army is but a short distance in the rear.*

JAMES R. CHALMERS,

Brigadier General, Commanding First Brigadier, Right Wing Army of the Mississippi.

To this demand and these arguments Colonel Wilder returned the following answer:

Brigadier General JAMES R. CHALMERS,

Commanding First Brigade, Right Wing, Army of the Mississippi:

Your note demanding the unconditional surrender of my forces has been received. Thank you for your compliments. If you wish to avoid further bloodshed keep out of the range of my guns. As to

re-enforcements, they are now entering my works. I think I can defend my position against your entire force; at least I shall try to do so.*

J. T. WILDER,

Colonel Seventeenth Indiana Volunteers, Commanding U. S. Forces at Green River.

At 9 a.m. I was re-enforced by six companies of the Fiftieth Indiana, under Colonel Dunham, who had come up on the railroad from Louisville and were thrown off the track 6 miles back. At daylight they pushed through by a circuitous route, missing Scott's cavalry on the north side of the river, and getting into the works without any loss except 1 man slightly wounded.

After the night closed, Colonel Dunham, being the ranking officer, assumed command, and will no doubt make a report of the events occurring on Monday and Tuesday following Sunday's fight. My whole force consisted of the Sixty-seventh and Eighty-ninth Indiana Regiments, one company of the Eighteenth Regulars, 204 recruits of the Seventeenth Indiana, two companies Seventy-fourth Indiana, one company of cavalry, Louisville Provost Guard, Lieutenant Watson commanding; one 12-pounder heavy gun, one 12-pounder Napoleon, one 12-pounder howitzer, and one 3-inch rifled gun, under Lieutenant Mason, Thirteenth Indiana Battery; 60 men Thirty-third Kentucky, Captain Wilson. The whole force amounting to 2,122 men for duty.

If I were to give a list of those whose did their whole duty it would simply be a muster roll of all who were there. No man flinched or held back a particle. I must, however, mention W. A. Bullitt, adjutant Third Kentucky, who conveyed orders for me through the hottest of the fire with as much coolness as if on review, and Captain Frank White, Fifteenth Indiana, who superintended the earthworks, and whenever a point was exposed to a raking fire from the enemy's batteries immediately threw up traverses to protect the men.

Our entire loss was 37 killed and wounded.+ The enemy admit a loss

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*Compare with Inclosure Nos.2 and 3, Chalmers' report, p.981.

+But see p.967

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61 R R-VOL XVI