would probably, result in his retreating before me, crossing the Saline at Long View, destroying his pontoon bridge in his rear, and thus making good his escape. I therefore abandoned this plan and adopted the one of making a demonstration int he direction of Monticello, as if the whole force was advancing, at the same time advancing rapidly to Mount Elba, bridging the Saline, leaving infantry and artillery to hold the bridge, crossing with the cavalry, making demonstrations in the direction of Camden and Princeton, and at the same time moving rapidly with a small command to Long View, a distance from Mount Elba of 42 miles, destroying their bridge, and thus prevent their retreat, then recrossing the Saline and attacking the enemy with my whole command on the north side of the river. I accordingly organized an expedition consisting of the following troops: Detachment of the Eighteenth Illinois Infantry, 7 commissioned officers and 230 enlisted men; detachment of the Twenty-eighth Wisconsin Infantry, 5 commissioned officers and 260 enlisted men; detachments of the First Indiana, Fifth Kansas, and Seventh Missouri Cavalry, amounting to 600 men, four mountain howitzers and two steel rifled guns, the infantry under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Marks, the cavalry under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Jenkins. I had also a small subsistence train and eight pontoons made for the occasion, mounted on wagon wheels. The infantry and train moved out about sunset of the 27th; also 100 cavalry, under the command of Lieutenants Greathouse and Young, in the direction of Monticello. The balance of the cavalry started at daylight the next morning. The whole command, with the exception of the cavalry sent in the direction of Monticello, arrived at Mount Elba about 4 p.m. of the 28th, drove in the enemy's picket, killing 1 and capturing 4; proceeded at once to the construction of the bridge, which was reported completed and in good order before midnight. Lieutenants Greathouse and Young came in during the night, and reported having driven in the enemy's pickets the night previous at Branchville; advanced to within sight of his camp-fires, built up large camp-fires of their own, sounded trumpets, &c. They gave the opinion that the enemy was completely misled as to our movements.

At daylight on the morning of the 29th, I left the infantry, three pieces of artillery, one squadron of cavalry, and the train at Mount Elba, Lieutenant-Colonel Marks commanding, with instructions to hold the bridge and observe the enemy closely in the direction of Monticello. I moved with the balance of my command across the Saline, in the direction of Camden, 8 miles, to the vicinity of Marks' Mills. In this neighborhood the roads from Camden, Princeton, Long View, and up the Saline converge. I made this the base of my cavalry operations, and sent Lieutenant Greathouse and Young, with 50 picked and well-mounted men, each with instructions to move with the utmost rapidity by the way of Warren to Long View, to destroy the pontoon bridge, the enemy's train, &c. Int he mean time, to cover the movement of Lieutenants Greathouse and Young, I sent a squadron of cavalry on the Camden road, the two Princeton roads, and up each side of the Saline River, with instructions to convey the idea that the whole command was advancing on each of these roads. These parties went out from 10 to 20 miles and returned the same day. Captain Pierce captured 6 prisoners on the road up the south bank of the Saline. Captain Young skirmished with a squadron of rebel cavalry on the Princeton road and captured 10 prisoners; he reported Shelby at Princeton.

49 R R-VOL XXXIV, PT I