ordered to advance against the enemy's right. The regiment moved forward and the enemy fell back, whereupon, pursuant to an order from the general commanding, I charged with the rest of my brigade in line and drove the enemy back to the Harrisonville road, a distance of some three miles. The lines were now reformed and soon the order came to charge again. The lines were now reformed and soon the order came to charge again. In this instance the order was given directly to regimental commanders in two or three cases, and the points at which the several regiments were to strike the enemy's line were not designated. The result was that, although the troops charged with the greatest gallantry and carried the enemy's position, the charge was made so far to our right that the enemy was allowed to escape with his artillery on the Harrisonville road. My line immediately preceding the charge had been a little confused by one of our own batteries opening upon it from the rear, and thence was not in as good as position as it was a few moments before. As it was, the enemy burned a large number of wagons and abandoned a large amount of artillery, ammunition, and other property. The Second Arkansas Cavalry pursued the enemy across the creek south, killing 8 of them in a skirmish at the creek. My command moved forward this night to Little Santa Fe, and the following day, the 24th, it moved to the immediate vicinity of the Marais des Cygnes, a distance of sixty miles, passing the commands of Generals Curtis and Blunt, and taking the advance on the road twelve miles south of this point, followed by the First, Second, and Fourth Brigades, all having been placed by General Pleasonton under my direction for the night. My advanced reached this point a little after midnight and immediately commenced skirmishing with the enemy. The road leading to the Trading Post, on the Marais des cygnes, passes through a gap between two high mounds about half a mile from the river, each from one-half to a mile in length. Colonel J. J. Gravely, Eighth Cavalry Missouri State Militia with his own regiment and the Sixth Cavalry Missouri State Militia, Major William Plumb commanding, was ordered to advance until the position of the enemy should be fully developed. The night was dark and it was raining heavily. Colonel Gravely advanced gallantly with his command and the enemy opened musketry fire from the gap. The line was deployed as skirmishers and advanced gallantly with his command and the enemy opened musketry fire from the gap. The line was deployed as skirmishers and advanced toward the base of the mounds. The enemy opened a line of fire from the foot, sides, and summits of the mounds and the intervening gap, and in an instant the clamor and noise of many voices indicated that we were near the position of the enemy.

My ignorance of the topography of the country, the impenetrable darkness and incessant rain, induced me to postpone a general attack until 4 o'clock in the morning. Previous to this hour Lieutenant-Colonel Benteen, commanding Fourth Brigade, had by my order sent one regiment of his brigade along a road leading west to a ford about three miles above the Trading Post and the place where the enemy was camped, and had sent forward the Fourth Iowa Cavalry to report to Colonel Gravely and assist him in taking possession of the two mounds. Colonel Gravely was ordered to advance and occupy the summits of the two mounds and the intervening gap without delay, and Captains thurber and Montgomery were ordered to open fire with all their guns at 16 degrees elevation, bearing across the right end of the mound on our left through the gap, the mound and gap being now just visible through the receding darkness. The Fourth Iowa Cavalry gained the mound on our right without serious opposition, but Colonel Gravely met with strong resistance in his advance toward the crest of the mound on our left. The enemy's line extended the entire length of this mound, and