to fall back toward the Blue and to place my pickets. I obeyed the order and the brigade started down the road, with the exception of Erwin's regiment that remained to picket the road.

At this time a messenger met the head of the column with orders to hurry to the assistance of yourself, who with Jackman's brigade and Gordon's regiment had been fighting the enemy on the extreme left. The column started at a gallop, led by the gallant Slayback, who happened to have his command in front when the order was received, and we were soon upon the field that you were fighting upon. The brigade was thrown into line as speedily as possible, but the enemy retired before we went into action. Darkness had now arrived and we were ordered to bivouac in line of battle, with Jackman's brigade in the open prairie, and thus we passed the night.

On the morning of the 23rd we were ordered to march toward Westport, and we soon found ourselves confronted by the enemy, who had a battery commanding the road and covering the approaches to the town. Collins' battery was placed in position and Elliott's regiment and Williams' command were left to cover the guns and right of the road. I went with Gordon's, Smith's, Slayback's, and Johnson's commands to the left of the road and advanced upon the enemy. The fighting became very spirited, and upon our advancing, Colonel Smith's horse was shot and his men fell back, exposing the left of Gordon's regiment. One of the regiments of Jackman's brigade charged the force that had fronted Smith, but this regiment was also compelled to fall back. At this stage I ordered Slayback and Johnson with their recruits to charge this force of the enemy, and it was done in most gallant style, driving them from the timber in which they were posted and occupying it themselves. Gordon's regiment had stood firmly under a galling fire all this time, having in its front an enemy posted behind a stone fence that could not be charged on account of intervening fences.

About this time that gallant charge in column down the road was made by McGhee's regiment of Arkansas troops which resulted so disastrously to the brave men who made it. Having gained the grove of timber we were not long in flanking the stone fence behind which the enemy was, and soon dislodged him. It was in this movement that Lieutenant James Wood was wounded while conversing with me. We now took position behind the same fence that the enemy had held, but the position in line of my regiments was changed. Slayback was on the right, next Johnson, next Smith, and Gordon had the left, with Jackman's brigade still on his left. We quietly held this situation for some time waiting for a supply of ammunition, which was delayed in arriving by our distance from the train. During this delay Collins' rifled guns were moved up to the position that had been occupied by the enemy's guns and opened. One of the rifled guns burst the first fire. As soon as we were supplied with ammunition and prepared to move forward orders were received for us to fall back, and we did so in line of battle under a heavy fire from the enemy's batteries. We had just passed through the fields in which we had been fighting into the open prairie when your ordered me to form the line facing eastward, and shortly after your ordered us to charge the enemy then in our front. Our line was not complete, but the regiments that were formed bravely threw themselves against the foe, and breaking their first line we were surprised to find a long of infantry and a battery in position immediately in their rear. At this instant, while our lines were broken and our long-range guns discharged, the enemy with a fresh line charged our right, and then for the first time on this campaign Shelby's brigade