The enemy being satisfied with the reception, or having spent his energies in his furious onslaught, halted the pursuit at 2 in the morning.

On the 23rd Marmaduke's division, again in rear, were attacked at an early hour by the same enemy and with the same spirit as before. Greene's regiment, commanded by Captain Johnson, and Burbridge's regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Preston, with Freeman's brigade, met him first, my brigade being formed in his rear 500 yards. He contended manfully for the crossing of the Big Blue, but was forced back after having repulsed the enemy several times. Falling back through my brigade the enemy came upon me in the full enthusiasm of pursuit, and thought my brigade contended nobly with the foe for two hours and strewed the open field in our front with his dead, our ammunition exhausted, we were forced to leave the field again to the enemy, our dead in his hands. The booming of Fagan's and Shelby's guns were heard all time in the direction of Westport heavily engaging the enemy. At this time I was directed by General Marmaduke to pass the train and protect its left flank from a threatened attack from cavalry. I found them advancing upon the flank, but halted without coming to an engagement. Continued to retreat that night until 1 o'clock. Resumed the march southward on the 23d; crossed into Linn County, Kans., on the 24th. Resumed the march southward on the 25th, Marmaduke's division being in the rear.

Before I had gone a mile from the encampment (on the Marais des Cygnes) of the night before, I received an order from General Marmaduke to form my brigade in line of battle, as the enemy had again appeared in our rear. I remained in that position until 10 o'clock; no engagement with small-arms; retiring from that position in line of battle. The enemy, 800 or 900 yards distant in line of battle, followed us. We were now well out on a prairie that seemed almost boundless. At the distance of a mile General Marmaduke directed me to halt, which we did. The enemy coming on with a steady advance approached very near in largely superior force. We retired at a trot, the enemy in close pursuit. We continued this was, each holding about the same position, across a flat prairie some four miles, when we came suddenly upon the trains halted, the delay occasioned by a deep ravine, the enemy not more than 500 yards in our rear. There was no time to make any but the most rapid dispositions for battle. To attempt to dismount and send the horses to the rear was inevitable destruction, as the enemy in the confusion would have been upon us. There was no alternative but to abandon the train or to fight on horseback. In the hurried consultation between Generals Fagan and Marmaduke I understood this to be the view taken of the emergency. It was determined not to dismount, which met with my approbation. Skirmishing had already begun, the artillery in action, when the Federal force (I should judge 6,000 or 7,000) made a furious charge on the right and left flank. Both gave way in hopeless confusion. Every effort was made by appeals and threats to retrieve the rout, but it swept in an irresistible mass ungovernable. The Federal force and that mingled together until you scarcely knew who was friend or foe. Gallant spirits, however, were seen here and there in hand-to-hand conflict with the foe, in sad contrast to those who had ignominiously thrown away their arms. General Marmaduke in the vain effort to rally his troops was captured by the enemy. Every gallant spirit in my brigade remembers with affection the gallant and prudent commander of an hundred battles, and mourn that his valuable services are lost to his country in the hour of her