two regiments which went by land. Both bodies of troops arrived at Kansas City about noon of the 22nd. I ordered the troops on the boat to the shore with instructions to there await orders, and instructed the captain of the boat to report to Captain Seelye, assistant quartermaster, at Kansas City, and I then proceeded in search of headquarters, and overtook the general and staff in the saddle just entering the town of Westport.

Arriving in Westport reports were received that the enemy were driving Colonel Jennison at Byram's ford, and I was sent back to hurry up re-enforcements that had been ordered from General Blunt, who was farther to the left. I met them close at hand, but the enemy having already forced the passage of the ford by dint of overwhelming numbers, it gradually became evident that the position could not be held and the troops were ordered to fall back on Kansas City for the night. As we went back I was ordered to see to placing troops in camp in the outskirts of the town on the Westport road. I placed one section of the Colorado battery in the road on a commanding elevation, with Colonel Tracy's regiment infantry, Kansas State Militia, to support it, and one regiment cavalry, Kansas State Militia, on the right of it, and two on the left, which connected with General Blunt's command on the east and southeast of the city. They thus bivouacked for the night in line of battle and expectation of an attack. I was engaged until 10 or 11 p. m. in this duty, after which I repaired to headquarters at the Gillis house, where I remained for the night. The next morning I started with the general for Westport, being preceded by most or all of General Blunt's division. When we arrived at Westport artillery firing had already commenced to the southeast of town, and from the top of the hotel the enemy could be seen on the other side of the Big Blue, and moving rapidly in a southwesterly direction. About 10 o'clock I was ordered to take a squadron of the Second Colorado, under command of Captain Kingsbury, and proceed via Independence to General Pleasonton's command and inform him of the position and operations of General Curtis. I went within one mile and a half of Independence, where, finding I was far in rear of General Pleasonton's command, I turned south, and striking the Independence and Hickman Mills road I followed it until I came up with General McNeil's brigade, which I found drawn up in line of battle on a ridge, with a number of dismounted men in the valley in front of them. On the opposite ridge to the south about three-fourths of a mile distant the enemy were deployed and still deploying. Some artillery firing was progressing when I came up, which continued for several minutes thereafter, but as the enemy continued to deploy troops and was endeavoring the flank us on both sides, General McNeil ordered the command to fall back about half a mile. I could hear nothing from General McNeil of General Pleasonton's whereabouts, and concluded that he must have passed between me and the Big Blue. As I had ridden hard for about fifteen miles, and the squadron with me showed some signs of fatigue, I rested there for about two hours and then struck almost due west on a by-road which brought me to Big Blue at the Westport ford, where there were signs of very severe fighting that day. Broken wagons, cannon-balls, shells, and dead bodies were scattered along the road for two miles. The dead seemed nearly al to be of the Kansas militia and the rebels. I saw but one white man, who appeared to have been a Federal soldier, and two negroes. As we rode over the field I had the men look carefully to see if any of the bodies were mutilated, and they found none that were.