guns. After drawing off his artillery, he retired it a distance of about 500 yards, and, placing it behind some deserted negro quarters, again opened on us, with redoubled fury. Ordering a dismounted squadron of the Seventh Kansas and a squadron of the Tenth Missouri to support them, I moved my howitzers to the front, and opened a steady fire upon their battery, from a very short range, and soon succeeded in silencing every one of their guns. This artillery duel lasted from twenty to thirty minutes, and, in the mean time, my right flank was steadily approaching the enemy's line, and exchanging shots with it. While the cannonading was going on, a corporal of the Seventh Kansas was killed by a shell, and a corporal of the Tenth Missouri Cavalry was wounded severely in the foot. After the enemy ceased firing from his artillery, he rapidly withdrew it from the field, and retired from his position, on to within a short distance of Leighton, where he again formed, many of his men massed in the road, and his wings extending far to the right and left. Here a charge was made by my right wing upon the enemy's line, which was formed in a field immediately behind a fence. They charged up close to the enemy and within short pistol-range, and succeeded in driving and wounding several of them.

In this charge Lieutenant John S. Hazard, of the Tenth Missouri Cavalry, was severely wounded in the left arm. In the mean time, on the road, our battery had approached to within range, and sent a few shell into the enemy's dense column on the road, putting it to a rapid retreat. From this on he retreated rapidly, moving through Leighton in apparent dismay. At this place I learned the approximate force of his command. It consisted of Forrest's, Roddey's, Baxter's, and [W. R.] Julian's commands, amounting, as I am informed, to about 3,500 men. The enemy did not pause until about 4 miles east of Leighton, where he formed in line of battle at the extreme eastern edge of an immense plain, some 2 miles square. Here his line of battle seemed to extend from horizon to horizon. It having now approached toward sunset, and the enemy in full sight, I did not deem it prudent to return to Tuscumbia, but sent back a message to General T. W. Sweeny, stating my position and asking for re-enforcements and some heavier artillery, and, placing my pickets, went into camp for the night, the men sleeping on their arms.

At early daybreak next morning (Saturday, the 25th), a portion of the Ninth Illinois Mounted Infantry, Colonel Mersy, came up to us with orders for us to fall back at once to Tuscumbia, which order I obeyed, reaching there about 10 a. m. Here we remained in camp until the following day (Sunday, the 26th), when, in pursuance of orders, with the Tenth Missouri and Seventh Kansas, I proceeded to Bainbridge, on the Tennessee River, with orders to destroy any means of crossing that stream that I should find. Nothing of this kind, however, was found, and we returned to Tuscumbia, reaching there just after nightfall.

On Monday, the 27th, taking the advance of the main force, we marched from Tuscumbia to Town Creek, our advance guard skirmishing with the enemy at that point. Arriving on the clear field on the bank of the creek, I formed my command in line of battle, and slowly approached its edge, and went into camp along a line of fence close to it. I was compelled, however, to withdraw from that camp and fall back, as the enemy opened on us with their artillery, throwing shell amongst us.

On the following day (Tuesday, the 28th), nothing was done by my command except to send scouting parties in various directions; and on Wednesday, the 29th, sending out two squadrons of the Seventh Kansas to the north, and the Fifteenth Illinois to the south, to destroy all the forage that could be found, and covering the return march of the main