Iowa Cavalry, Major B. S. Jones commanding, and advanced them as skirmishers toward the enemy, through the woods that lines the immediate banks of the creek, until I arrived at an open space, some 200 yards in width, on the near side of which I found 200 or 300 men of the Missouri State Militia posted behind some houses at which the enemy was pouring a very hot fire. By dint of great urging and exertion of authority, I succeeded in getting them from behind their places of shelter, and then, with them and my dismounted men, advanced across the field at double-quick to the woods beyond; the enemy at the same time resting us stoutly. The woods attained, we pushed the enemy though them rapidly to the prairie beyond, where he had stationed a battery, from which he played among us shell after shell. My command, nevertheless, moved on and with such rapidity that the rebel commander, fearing, I suppose, for the safety of his cannon, withdrew them with his command rapidly and fell back quite a distance across the prairie beyond even the range of artillery. In the meantime I had sent for the Fourth Iowa Cavalry and dismounted them and advanced them in line of skirmishers as a support to my advanced line. The enemy thus for the moment having been pushed beyond our reach, my whole command was brought forward on the prairie, and after a few minutes being allowed for rest the whole was mounted, and, at your direction, I moved out on what was called the Ridge road toward the position the enemy had taken. It had now got to be past noon, and after some distance had been gained, I sent Captain Young to find you and obtain permission to feed our hungry animals. The captain shortly after reporting that he could not ascertained your whereabouts, I took the responsibility upon myself to halt my command in a large corn-field and take a few minutes to feed. I had not taken much time when I perceived there was work to be done, as I could plainly see a battle raging in our front, and immediately ordered my men into the saddle and moved out on a trot toward the State line. A few minutes sufficed to bring us to the scene of the conflict. Here I found the enemy making a charge and some of our troops ingloriously falling back. I tried, with the assistance of Captain Young, to rally them, but without avail. I then ordered my leading regiment, the Tenth Missouri Cavalry, to form a line to the left and ordered them to make a counter-charge, which they did in gallant style, turning the rebels and driving them. I then formed the rest of my brigade and ordered a charge, in which the whole command participated, driving the enemy far beyond the battle-ground, beyond Missouri into Kansas and beyond the town of Santa Fe. In this charge Second Lieutenant M. C. Auld, Company I, Tenth Missouri Cavalry, was severely wounded. Our horses having become jaded and worn down, I formed my column and proceeded to a point just beyond the Kansas line and about two miles and a half from Santa Fe, and halted to rest both animals and men. Here I received orders from you to go into camp for the night and in the morning move out and meet you at or near the last-named town.

On the morning of the 24th, just after daylight, we moved out to Santa Fe, and taking our position just in the rear of General Sanborn's command marched until late that night, reaching the Osage River, where, on the order of General Sanborn, we bivouacked around the house of Elder Williams, that officer deeming it too dark and the enemy too well posted for an attack that night. That day we marched over a desolated country, where even water was scarce, at a speed that necessarily kept the rear at a trot, and bivouacked, without forage for our jaded horses, a distance of at least forty-two miles. The morning of the 25th