The enemy had scarcely begun to waver when his whole force fled in dismay, throwing away their arms, coats, and hats.

Our loss amounted to 1 killed, 5 wounded, and 3 missing.

We took from the enemy 81 prisoners, including 3 commissioned officers. On the field, the scene of the battle, immense quantities of arms, coats, and blankets were found and destroyed by us. I had no means of ascertaining the enemy's loss in killed and wounded, but from the evidence of the battle-field it must have been heavy.

His force consisted of [W. M.] Inge's command, 400 strong, [C. R.] Barteau's Second [Twenty-second] Tennessee Cavalry, 600 strong, and [J. F.] Smith's command, 1,000 strong. These were commanded by General Gholson. Also two regiments of mounted infantry and a number of irregular conscripts, commanded by General Ruggles, which made the enemy's force amount to about 3,500 men. The whole fight, from the skirmishing in the swamp until the retreat of the enemy, lasted about two hours and a half.

That same night, after consultation with my field officers, and hearing no reliable news from Colonel Hatch, I started back toward Corinth, marching the whole of that night, all of the next day, and until a late hour at night, when I went into camp at Parson Yates' plantation.

On the morning of Thursday, the 7th, Major J. C. Smith, in command of the Fifth Ohio Cavalry, met us with orders to return immediately to Corinth. That night we encamped at Booneville, and on the following day we reached Corinth, having been almost constantly in the saddle twenty-five days. The fruits of our expedition were 81 prisoners taken and about 600 head of horses and mules captured.

My officers and men are all entitled to great praise for their bravery and the unmurmuring patience with which they bore the fatigue, hardships, and privations of the march. My thanks are due to Lieutenant-Colonel Bowen, Lieutenant-Colonel Phillips, Lieutenant-Colonel Herrick, Major Gilbert, Major Benteen, and Major Lusk for their able and gallant assistance. Of the rest of the officers I must say that they all acted like heroes, and it would be invidious to name any of them in preference to others.

The following is a list of the casualties happening to the command on the whole expedition.*

Command. Killed. Wounded. Prisoners.

10th Missouri 1 9 14

Cavalry

7th Kansas Cavalry 1 5 ---

15th Illinois --- --- 2

Cavalry

9th Illinois --- 5 43

Mounted Infantry

1st Alabama 2 --- ---

Cavalry

Total 4 19 59

RECAPITULATION.

Killed ............................................... 4

Wounded .............................................. 19

Taken prisoners ...................................... 59

Total ................................................ 82

I remain, your obedient servant,

FLORENCE M. CORNYN,

Colonel Tenth Missouri Cavalry, Commanding Cavalry Brigade.

Captain GEORGE E. SPENCER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

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* Nominal list omitted.

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