hat it would be exceedingly difficult
to dislodge him. To this McGregor replied that he could not risk a
battle without Farlin's forces being up and in readiness to support our
line.

"During the night Farlin came up. A battle must then and there be
fought. The whole country stood with bated breath awaiting the result,
as all understood that the rebels must be driven back on what they
claimed as their own ground, or our country was in imminent danger of
becoming demoralized should they see the battlefields changed to the
North.

"When the morning came, the commands being in readiness, the movement of
our forces commenced. It was soon discovered that the main crossing of
Antler's Run was held by a strong force of the enemy, which compelled
our troops to seek for some other and less dangerous passage. This was
found to our right, facing the left of the enemy. His left being refused
gave a safer passage over the stream. The plan of battle was to throw
Gen. Horn's Corps at the upper crossing, assail the rebel left and, if
successful, to cross the left of our forces, under Gen. Broomfield, by
assaulting the enemy at the lower crossing, and if he could be driven
from there, to cross and assault his right, his center being too
strongly posted to risk an attack on it then. (Gen. Anderson had been
assigned with his division to Gen. Horn's Corps.) The crossing over on
our right was effected without much difficulty, and the enemy pressed
back in the heavy woods. The enemy were evidently holding and waiting,
as no general engagement ensued. Another corps crossed in the rear of
Gen. Horn's and formed ready to assault. Our left had not as yet been
able to cross in front of the enemy's right, and in this position we
found ourselves,--part of our army on the one side and part on the other
of Antler's Run, in front of the enemy; thus the two armies rested that
night. Our intention being thus revealed to the enemy, he had only to
wait the attack, which they must have concluded would be commenced at
an early hour in the morning. The night was most beautiful; the vault of
heaven being studded with stars, so that either army was in plain view
of the other, at no very great distance separated. During the night
another of our corps crossed the Run at the same crossing that Gen. Horn
had passed over in the morning, and moved down to the left and in front
of the rebel center. Occasionally the movement of this corps would be
responded to with