from
his horse and throw the bridle-reins to a trooper who was holding a
string of horses. We gave ours to Whistling Jim to hold and ran forward
with the man we had been following.

We came right upon General Forrest--I knew him from the newspaper
portraits, poor as they were. He was standing with his watch in his
hand. He looked us over with a coldly critical eye, but gave us no
greeting. He replaced the watch in his pocket and waved his hand to a
bugler who was standing expectantly by his side. The clear notes rang
out, and instantly there ensued a scene that baffles description. There
was a rush forward, and Harry and I were carried with it.

I could hear loud commands, and shouting, and the rattle of carbines,
muskets, and pistols made my ears numb--but what happened, or when or
where, I could no more tell you than the babe at its mother's breast. I
could only catch glimpses of the fighting through the smoke, and though
I was as close to General Forrest as any of his men--right by his side,
in fact--I could not tell you precisely what occurred. I could hear
cries and curses and the explosion of firearms, but beyond that all was
mystery.

I had time during the _melee_ to take note of the actions of General
Forrest, and I observed that a great change had come over him. His
face, which was almost as dark as an Indian's when in perfect repose,
was now inflamed with passion and almost purple. The veins on his neck
stood out as though they were on the point of bursting, and his blazing
eyes were bloodshot. Above the din that was going on all around him his
voice could be heard by friend and foe alike. I cannot even describe my
own feelings.

A courier rode up. He had lost his hat, and there was a spot of blood
on his chin. He reported that the Federals were making a desperate
effort on the extreme right. "He's tryin' to git away!" yelled Forrest
in a voice that could be heard all over the field. "Tell Freeman to
take his guns thar and shove 'em in right on top of 'em. We've got the
bulge on 'em here, and we're coming right along."

[Illustration: "He's tryin' to git away!" yelled Forrest in a voice
that could be heard all over the field.]

And, sure enough, we began to find less and less resistance in front of
us, and presently I could see them running out into the valley, filling
the road by which we had come.

II

No pursuit was made at the time, and the Federals, finding that they
were not harried,