him of what I was doing, and hastily threw my line up into the dense timber on my right, twice its own length, and then pushed it steadily forward. At this time I received orders from Major-General Curtis to make the movement which I had already commenced. Thus reassured, I moved forward as rapidly as the thick undergrowth and broken ground would permit until I came to the edge of an open field and formed a junction with Colonel Hogan's regiment, which had been sent forward from a different direction. A heavy fire was here opened on us from a corn-field which stretched from our right front, and which seemed filled with skirmishers, and from a large brick house in an orchard just beyond, in which a party of sharpshooters was stationed. In a few minutes several of our men had fallen, and the fire was incessant and close. I immediately ordered the right of the brigade forward and drove the enemy from the corn-field and house, while the left of the line kept straight forward through a stubble-field on their flank. About half a mile to the front the cavalry and artillery came out the road on our left and we joined the line, relieving Jennison's cavalry from its position in support of McLain's battery. We then commenced driving the enemy steadily before us, and from then till his retreat became rout it was a much as my dismounted men could do to keep up with the artillery. As soon as the heaviest of the action was over I sent details back to bring up the horses, and pushed forward with my dismounted men and artillery. Lieutenant W. B. Clark's detachment of Company E, Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, and Captain John Wilson's company of independent cavalry scouts became detached from my brigade early in the morning and acted as body guard for Major-General Blunt, charging to the support of a howitzer which General Blunt and staff, with the gun detachment, were protecting with their pistols from a portion of the enemy who were endeavoring to capture it, and participating also in the gallant charge on the enemy's rear posted behind the stone wall at the mouth of the lane. In this last charge the detachment lost 6 horses and 2 men killed, besides having several men slightly wounded. I pushed on to Santa Fe, reaching there about sunset, and stopped to feed, getting the first forage my horses had eaten since we left the Blue. The men had eaten nothing for two days and were still without rations, their transportation being yet at Kansas City. I had three or four head of cattle hunted up and killed by Colonel Hogan's regiment (the Nineteenth Kansas State Militia), which were eaten without bread or salt. The residue of my brigade had nothing.

At daylight next morning (24th) we started and marched the while day and far into the night, still fasting, when the head of the column (Major-General Pleasonton's division) went into camp at the Marais des Cygnes; my brigade brought up the rear of the column, and receiving no orders, stood by our horses' heads in the rain all night, or until the roar or artillery announced that the battle was begun. Most of my militia had fallen out in the terrible march of the day before from fatigue and want of food, leaving me only my batteries, the Sixth Regiment, Colonel Montgomery, and Eves' battalion,and being satisfied that there would be some heavy fighting at the front, before my brigade could cross the river, I hurried forward to see if my individual services could be of any avail. Leaving the brigade in charge of my adjutant, Lieutenant L. J. Beam, Fifteenth Kansas Cavalry, I crossed the river on the skirmish line of General Pleasonton's division, and during the exciting events of the 25th acted as volunteer aide-de-camp on the staff of Major-General Curtis, rendering all the assistance I could to