pany, Fourth Illinois Volunteer Cavalry, was ordered to proceed down the river about seven miles to the place where Captain Wardlaw, E Company, Fourth Illinois Volunteer Cavalry, with Companies E and F, Fourth Illinois Cavalry, had been ordered to proceed previous to the crossing of the troops from this side the river. I remained with an escort of four men at Vidalia until the detachment under Captain Wallace was across, and had moved off to report to Lieutenant-Colonel McCaleb, as per order, and then learning that Colonel Farrar had gone down the river on board one of the transports with the infantry force I proceeded on down the river for the purpose of joining the command that had gone that way, overtaking the advance within a short distance of Concordia Bayou, where I reported in person to Colonel Farrar, commanding expedition, and was by him ordered to take charge of the cavalry column. We moved on to the above-named bayou, and finding no means of crossing at that point we moved in a northerly direction about three miles to a temporary bridge across the bayou, struck the gallop march in single file through the swamp a mile and a half or two miles, coming out on a plantation at Mud Bayou, expecting to find there a small picket of the enemy, but they had fallen back in a northwesterly direction, exchanging a few shots with the flankers of the advance guard as they fell back. Here we rested a few moments, watered the command, and after sending a sergeant and six men, by Colonel Farrar's order, to brig up the gun that was with the infantry column we moved on along the bayou in the direction the enemy's picket had taken, and in a few moments our advance commenced skirmishing with the enemy, gradually driving them back to near the dwelling on the plantation of --, when, by Colonel Farrar's order, I took a portion of the command to the right through the field for the purpose of striking the road leading along Mud Bayou, in the rear of the enemy, but they fell back on the road leading direct to the Trinity road. I remained in the road at the place where I struck it until the balance of the command came up, when we moved along Mud Bayou about two miles. There crossing, we moved along about two miles farther, coming out on the Stacy plantation, where we expected to find a scamp of about 300 of the enemy, but they had moved off the day before. Here we met the advance of Lieutenant-Colonel McCaleb's force, under Captain Wallace. Here Colonel Farrar ordered me to assume command of the whole cavalry force. After watering the horses we moved on to the Gillespie plantation, fed our horses and men, and rested for about three hours. We arrived at the Gillespie plantation about fifteen minutes before 9 a. m. August 6, 1864.

Just as the command had commenced to saddle up the word came that the enemy had made their appearance to the west of us, on the road leading to the Tensas. A portion of the command dashed off, driving the enemy rapidly for about two miles, when they made a desperate stand on the Sessions plantation, but they soon gave way, when they were furiously charged. They soon, however, made another attempt to stand, but were again charged, and after several more sallies and successive impetuous charges they fled entirely, after a chase of about five miles from the Gillespie plantation to the extreme western boundary of the Stanton plantation.

After collecting the scattered portion of the command from the flanks and extreme front, we moved back to the Thirty and Vidalia road, rested a few moments, when we moved to Cross Bayou, where we found the infantry command, and by the order of Colonel Farrar, after detail-