Finding a considerable force occupying the bottom on the other side, and knowing nothing of the country, I determined to rest the pursuit there until morning, and in the meantime communicate the situation to General Shelby. Falling back a mile with the major part of my command, I left Lieutenant-Colonel Nichols with his regiment on picket in front of the enemy. Colonel Hunter I placed in position three-quarters of a mile in the rear of Nichols, so that he might be in supporting distance and at the same time cover a road that made off from the main road at that point, while Lieutenant-Colonel Schnable was ordered to remain in line of battle 300 yards in the rear of Colonel Hunter, but fronting toward Boonville. I made this disposition of my force from the fact that I had not yet opened up communication with the town, and did not know but that a force of the enemy might be between me and it.

We continued to occupy this position during the night, and at daylight on the morning of the 12th, when the enemy opened on Lieutenant-Colonel Nichols. Having ascertained that my rear was clear, I ordered Colonel Hunter up and ordered him to take a position 300 yards in the rear of Nichols. After sustaining a vigorous fight for half an hour Nichols fell back slowly to the rear of Colonel Hunter, where he immediately reformed.

In the meantime Colonel Hunter became sharply engaged. After maintaining a brisk fight for half an hour he fell back on Lieutenant-Colonel Schnable. Satisfied by this time that the force of the enemy was largely superior to mine, I determined to fall back, so as to cover a road from Tipton to Boonville leading into the one we were now defending about a mile in our rear, and in order to secure a good position for my whole force. On reaching the point I had in view I dismounted Nichols' and Schnable's commands and placed them under the shelter of a fence, where they soon met the attack of the enemy. A fight ensued of an hour's length, after which I succeeded in driving the enemy back along the over which we had but a short time before retreated and across the bridge over the Tete Saline River, a distance of one mile and a half, inflicting serious injury upon him.

During this engagement my command sustained a loss of 4 men killed and 20 wounded (Captain King, a brave officer, among the wounded), the loss falling heaviest on Schnable's battalion. A good many horses were killed and wounded. My own horse was severely shot.

The officers and men deserve great praise for the coolness and obstinacy with which they maintained this fight, holding their ground and falling back alike in perfect order. Number of my men in this engagement 600; that of the enemy a full brigade.

At the conclusion of the fight General Fagan with a portion of his command came upon the ground. The enemy having retreated, I was ordered to return to Boonville. At 2 a. m. on the morning of the 12th [13th?] we took up our line of march, and on the night of the 13th encamped on Blackwater. During this night I received orders to report a picked force of 500 men from my brigade to General Clark for an expedition to North Missouri.

I moved early on the morning of the 14th, and crossing the river at Arrow Rock I was ordered to co-operate with him in an attack on Glasgow. On reaching the suburbs of this place I was ordered to form on the left of General Clark's brigade and invest the town on the south. My line was soon formed and skirmishers thrown, out, when at the command my men advanced gallantly. We soon met a galling fire from