of Westport. Notwithstanding the superiority of this force we succeeded in holding our ground until night. About dusk General Thompson arrived with re-enforcements, but too late for the action.

Our loss during the day was slight. Quite a number of horses were killed or wounded. Lieutenant-Colonels Nichols a Schnable had heir horses killed. My horse was severely wounded.

The morning of the 23rd at 9 a. m. my command, by direction of Brigadier-General Shelby, was moved out in line of battle in concert with General Thompson's to meet the enemy advancing from Westport. A severe fight soon ensued, which resulted in a temporary success to him. Our forces, however, soon rallied, and turning drove him from the field. About 12 o'clock I received an order from General Shelby to fall back across the prairie to the point where the gun was captured the evening before and report to General Fagan, who was in pressing need. I immediately moved out, and on the way met an order from General Fagan to move as rapidly as possible, as the enemy were demonstrating in heavy force on his front. Upon reaching the general I was ordered by him to dismount my men and receive a charge of the enemy's cavalry. I formed my men on foot and directed them to withhold their fire until the Federals were in point-blank range.

In the meantime they came on in a swinging trot, and when within eighty yards at the command a destructive fire was poured into them, killing and wounding a large number of men and horses, and causing their line to reel and break. The line of the enemy being much longer than ours, their right continued to advance, but turning and pouring a well-directed fire into it, it fell back in confusion. By this time the enemy were covering the prairie, threatening from every point, and my horses being exposed I ordered by men to mount. After mounting we formed a number of times in falling back and took position until the enemy disappeared, when I moved off in the rear of the army. During this last engagement, Captain Collins, of the battery of General Thompson's brigade, came to my assistance with his only remaining gun and fought gallantly until the command fell back.

In this fight my brigade, although placed in a perilous condition, on foot, and threatened by superior numbers, behaved with a steadiness and courage beyond common praise. A considerable loss was sustained by the brigade in the various engagements of these two days; some 25 men were killed and 80 wounded. We were so unfortunate as to lose Major Yontz, of Colonel Hunter's regiment, who received a wound from which he subsequently died. Major Brown, my assistant adjutant-general, was wounded in the thigh, and Captain Thompson, of my staff, was either killed or captured, which I have never ascertained. At this point the falling back of the army commenced and continued uninterrupted, so far as my brigade was concerned, until the evening of the 25 the.

On the morning of this day I was moved out in advance of the train. About 1 o'clock I received an order from General Price to park the train and fall back to Osage River, to prevent the enemy from crossing that stream. I directed Major Brinker, chief quartermaster of the army, who was at his proper place, to park the train, and I moved back as rapidly as possible. I had not time to form before I was ordered to the front to protect the train, which the enemy were threatening. I had hardly executed the command when I received orders from General Shelby to return at once to the rear to his relief. I pressed rapidly on, and getting near enough to obtain a view of the scene of action, I discovered that General Thompson's brigade alone of