encourage them, when he was treacherously shot from a house by some hidden foe, and fell from his horse. He immediately remounted, but was unable to remain in his saddle, and was carried off the field.

This was about 4 p. m., when I received an order from the general to take command, which I immediately complied with. The fighting at this time was hard. It was one continual roar of musketry and artillery. The enemy had advanced to a point beyond the range of the small-arms of the fort; but the artillery continued to pour a heavy fire of shot and shell into their midst, which would cause them to falter, but they would again and again rally. The stockade fort, which they had previously taken possession of, gave them great protection, and in and around which they would mass their forces, and from which they would make their charges. They would drive our men, and then in turn be driven back.

A little after 5 o'clock they made the most desperate effort that they had made during the day to drive back our forces by throwing their whole force upon our center and right wing, but mainly upon the center. A part of the Seventy-second Enrolled Missouri Militia, Fourth Missouri State Militia Cavalry (dismounted), the Second Battalion Fourteenth Missouri State Militia Cavalry (dismounted), part of five companies of the Eighteenth Iowa Infantry, and the "Quinine Brigade," amounting, in all, to about 800 men, had to oppose the major part of the rebel army, amounting to three or four times their own number; but our troops met them promptly, and fought them most gallantly for nearly one-half hour, when a part of our lines began to give back.

At this critical time, an officer commanding a company in the Second Battalion Fourteenth Missouri State Militia, ordered his men to horse (as I was afterward informed), and the whole battalion came running in great confusion to the rear, and took to horse. I tried in vain to rally them; they seemed panic-stricken. This caused a partial giving way among the other troops. I had no difficulty in rallying them, and they went again into the fight.

It was now near dark, and the enemy were making an additional demonstration on our left. By this time Lieutenant-Colonel Pound, commanding, had succeeded in reforming the Second Battalion Fourteenth Missouri State Militia. I ordered him to advance on the enemy's right, which order he promptly executed. The enemy fired but a few rounds, and again retired, leaving us in full possession of this part of the field.

Five additional companies of the Eighteenth Iowa, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Z. Cook, came to the rescue, whooping and cheering, which gave fresh courage to our brave men, who immediately drove the enemy before them and back into the stockade fort. Colonel Cook's troops arrived too late to take an active part in the engagement. Darkness coming on, the firing gradually ceased, after which all was quiet, save an occasional firing from the artillery. The enemy, under cover of the darkness, withdrew from the field, carrying away part of their dead and wounded. I expected them to renew the attack on the following morning.

On the morning of the 9th, they appeared in full force to the east, and about 1 mile from town. Preparations were made to receive them. A cavalry force was sent forward to engage them and check their advance; but they declined another engagement and retired in haste. We did not have a sufficient force to pursue them. We did not have at any one time during the day more than 900 to 1,000 men engaged. The enemy had some 4,000 men, under the command of General Marmaduke, [Colonels] Shelby, Gordon, Gilkey, Elliott, MacDonald, and others, with