to fall back to the train as soon as they could do so with safety, which I would attempt to defend until they arrived. I immediately pushed forward to the front of the train with my escort and there formed in line of battle the unarmed men, which were present to the number of several thousand, throwing my escort and the whole number of armed men of Tyler's brigade, formed as skirmishers (the whole not exceeding more than 200), to the front of the enemy, and directing Brigadier-General Cabell, who arrived soon after, to hold the crossing of the creek on my left, sending forward at the same time for a portion of Colonel McCray's brigade, which was in advance of the train, and on his approach forming him in line of battle on the left flank of the enemy, which caused the enemy to fall back a considerable distance on the prairie. In the meantime the rear and flank of the commands of Major-General Fagan and Brigadier-General Shelby by the falling back of Major-General Marmaduke were uncovered, and the former in attempting the rejoin me was attacked by a large force of the enemy, but with the aid of Colonel Jackman and his brigade, who came to his assistance, and who acted so heroically and skillfully as to receive the thanks of Major-General Fagan on the field, the enemy were repulsed, while Brigadier-General Shelby in attempting to obey my instructions was attacked in the flank and his command thrown into some confusion, but rallied, repulsed the enemy, and rejoined me that evening, as did also Major-General Fagan. (Full details of his are contained in the accompanying reports of Brigadier-General Shelby and Colonel Jackman.) I encamped that night on the Middle Fork of Grand River, having marched twenty-four miles and the troops having been engaged with the enemy nearly all day. The number of the enemy's troops engaged that day exceeded 20,000 well-armed men, while I did not have 8,000 armed men.

On the morning of the 24th I moved with the command on the Fort Scott road to the Marais des Cygnes, where I encamped, having marched thirty-three miles, no enemy appearing. During the night I received information from Major-General Marmaduke, who was placed in charge of the approaches in front, that the enemy were threatening his pickets, and upon consultation with Major-General Marmaduke we were both of opinion that the enemy were marching upon our right by Mound City on a road parallel to the one on which we were. We were strengthened in that belief by a dispatch which had been captured from the commanding Federal officer at that place to his scouts, stationed near our then encampment, stating that he would be largely re-enforced that night, and that he wanted a sharp lookout [kept] for my army, and to give him the earliest information of the route on which I would travel and the direction. I also received at a late hour at night information from some new recruits who joined me, and who had traveled fifteen miles on the route I had traveled, that there was no enemy in my rear. On the morning of the 25th I resumed my march in the same direction as before, and I considered from the information I had received the night before, and I considered from the information I had received the night before that if I should encounter the enemy it would be in my front or on my right flank. Brigadier-General Shelby's division composed the advance, Major-General Fagan and Marmaduke's divisions composed the rear guard, Colonel Tyler's brigade to the right of the center of the train 400 yards, Brigadier-General Shelby's old brigade to the right of the front 400 yards, and Colonel Jackman's brigade to the immediate front.

On reaching Little Osage River I sent forward a direction to Brigadier-General Shelby to fall back to my position in rear of Jackman's