their services to drive the enemy from the road. In consequence of trouble with trains, I was detained at Athens until 6 p. m., when we left for Sulphur trestle. A mile and a half from the station I found that the railroad had been slightly damaged before Colonel Prosser had driven the enemy from the road. This was repaired during the course of the night, and we moved on toward Elk River. Two miles from Elk River we found the road more seriously damaged. For some reason not yet explained, the cavalry forces here did not attack the enemy when he made his appearance upon the road, as was positively ordered, but delayed it until after he had left, probably alarmed by hearing of the advance of forces upon the train and the cavalry from below. Soon after, however, Colonel Jackson assaulted this last column of Roddey's, and it withdrew across the Tennessee River and did not again appear upon the road. The sudden withdrawal of all Roddey's cavalry was caused, I suppose, by the vigorous action of our troops and the state of preparation in which he found everything along the road. After repairing the road I moved up to six miles beyond Pulaski, where I found General Starkweather in line of battle, expecting an attack from Wheeler's force, which was reported approaching on the Farmington and Columbia roads. This was the morning of the 4th of September. Feeling satisfied that Wheeler had no intention of attacking so strong a position as Pulaski, I determined to move up to Lynnville. After orders were given, a courier reported that Wheeler had surrounded the garrison at Lynnville Station, and had ordered them to surrender. General Starkweather, in command of cavalry and artillery, about 1,200 strong, started immediately for Lynnville by pike, expecting to reach that point in one hour and twenty minutes, while I moved up the road in the cars with the infantry, 900 strong. When within two and a half miles of Lynnville Station we discovered the enemy burning the track. The cars were stopped and the infantry ordered out and moved directly to the front. We drove the enemy from a train of cars, two of which they had already fired. We saved the rest, which were loaded with coffee, sugar, and grain, and the road from injury, save the burning of a cattle-guard. The enemy fell back rapidly beyond the station. Just before arriving at the station we discovered the advance guard of the cavalry, about 200 strong, under Colonel Jackson, skirmishing with the enemy before Lynnville. The enemy fell back, leaving 5 prisoners in the colonel's hands. The colonel soon after joined me at the bridge, and, taking the advance, moved on about a mile and a half beyond the bridge, the enemy still retreating without opposition, his force, however, increasing every moment. As I was satisfied that this was a strong advance of Wheeler's, I determined to await the arrival of General Starkweather, as without him it was useless to attack the enemy's advance with infantry,a s he could leave at pleasure. In endeavoring to communicate with him and hurry him up, 2 of the couriers were captured. The general did not join me until after sundown, and before he could come up with the advance it was too dark to attack, the enemy having by this time developed a force very considerably exceeding our own. About 12 midnight Colonel Jackson, from advance pickets, reported the entire force of the enemy in motion, about 1,500 moving to the right and the main body of the force moving in the direction of Lynnville with artillery and train. General Starkweather's guards and scouts reported the entire force at 5,000. General Starkweather and most of his off-