came out in the darkness to hold converse, and having informed us that they were Federals and learned that we were rebels, he called on God to damn us, and invited us forward. I asked him if he would receive a flag from us. He said he would answer in five minutes. I waited fifteen, and hearing some wagons moving I advanced my line about 3 a. m., and when within 300 yards or less of their fortifications they opened fire. We replied with small- arms and artillery. The teamsters, demoralized, fled and left their teams to tangle up in the timber and break off wagon tongues. Some teams ran over the cliffs and the wagons crushed the teams to death. Not being able to see the fortifications, and having accomplished my design of stopping the train, I moved my command back under the brow of the hill and awaited daybreak. There was a rest for near one hour, when the wagons began to stir again. I moved forward and gave them several more volleys and retired gain.

Soon day broke and the dawn revealed to us what appeared to us to be immense earth- works, but afterward proved to be immense hay ricks, ten in number, and just in the rear of said ricks a strong fortification constructed of logs set up in the earth. To the left the timber along the bluff of Cabin Creek was filled with wagons and mules, and from behind all these the enemy sent missiles of death. I changed the position of the artillery so as to command the hay ricks and wagons, and got General Watie to send Colonel Vann with the two Cherokee regiments across to capture all wagons that might have left before day. I dismounted Colonel Jumper's command to assist in supporting the battery, and afterward ordered Gurley's regiment to that post and Jumper in the timber to flank the enemy's right. he doubled back their right and drove them full 150 yards, when they came to a stand. Now appeared a crisis, and I charged them with Gurley's regiment, leading them in person, and would have carried the position but for a gully some twenty- five yards in the rear filled with armed men who had not yet participated. They were not visible until within twenty- five or thirty yards of them. We were compelled to fall back, but not one man of the gallant Thirtieth started from that murderous fire until I ordered them to do so. I then ordered Captain Strayhorn, Lieutenant- Colonel Welch, and Major Mayrant to take the timber and drive the right, the Creeks and Seminoles having exhausted their ammunition, while Howell, Looscan, and Captain Welch poured their fire into the original front, now the enemy's flank. Crash after crash of shell swept Yankees, negroes, Pins, and mules away from the land of the living, while every regiment and company poured in volley after volley, and the brave Indians, having replenished with ammunition, came again to the work, and all with a loud shout rushed on to victory, driving the enemy beyond their fortifications, from where they fled in wild confusion to the densely timbered bottoms.

At 9 o'clock (six hours after the first volley was fired) the field was ours, with more than $1,000,000 worth of Federal property in our hands. We burned all the broken wagons and killed all the crippled mules. We brought off 130 wagons and 740 mules. We clothed 2,000 men of the expedition so as to make them comfortable for the present and have some commissaries on hand.

The killed ofthe enemy at Cabin Creek numbered about 23; the wounded not known; captured 26. The jaded condition of our already weak horses prevented us from capturing as many as we might have done. Our loss was 6 killed, 45 wounded- 3 mortally.