In this day's fight, among the foremost in the pursuit fell mortally wounded Second Lieutenant Trigg, of my escort, who was sent by me to General Shelby with dispatches, and having accomplished that duty, the fight coming on, joined the advance, and there fourght with a valor worthy the emulation of the bravest. Captain Thorp, of Elliott's battalion (the advance), charged wiht his men through a Federal regiment of infantry, scattering them to the four winds. He received a severe, though not mortal, wound in that charge.

Placing a sufficient force at Elkin's Ferry to hold any farther advance in check until it could be re-enforced, my wearied troops (Cabell's and Greene's) were encamped so as to the be enable to reach in time any one of the fords liable yet to be crossed at by the main Federal army.

April 3 was spent by the enemy in closing up to the river wiht his main force. His point of crossing was not yet ascertained, and Burbridge's regiment, of Greene's brigade, under Lieutenant-Colonel Preston, was thrown forward to make a forced reconnaissance at Elkin's Ferry. Late in the day, after having driven in the advanced posts on the south side of the river with sharp skirmishing, the enemy were discovered in heavy masses; yet during that day his main body still remained on the north bank. His slow, changeful marches, his seeming indecision, were inexplicable until Shelby's cannon were heard in his rear. On the morning of the 3rd, he had again attacked; had scattered their rear guard, when, finding that they were being heavily re-enforced and closing their flanks around his comparatively small force, he withdrew in good order. General Shelby fought his brigade entirely mounted, and time and again the irresistible charge of his line thoroughly demoralized and completely routed the long and serried lines of the enemy's infantry, causing them great loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners, while Collins' battery did most effective service and almost exceeded its usual superlative excellence in the accuracy of the fire and the devoted bravery of the company. On the 4th (as afterward appeared), Steele commenced crossing his main army. Having concentrated Greene and Cabell in front of the ferry, and posted the main portion of Cabell's brigade as a reserve on a naturally strong position at the edge of the bottom, with Greene's brigade, Colonel Greene commanding; one piece of Blocher's battery, under Lieutenant Zimmerman; Monroe's regiment, Colonel J. C. Mornoe commanding,a nd a section of Hughey's battery, under Lieutenant Miller, of Cabell's brigade, 1,200 in all, I advanced and attacked the enemy with the objects in view of finally determining whether he would cross his whole force here, of relieving Shelby (whom I knew to be nearly out of ammunition), and to impede their crossing. The troops were rapidly formed, and the attack vigorously and quickly made, which resulted in our driving them 2 miles before they could mass their forces against me, and then withdrew in perfect order, with a loss of 29 killed, wounded. From their won official reports, captured afterward, I fought a greatly superior force and killed and wounded a considerable number.

I cannot pay too high a tribute to the alacrity, the steadiness, and persistent bravery of Greene's brigade and Monroe's regiment, nor compliment Lieutenants Zimmerman and Miller's artillery commands higher than in the enemy's own language, who complained that our artillerists must have measured the ground before the battle.