Moved by rail to Trenton December 27, and the next day marched in the direction of Huntington, which place we reached on the 29th.

Left Huntington December 31 and marched in the direction of the Tennessee River; soon heard cannonading in our front, and when about 10 miles out the sound of musketry reached us. At Parker's Cross-Roads, 16 miles from Huntington, found Dunham's brigade, which had been engaged since morning, surrounded on three sides by the enemy under General Forrest. Firing had ceased, flags of truce were passing, and, as we afterward learned, General Forrest had demanded an unconditional surrender. A part, if not all, of Dunham's artillery, together with several hundred prisoners, had fallen into the hands of the enemy. The moment was a critical one and the day seemed inevitably lost. Colonel Fuller, however, notwithstanding his command was wearied by a very rapid march, disposed his three regiments in line of battle and ordered them to advance at once. We deployed upon the double quick and advanced as ordered. The enemy, taken utterly by surprise by this sudden attack in the rear, was thrown into confusion and compelled to make a precipitate and irregular retreat. My regiment was formed with its center resting on the road leading from Parker's Cross-Roads to the front.

A large number of prisoners, probably 200 or more, came down this road, their retreat being cut off, and were sent by me to the rear. I also detailed two companies of my command to guard these and other prisoners.

Company B, of the Thirty-ninth Ohio, drew off one piece of artillery belonging to the enemy, and were about to draw off two other pieces, said to have been captured from Dunham's brigade by Forrest's command, when the regiment was ordered by General Sullivan to fall back to Parker's Cross-Roads. The enemy did not again make his appearance, but his defeat and rout were complete.

The Ohio brigade recaptured most of the prisoners which General Forrest had taken, together with the artillery and small-arms, and captured about 300 prisoners, 300 horses, and 6 pieces of the enemy's artillery.

It is difficult to report precisely what part any one regiment took in the engagement of that day; but the three regiments composing the Ohio brigade came upon the enemy together, just in time to prevent disaster and to secure a brilliant victory.

On January 1 pressed on in pursuit of the enemy in company with the Twenty-seventh and Sixty-third Ohio Regiments. Near Lexington formed a junction with Colonel Lawler's brigade, and on the evening of January 2 reached a point 9 miles from Clifton on the river.

On the 3d the three Ohio regiments made a reconnaissance to the river, it having been reported, however, that the enemy had already crossed his entire force. That day and the following evening for a large portion of the time the rain fell in torrents. The road was covered with jagged rocks, whose crevices were filled with mud. The men in stepping from rock to rock frequently slipped and fell, bruising themselves severely. Returning at night in the darkness the men could not keep their footing, but fell every few rods. Although my regiment had but recently been supplied with new shoes and clothing throughout, at the end of that day's march 66 were without any shoes at all and a large portion of their clothing was in rags. Twenty of my men were also reported missing and have not since been heard from. It was the most terrible march I have ever experienced and a costly one in the numbers and health of my command. If the march was a neces-