Ross; Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, 20 men, Lieutenant Smith, and two mountain howitzers from the Sixth Kansas Cavalry, Lieutenant Walker; in all, 465 men and two howitzers, which, added to my former force, made my whole command consist of 875 infantry, 285 cavalry, and four guns. But the excessive fatigue of the preceding day, coming as it did at the close of a toilsome march of twenty-four days, without halting, had so worn upon the infantry that fully 100 of the First Kansas (colored) were rendered unfit for duty. Many of the cavalry had, in violation of orders, straggled from their commands, so that at this time my effective force did not exceed 1,000 men.

At a point 1 mile east of this my advance came upon a picket of the enemy, which was driven back for 1 mile, when a line of the enemy's skirmishers presented itself. Here I halted the train, formed a line of the small force I then had in advance, and ordered that portion of the First Kansas Colored Volunteers which had previously been guarding the rear of the train to the front, and gave orders for the train to be parked as closely as the nature of the ground would permit. I also opened a fire upon the enemy's line from the section of Second Indiana Battery, for the double purpose of ascertaining, if possible, if the enemy had any artillery in position in front, and also to draw in some foraging parties which had previously been dispatched upon either flank of the train. No response was elicited save a brisk fire form the enemy's skirmishers. Meanwhile the remainder of the First Kansas Colored Volunteers had come to the front, as also those detachments of cavalry which formed part of the original escort, which I formed in line, facing to the front, with detachment Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry on my left, and detachments Second and Sixth Kansas Cavalry on the right flank. I also sent orders to Captain Duncan, commanding Eighteenth Iowa volunteers, to so dispose of his regiment and the cavalry and howitzers which came out with him as to protect the rear of the train,and to keep a sharp lookout for a movement upon his rear and right flank. Meanwhile a movement of the enemy's infantry toward my right flank had been observed through the thick brush, which covered the surface of the country in that direction. Seeing this, I ordered forward the cavalry on my right, under Lieutenants Mithchell and Henderson, with orders to press the enemy's line, fore it if possible, and at all events to ascertain his position and strength, fearing, as I did, that the silence of the enemy in front was but for the purpose of drawing me on into the open ground which lay in my front. At this juncture a rebel soldier rode into my lines and inquired for Colonel De Morse. From him I learned that General Price was in command of the rebel force, and that Colonel De Morse was in command of a force on my right. The cavalry had advanced but 400 yards, when a brisk fire of musketry was opened upon them from the brush, which they returned with true gallantry, but were forced to fall back. In this skirmish many of the cavalry were unhorsed, and Lieutenant Henderson fell, wounded in the abdomen, while gallantry urging his men forward. In the mean time I formed five companies of the First Kansas Colored Volunteers with one piece of artillery on my right flank, and ordered up to their assistance four companies of the Eighteenth Iowa. Soon my orderly returned from the rear with a message from Captain Duncan, stating that he was so closely pressed in the rear by the enemy's infantry and artillery that the men could not be spared.