exposed to the enemy's sharpshooters I directed an advance with two additional howitzers of the Eleventh Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. They took position in shelter of a friendly house, supported on the right by Colonel Ford; had no support on the left. As I met the Eleventh retreating and saw Major Ross I begged him to have Colonel Moonlight to retrace his steps and support me, which he did. Artillery opened on the enemy with canister and spherical case at short range and drove them back like sheep. Here is where Major Smith sacrificed his life in behalf of his country. Colonel Ford asked when I would retreat. I replied when he would. He remarked, although we drove the enemy from our front, they were flanking us. At this juncture I received from the commanding general orders to fall back, which was just in the nick of time. We retreated firing, keeping the foe at a respectable distance. Lieutenant Gill, of your body guard, lost fifteen horses out of forty, and Captain Johnson, of the Eleventh [Fifteenth] Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, lost several. * * * The last artillery firing was by Lieutenant Gill, supported by cavalry portion of your body guard, and commanded by the lamented Captain Gove.

Although sick Captain gove remained in command of my escort till entirely exhausted, reluctantly leaving me after our subsequent victory at Westport, where he soon fell a victim to his disease, the result of his extraordinary exertions and gallantry.

Colonel Ford, speaking of the conflict in his brigade, says:

Left independence at 10 a. m. and reached Little Blue in about one hour. I then received orders to place the Sixteenth Kansas Cavalry on the left of Colonel Moonlight's brigade, the battery near the center of the line and the Second colorado on the right. We immediately dismounted and advanced into the bluffs and became at once engaged, the enemy having crossed the stream before our arrival. We held our ground, advancing slightly for some time, and at one time drove the enemy in great confusion, but his force being too overwhelmingly large he threw a large body to the right, which compelled our right to give back slowly.

Colonel Jennison, who also commanded a brigade, reports concerning this affair of the Little Blue, as follows:

On the 21st of October, the enemy having advanced from Lexington, met the Second Brigade at the Little Blue at an early hour in the morning. The First Brigade was, therefore, ordered to the front, and immediately [proceeded] from Independence to the field, where it arrived about 11 a. m., taking position on the right. * * * In this engagement the Fifteenth Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Hoyt, and the Third Wisconsin Cavalry, Lieutenant Pond, were dismounted and disposed in advantageous positions, which had hardly been accomplished when the lines were fiercely assailed by the enemy at all points and the contest became extremely spirited, though from the nature of the ground and the protection of our timber the casualties were not heavy. For some hours the engagement was maintained with varying results, our lines alternately falling back and advancing, the howitzer battery being actively and apparently effectively engaged until it became evident that the enemy was numerically superior to such an extent that it would be impossible to hold the ground, and a retrograde movement was commenced in the direction of Independence.

Colonel Jennison speaks very favorably of the conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Hoyt and Major Laing, and deserves much credit for his own gallantry during this day's contest.

Colonel Moonlight, who was left to retard the movements of the enemy, and therefore began the fight at Little Blue, reports as follows. After stating his force, only ten companies, he says:

It was no easy matter to hold an enemy so numerous and active, all being cavalry. Major Anderson, of the Eleventh, with two companies, had command of the bridge, which he set on fire and held until it was fairly burning, after which he fell back on the hill and joined the command, who then opened on the enemy. Captain Greer, with his company, I, Eleventh, had been stationed at a ford one mile below the bridge with instructions to hold the enemy as long as possible. He retired without firing a shot, but claims that it was impossible to do otherwise as the enemy were crossing at all points. Being thus menaced on all sides and the object for which I was left accomplished, the command slowly fell back two miles, fighting. A favorable piece of ground here presenting itself, a new line of battle was formed on the left of the Independence road, and we slowly began to drive the enemy back over the ground again, dismounting every man for the purpose of shelter